WHILE point-to-points throughout the country receive welcome support from Tattersalls and Goffs, hunt clubs in the Northern Region are also very fortunate that, in addition to the two sales companies, Dennison Commercials and Albert Bartlett sponsor races each week, mainly four- and five-year-old maidens.

Committees

It’s testament to the hard work of local point-to-point committees, especially in these days of Covid-19, that other races are also attracting sponsorship, with last Saturday’s Iveagh fixture at Moira being a case in point.

The open ran under the banner of Northern Excavators, which was established in Hillsborough in 1968 by Clifford Lilburn, former chairman, Master and huntsman of the Iveaghs and well-known hunting enthusiast Alexander Mills sponsored the older horses’ maiden for novice riders through his agricultural machinery and farming supplies business.

The concluding mares’ winners-of-two was sponsored by the Allen family’s Gortamoney Farm, with the input of the late Paddy Allen in hosting the Iveagh point-to-points being acknowledged on Saturday by Barry O’Neill who spoke on behalf of the riders.

The open fell to Mount Colah and the novice riders’ maiden was claimed by the six-year-old Merrion Avenue.

That Touch Of Land gelding is trained by Brian Hamilton and was ridden by last season’s joint-novice champion, Ben Harvey, who is in his second year studying Equine Business at Maynooth University.

Now 14 years of age, Mount Colah was owned by the late Tom Walsh who gifted the Beneficial gelding to Noel McParlan, his partner on each and every one of his 40 starts.

Since 2017, Mount Colah has been trained by McParlan’s father Sean and, on Saturday, was winning for the first time on his eighth outing for them.

Punchestown win

The McParlans also won at Punchestown on Tuesday with their French-bred seven-year-old Deadheat, the Buck’s Boum gelding winning for the second time in four starts for the Kilcoo father and son team.

Portadown amateur Alan Wells didn’t have such a good trip south with Eileens Boy, who he owns, trains and rides himself. (Report page 42-3)

Eileens Boy is one of just two horses Alan trains alongside his mixed farming enterprise of cows, sheep and pigs.

His 15-year-old son Jake rides out with him every morning at Whistlinthorns Farm before he goes to school.

Alan intends appealing his fine and suspension.