WEXFORD point-to-point handlers Harley Dunne and Sean Doyle have sent 10 unraced horses to a yard in Britain to run in points there.

With point-to-points suspended here, and no guarantee they will resume in April, Dunne and Doyle looked across the Irish Sea where points are set to recommence on March 29th. The Wexford horses are based with Chris Barber, near Taunton, and amateur rider Tiernan Power has also moved there and will ride them in races.

Dunne explained: “A couple of months ago, when it looked as if point-to-points would start in Ireland before Britain, Chris called me and asked if I would take some of his horses. Shortly afterwards, the shoe was on the other foot, and I called Chris to see if he would take some of mine. Then Sean got involved too.

“To be honest, I am terrified by the absence of any confirmation as to when point-to-points will start here. If it gets dragged out beyond Easter, we are looking at good ground and I won’t risk my horses on that. The ones gone to England are Derby Sale horses who want soft ground.”

Today’s card of bumpers at Wexford is the second of three meetings specially created by Horse Racing Ireland and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board for point-to-pointers, but these races don’t suit all horses.

Dunne said: “I have been training my horses to jump 15 fences and stay three miles. They have size and scope, I want to show their assets fully. I know nothing about training a horse for a bumper.”

The British point-to-point season is due to start with seven consecutive days of fixtures at the end of this month. Horses aged four and five often compete together in maidens, which can be over two and a half miles or three.

Dunne says his English team “are 95% ready-to-run” and no decision has been made on where they will be offered for sale. “The main thing is to run them and get them in the shop window.”

George Mullins Transport looked after the paperwork for Dunne and he says it all went smoothly. Chris Barber is a grandson of the late Richard Barber, one of the most successful British point-to-point trainers of all time.

Backing Dunne’s British adventure is owner Declan Byrne, a long-time supporter of the yard and part-owner of recent Gowran Park maiden hurdle winner Its Gonnahappen, which was partnered to success by Dunne.

Having ridden 80 winners between the flags himself, Dunne took out his handlers’ licence last October and is based in Larry Byrne’s yard outside Enniscorthy.

Tiernan Power, from Tomhaggard in Wexford, has ridden 20 point-to-point winners, and is hoping to pick up spare rides in British point-to-points.