NORTHERN-born riders didn’t fare so well on the Irish jump jockeys’ championship leaderboard with Jody McGarvey being the top professional in joint-27th place having ridden 13 winners, one more than conditional, Simon Torrens.

The leading northern qualified rider was Deckie Lavery, who recorded seven wins, while Mark O’Hare partnered one less.

This pair rode four winners apiece during the point-to-point season while Noel McParlan fared best in this sphere with seven wins to his credit.

Five of McParlan’s successes were recorded in the northern region region (one on the champion mare, his father Sean’s Holycross Lito) where he finished second to Barry O’Neill who topped the regional standings on 14 wins.

Having sent out 13 winners between the flags, David Christie finished fourth on the national handlers’ table, while his charge, Eddies Miracle, was crowned champion horse having landed all four of his open starts.

The 12-year-old Beat Of Drums gelding provided The Irish Field champion, Barry O’Neill, with two of his 42 wins during the campaign and did the same for Ben Harvey who was joint-leading rider under 21 with seven successes.

Eddie Miracle is owned by one of the great supporters of point-to-pointing in Belfast businessman and on-course bookmaker, Ray Nicholas, who had further opportunities to celebrate winners during the season thanks to success by Pyrios, Dylrow and Some Man.