High Stakes Champion Point-to-Pointer

This year’s Champion Point-to-Pointer was a tightly fought contest with the John Walsh trained High Stakes taking the prize.

The seven-year-old son of Scorpion finished his season on a total of four winners for his owner and handler John Walsh.

He started off his season with a comprehensive victory at the opening meeting of the season at Ballingarry when running out a seven length winner over Corach Rambler.

The gelding then progressed to winners company, he came home in splendid isolation in the winners of two contest at Necarne in September when being the sole finisher on this occasion.

He then returned to the point-to-point circuit in October with a good performance when finishing second to Mr Mantilla in the winners of two contest at Loughrea.

High Stakes found his way back to the winners enclosure the following month when winning the winners of two contest at Damma House.  On this occasion he beat fellow rival Er Dancer who finished his season on three winners.

The son of Scorpion registered his final points victory of the season when running out a six length victory in the hands of his usual partner James Walsh at Stradbally in December.

The seven-year-old then lost his hunter certificate when running out an impressive 18 length victory in the six and seven-year-old geldings point-to-point national hunt flat race at Wexford in March.

There were seven horses that finished the season on three winners a piece, these included: Ballygrifincottage, Er Dancer, Getawayrooney, Marinero, Mr Mantilla, The Forge Hill and Winged Leader.

Er Dancer was the only one that could have changed the result if he had won the open lightweight at Grennan on the final day of the season.  The last four races on the card were abandoned one of which was the open lightweight.