WE only spotted one locally-bred point-to-point winner in Britain last weekend and that was the Alan Hill-trained Nice To See You who, having made much of the running, held on to dead-heat with Meelick Island in the concluding nine-runner maiden at Garthorpe.

A six-year-old gelding by Court Cave, Nice To See You was bred in Co Down by Patricia Doran and is the last of just five recorded foals out of the unraced Nechtan.

That Generous mare was a half-sister to the Accordion gelding Call The Police, whose six wins included the Grade 2 Phil Sweeney Memorial Chase at Thurles while he was also Grade 1-placed over fences, and to the dam of the Grade 3 hurdle winner Hunters Call.

Four of the other five winners at this Cottesmore meeting also carried an IRE suffix as did five of the six winners at Dunsmore.

While four of the six winners at Kirkistown on Saturday were trained by local handlers for local owners, the only one bred anywhere in the vicinity was Largy Star who, in the hands of Dara McGill, landed the winners of one by two and a half lengths.

Owner-bred

The six-year-old Blue Bresil gelding was bred by his owners, Largy Bloodstock, out of the Definite Article mare Ballinahow Star who won three races on the track and two point-to-points.

While Largy Star is trained by Cormac Abernethy, the dam’s five-year-old gelding Largy Meadow (by Soldier of Fortune) and her four-year-old gelding Largy Silver (by Sholokhov) are both with Stuart Crawford, who sent out the newcomer Irish Champ (Milan - Scarlet Feather, by Flemensfirth) to win the Dennison JCB five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Simon Munir and Isaac Souede’s bay, whose dam is a half-sister to the blacktype performers Winter Escape and North Lodge, scored by two and a half lengths under Stephen Connor.

Ross Crawford used to train Fane Cross who, on only his second start, won the concluding six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden by a short-head from the twice previously-raced, Noel Kelly-trained even-money favourite Unfortunatecharlie.

First winner

This was a third career success in the saddle for Thomas Kileff, but a first as a handler for the rider’s father Craig whose only other pointer, the Idaho bay Beltoy, had earlier finished third to Irish Champ. Craig is well-known throughout racing and other equestrian disciplines as a feed consultant and sales representative for Bluegrass Horse Feeds.

The other local winner on Saturday was the French-bred Cadoudal Star who landed the James Murdoch Contracts open for owner Philip McBurney, trainer Gerald Quinn and rider Noel McParlan. Two former inmates of Caherty Stables visited the winner’s enclosure at Hereford on Tuesday, Four Springs who justified even-money favouritism in the novices’ hurdle for the Ben Pauling yard and the Warren Greatrex-trained Buckna who landed the concluding handicap chase.

First start

The Berkshire gelding Four Springs, who won a four-year-old maiden at Castle Irvine, Necarne in May on his only outing for McBurney, Quinn and McParlan, was having his first start since changing hands for €82,000 at Tattersalls Ireland’s May point-to-point and horses in training sale. The bay was bred by Robert Armstrong out of the unraced Arcadio mare Send For Molly.

At the Stonehall Harriers’ meeting in Moig South on Sunday, the ladies’ open was won by the Munir and Souede-owned Hunters Yarn, a pointing debutant who scored six times on the track. Trained by Pat Doyle and ridden by Emily Costello, the eight-year-old Fame And Glory gelding was the last foal bred by Callie Berry out of the dual-winning French-bred mare Full Of Birds (by Epervier Bleu), who is the dam of five other winners including this fellow’s full-brother Do Your Job.

WHEN you’re there using whatever device you use, don’t forget to vote for the 2025 Horse Racing Ireland Racecourse of the Year. The two local tracks will appreciate all support.

You have up until midnight tomorrow, Sunday, November 30th, to cast your vote on www.hri.ie, or through Horse Racing Ireland’s social media channels, and the public vote will equate to 50% of the overall votes.

Encouraging everyone to have their say, Suzanne Eade, CEO of Horse Racing Ireland, commented: “We are extremely fortunate to have 26 racecourses located right across the country who deliver a top-class racing product, contribute significantly to the national and international racing calendar and are important sporting and social outlets for their regions.

“We are now asking racegoers and racing fans to help choose the 2025 Racecourse of the Year. Their input will be a significant factor in determining the winner.

“The racecourses themselves will each have a vote, and a select HRI committee will contribute by judging each racecourse on its sustainability progress over the past 12 months.”

Among the nominees for other categories are Co Donegal’s new champion jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle (flat award) and Sam Ewing (National Hunt award), while David Christie has been nominated once again for the point-to-point award which he won last year.

FOLLOWING on from last Saturday’s piece in the Pony Tales column in the Irish Horse World section of this newspaper, I hope that there will be a good representation from racing and point-to-pointing, especially of parents with small children, at the annual Santa Ride in Saintfield on Saturday next, December 6th.

You know how it goes, for details please contact Joan Cunningham on 07775 860744 or email joancunningham1@gmail.com. If you prefer, you can go to the website www.saintfieldhorseshow.com/christmascharityride or, for even more choice, see the Saintfield Christmas Charity Ride - New Facebook page.

CASTLEREAGH native Jordan Canavan is hoping that his win on the John Flavin-trained Aclass in the beginners’ chase at Tramore on Tuesday will have brought him to the attention of trainers and point-to-point handlers across the country.

“I’ll go anywhere for a ride,” said the 28-year-old who lives close to the Co Waterford track, is based full-time with Flavin and also schools horses for Mark Cahill and Dave Murphy.

“I’ve yet to ride a point-to-point winner in Ireland, but I rode a handful when I was in the US where I worked for Leslie Young whose husband Paddy knew my dad (John) well,” revealed the 7lb claimer.

Others to have ridden winners over jumps in the past week were Brian Hughes, on the mark at Catterick last Friday and at Wetherby on Wednesday, while there were wins on the flat across the water for Darragh Keenan (at Southwell last Friday and at Wolverhampton on Saturday), and, at Newcastle, for Barry McHugh on Saturday and for Conor Orr on Monday.

Jamie Orr and Paddy McGettigan both rode winners on Friday last at Dundalk where Natalia Lupini sent out Final Melody to justify favouritism in the opening nursery for owners Devlin, Osborne, Dalzell and Wylie. There was a win at Ascot for the Colm McDonnell-bred nine-year-old gelding Neon Moon (No Risk At All - Hidden Horizons, by Winged Love). On Saturday, Pat Collins sent Gary Rushe’s Vadamos gelding Champagne Kid to win the maiden hurdle at Punchestown. You can read more about the Bessbrook trainer on page 9.