WE had a superb winter’s day and a large attendance for the final point-to-point of the autumn season hosted by the Killinick Harriers at their fantastic course in Lingstown.

Bookmakers had to cope with some difficult results - five favourites and two second-favourites obliging. This was in total contrast to Borris House the previous week where the layers had the better of the exchanges.

The autumn season unveiled quite a few potential superstars and Lingstown didn’t disappoint either with the two divisions of the four-year-old maiden been won by two very smart horses.

Denis Murphy and Jamie Codd combined to win both with Minellafordollars and Warthog.

Jamie then headed to Navan to guide Samcro, another expensive recruit from the point-to-point fields, to victory, keeping his unbeaten record in place.

During the day a presentation was made to two stalwarts of the Killinicks’ committee, Jimmy Devereux and Aileen Cardiff, who are retiring from their positions.

Jimmy’s daughter Jacqui is married to my brother Tom. Jimmy is very well known in hunting and pointing circles throughout the south Leinster region. He has served on the committee for 56 years and was chairman for the past 26. Aileen has been secretary for the past 35 years.

The Devereux family epitomises the traditional point-to-point yard. They breed up to a dozen mares annually, mostly to their own stallion Publisher. As he grows a little long in the tooth they are now using outside stallions.

All progeny are offered for sale, either as foals, yearlings or stores. Whatever is not sold is put into training at home. They regularly have runners in older horse maidens but, unusually, at Lingstown they sent out the four-year-old Howsitdone to finish a good third to the aforementioned Minellafordollars.

Jimmy’s son Vincent is the grafter in the yard. He believes it is getting more and more challenging for operations such as theirs to survive in the point-to-point game.

Ann, another daughter of Jimmy, acts as announcer and Jacqui informed me that she began doing the number board at the age of 12.

The extra prize money for the older maidens should be a help towards keeping the Devereuxs and others like them involved in racing. I wish Jimmy and Aileen’s replacements Scott Mernagh and Anita Ronan the very best of luck. No doubt our paths will cross someday.

Bernard Barry is an on-course bookmaker on the eastern circuit

Twitter: @baytownbernard