AS in Ireland, the governing bodies have pulled out all the stops to ensure point-to-pointing takes place behind closed doors in Britain this autumn.

However, it was only late on Saturday that the Ledbury’s fixture at Maisemore Park on Sunday finally got the go-ahead following agreement with local civic authorities who had introduced further restrictions.

The 2020/21 season commenced on Saturday with the East Devon meeting in Bishops Court where there were four Irish-bred winners on the eight-race card. All the action on a dull and wet day was livestreamed free of charge (as it was on Sunday) with the main presenter being Cornelius Lysaght backed-up by Lizzie Kelly.

Among those interviewed by Lysaght was Peter Wright, chief executive of the Point-to-Point Authority, who advised owners and handlers to keep checking the Authority’s website for any updates on the Covid-19 situation, and last season’s men’s champion Jack Andrews. The latter had planned going on to ride at Cheltenham but was obviously reminded of the one meeting a day rule.

Among those interviewed by Kelly was bloodstock agent and trainer Tom Malone who saddled Samantha de la Hey’s Art Mauresque to win the opening hunt members’ race and his own Starsky to land division two of the older horses’ maiden on his pointing debut. The six-year-old Shantou gelding was a €48,000 purchase by Malone at the 2017 Goffs Land Rover Sale.

The first division went to the Matt Hampton-trained and ridden Grey Getaway, a 2014 Getaway gelding who, like Starsky, was previously trained by Paul Nicholls. The latter gave £190,000 for the grey (who comes from the family of See More Business) at the 2018 Cheltenham November Sale following his one-start, second-place finish in a four-year-old maiden at Dromahane.

Both Malone winners were partnered by Will Biddick who also carried the colours of the sidelined men’s amateur champion, David Maxwell, to victory in the men’s open on the Bethen Childs-trained Jatiluwih, a French-bred like Art Mauresque.

The other two Irish-bred winners were the Alan Hill-trained seven-year-old Olden Times gelding Sparkleandshine, who landed the conditions race under Tommie O’Brien, and the six-year-old Getaway gelding Ryans Fancy who won the restricted for the mother and daughter, trainer-rider duo of Caroline and Immy Robinson.

LAST weekend’s opening action of the 2020/21 British point-to-point season was dominated by horses from Poplar Cottage Farm in Morville, Shropshire where Mel Rowley is now the nominated trainer.

The yard was represented by five winners over the two days, all ridden by stable amateur, Alex Edwards whose run began on Saturday at Bishops Court where the newcomer Kyntara comfortably landed the Tattersalls Cheltenham four- and five-year-old maiden over three miles.

The British-bred Kayf Tara gelding, who is out of the hurdle-winning Alflora mare Speed Bonnie Boat, was a £30,000 buy by Mags O’Toole at Goffs UK’s January sale in 2017, to which he was consigned by Mill House Stud. The bay then made the same amount in Euros when purchased by Highflyer Bloodstock at Tattersalls Ireland’s Derby Sale last year.

The Rowley/Edwards team recorded a four-timer on Sunday at Maisemore Park where they won both divisions of the two-mile, five-furlong Tattersalls Cheltenham maiden for four- and five-year-olds with two Irish-bred newcomers.

The first division went to the Yeats mare The Player Queen who is out of a Groom Dancer half-sister to the Galway Plate winner Dovaly (by Lycius).

Purchased by Highflyer Bloodstock for £12,000 at Goffs UK’s Spring Sale at Doncaster last year, the bay is due to come up as Lot 28 at the same company’s point-to-point sale at Yorton Farm next month.

Division two was won by The Wrekin for whom Highflyer Bloodstock gave €14,000 at the 2019 Goffs Land Rover Sale. The Shirocco gelding is also out of a Groom Dancer mare, in this case Sapphire Flame, a half-sister to the nine-time winner Pires (by Generous).

Rowley and Edwards combined to land the mixed open with the 10-year-old Beneficial gelding Wishing And Hoping, who was winning his sixth race for the yard from eight starts (including hunters’ chases) before claiming division one of the two-mile bumper for four- and five-year-olds with the newcomer Latitude.

Another four-year-old Shirocco gelding, this half-brother to Roaring Bull (by Milan) from the family of Jessies Dream, Buck House, etc, also graduated from last year’s Land Rover Sale where he was knocked down for €45,000 to Highflyer Bloodstock.

The second division of that bumper went to Ben Clarke-trained, Darren Andrews-ridden Salvino who had finished third in a similar race at Buckfastleigh in the spring. Also carrying an IRE suffix, this Leading Light gelding, who was purchased by owner Colin Bright for €6,500 at Goffs’ 2016 December National Hunt Sale, is out of the unraced Sagabolley, a Sagamix half-sister to the 10-time winner Ballybolley from the family of Sweet Kiln, Earth Magic and Limestone Lad.

A sixth Irish-bred winner on the 10-race card was the Mary Vestey-trained Way Back Then, a nine-year-old Robin Des Champs gelding who landed division two of the Oriental Club owner-trainer conditions race under Evan David.