Irish Point-to-Points continues to provide a constant flow of top-notch National Hunt talent each year. Between October 2018 and May 2019, 1092 races in Britain and Ireland were won by horses that began their careers in the Irish point-to-point fields.
As the 2019/20 National Hunt season is upon us, we look back at the jumps racing from the weekend where 21 individual former point to point horses won on the track in both England and Ireland. Of the 21 winners, 12 were over hurdles, nine over fences with six of those winners earning black type on their page.
Road to Respect made a winning re-appearance in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal on Saturday. The chestnut son of Gamut began his career by winning a four-year-old maiden at Monksgrange when with Eoin Griffin.
Aidan Fitzgerald’s Lisronagh four-year-old winner Daylight Katie preserved her unbeaten record over hurdles with success in the Grade 3 Lough Construction mares novice hurdle at Down Royal on Friday.
Having secured a win on his season debut at Chepstow just a month ago, Ballyoptic was following up on his recent success when landing the Grade 2 bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Weatherby on Saturday.The son of Old Vic won his five-year-old maiden at Kirkstown and went on after that to be placed twice in winners’ company for well-known handler Ian Ferguson.
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The late Willie Codd’s Lostintranslation Tattersalls Farm graduate was last seen winning the Betway Mildmay Novices´ Grade One Chase at the Aintree Festival last April and he returned to his winning ways on Sunday when securing the Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Listed Chase at Carlisle
The Gatechecker was another to enjoy success at the weekend, registering his sixth track victory in the Grade B Paddy Power Cork Grand Nat.H´cap S´chase.The Michael Hourigan-trained son of Classic Cliché made his winning debut between the flags back in 2014 in the four-year-old geldings maiden at Ballingarry for handler David O’Brien.
Champion Bumper winner Envoi Allen was one of five, five-year-old’s to score, when making his hurdling debut at Down Royal.A graduate of Leading Handler Colin Bowe, the son of Muhtahir won his maiden at Ballinboola and then went on to be sold for £400,000 at the Cheltenham sales.
