THE first East Antrim point-to-point of the season at Loughanmore takes place next Saturday, November 10th. While hunter certificates issued by the pack had been registered for 28 horses up to Wednesday, none are set to carry the colours of landowner Wilson Dennison.

One of the 28, Chosen Mate (Well Chosen) won for owner/trainer Colin McKeever last Saturday. The other handler with just one horse eligible to run at present is Shane Gault whose Molpeg, a five-year-old gelding (Winged Love), has yet to make his seasonal debut.

Karen McNeilly has registered two four-year-old geldings of her own, Ruhm Und Ehre and Stansfield. Graham McKeever’s four charges include Margaret Simpson’s open horses Balnaslow, Chosen Dream and Samsara. The fourth, a six-year-old maiden mare Brophies Doll, belongs to James Jenkins.

Warren Ewing has five four-year-old geldings ready to run, two of whom, Emperor Of West (Maresca Sorrento) and Going Solo (Aizavoski), have seen racecourse action.

The remaining 15 certs have been registered for horses trained by Stuart Crawford including four owned by Raymond Scullion and Martin McGroggan – Astre de la Cour, Largy Nights, Largy Princess and Largy Trix – and two four-year-olds, Billy Kimber and the mare Retrace, belonging to former trainer Roy Wilson.

TWO WINNERS

So far this season, Stuart has saddled two winners partnered by his brother Ben and were sold from Candlefort Stud (mentioned above).

The first of the pair, Billie-Jo Irwin’s Ballyhowne, who won the winners of one at Moira, was bred outside Dundalk by Martin McCaughey. The eight-year-old Generous gelding is the second of just two foals out of the Saddlers’ Hall mare Izzy Saddler.

Alistair McKay’s Drumnagreagh, winner of the mares’ maiden at Portrush, is a five-year-old by September Storm out of the Be My Native mare Saffron Pride. Bred at Candlefort by Padraig Watters she is the seventh of 10 foals out of his unraced dam. He was followed by two fillies by September Storm (2014) and Libertarian (2014) and a 2017 colt by September Storm which was sold at Tattersalls National Hunt Sale last year to Vere Phillipps’s Futureate.