Over the weekend there were three six fixtures held in the UK and former Irish point-to-pointers found success at all six venues.
Irish horses accounted for 11 of last weekend UK pointing winners and following a very difficult decision, it has been decided that the British point-to-point season will shut down for the rest of the season due to the Covid-19 virus.
We take a closer look below at where some of the weekend’s stand out winners started off their racing careers.
Saturday, 14th March 2020
Friars Haugh, Borders
Hard Ground recorded back-to-back successes when capturing the Intermediate race in the
hands of Jack Andrews by 3 lengths. The six-year-old is trained by Irish native Gearoid Costelloe and has been a consistent performer since beginning his career in UK points back in January.
The son of Mailnas was previously trained in Ireland by Denis Murphy, where he fell on his debut run before finishing runner-up at Kinsale in June 2019. In the Autumn he returned to score in his five-
year-old geldings’ maiden at Portrush in October 2018.
Hutton Rudby, Yorkshire
The Richard Smith-trained Toni’s Oscar made a winning debut in the open maiden on Saturday when battling it out with Miss Charlton but Toni’s Oscar found more on the run in to go on and win by three quarters of a length.
The daughter of Oscar ran a handful of times in Irish points for Cormac Doyle with her best effort being when she came fourth in a five-year-old mares’ maiden at Durrow in March of last year and was subsequently sold at the Goffs UK sale to Richard Smith in May.
Cothelstone, Somerset
Tuff Nano returned to her winning ways when landing the mixed open under Will Biddick by four lengths. This success marks the daughter of Primary’s fourth career success in UK points.
The seven-year-old started life out in Ireland with handler Benny Walsh when winning the five-year-old and upwards adjacent maiden at Ballinaboola in November 2018.
Sunday, 15th March 2020
Buckfastleigh, Devon
The Mens Open race went to the Irish point graduate Navanman for trainer John Heard. The 11-
year-old was partnered with Darren Edwards, who ran out a wide margin winner over Big Georgie.
Navanman has been a consistent and genuine performer over the past two seasons for Okehampton
trainer John Heard, who handles the eleven-year-old for a syndicate of family and friends.
Originally handled by David Kelly, the gelding was runner-up in his only Irish point run before transitioning to the track in the UK. Navanman found success on three occasions there for David Pipe before returning to pointing in 2017.
