UK Point-to-Point Round Up 22nd January

Former Irish point-to-pointers continued to perform in UK points at the weekend in the four fixtures held across two days. Irish horses accounted for 12 of last weekends UK pointing winners. We take a closer look below at where some of these stand out winners started off their racing careers.

Saturday, 18th January

Larkhill, Wiltshire

Former Irish pointer, Byzantium Lad, ran out a 20-length winner in the seven-runner open maiden for five-year-old and upwards at Larkhill for Fred Hutsby. The son of Yeats, who was carrying the colours of Hutsby’s wife Caroline made his UK point-to-point debut back in December when he finished fourth at Cottenham.

Shane Hassett started the gelding off in Irish point-to-points in March of 2019, he ran three times and finished sixth in all three of those contests.

The conditions five-year-old and upwards race went to the Irish point graduate Chase Me for trainer James Ridley. The son of Mahler dug deep in the closing stages to beat the favourite Coco Live by two lengths.

The success marked the geldings fourth success in UK points. Originally handled by Liam Kenny, the gelding was runner-up on four occasions when running in Irish points.

Sunday, 19th January 2020

Buckfastleigh, Devon

Bloodstock agent Tom Malone enjoyed his second win of the season when favourite Song Of The Hunter made a winning debut in the first division of the open maiden, by coming home in front of another former Irish pointer Young O’Leary by six lengths.

The son of Network began life with Paul Cashman and ran four times in Irish points, with his best effort being on his debut run in a five-year-old geldings’ maiden at Templenacarriga when finishing in second place.

Three Faces West vindicated the promise of his third-placed effort at Buckfastleigh when securing success in the Veterans conditions race for Bethen Childs. Owned by, the Notre Cheval Partnership, this 12-year-old gelding showed the benefit of his experience here when beating Millanisi Boy by four lengths while also seeing off rivals such as Dicky Bob and Unioniste.

The bay gelding had lost his form after a fruitful career under Rules for the Philip Hobbs yard before returning to point-to-pointing in February 2019. Mervyn Thomas initially trained the son of Dr. Massini in Irish points where he won on debut at Largy before being sold for £55,000 to Donald McCain in 2017.

Bangor-On-Dee, Wrexham

The Philip Rowley-trained Goldenbrave made a winning debut in the open maiden on Sunday when battling it out with Organized Solution but Goldenbrave found more on the run in to go on and win by one-and-a-quarter lengths.

The son of Golden Lariat ran three times in Irish points for owner/handler Denis Murphy, with fourth place being his best effort and was subsequently sold for £15,000 to Highflyer Bloodstock for the Crazy Dealers syndicate by Philip Rowley at the Goffs UK Doncaster August sales.

Revesby Park

Benefaktor justified his odds-on favouritism when recording a three-length length victory in the open maiden for Tom Ellis in the hands of Ellis’s wife Gina Andrews. The seven-year-old showed promise on his debut run in UK points when finishing in third place at Cottenham in December.

The son of Beneficial started life out with Cork handler James Motherway having run three times in Irish points with his final effort being his best when he was runner-up in a six-year-old geldings’ maiden at Dawstown in May 2019.