THE Barbury International point-to-point, which was staged earlier this year, made history when special dispensation from the British point-to-point authorities allowed Irish-trained horses to compete using an Irish hunter certificate.

Shark Hanlon and Martin Cullinane capitalised on that invitation, as their New List and Lostin A Fog, both visited the winner’s enclosure on the afternoon.

While that dispensation was only a temporary measure specific to the Barbury Castle fixture, additional changes to the British hunter certificate rules have opened up opportunities for Irish-trained horses to run in Britain by obtaining a British certificate. David Christie was the first to take up this opportunity and has already enjoyed success in a hunter chase at Leicester with Darwins Fox.

MCCUTCHEON

Well-known banks specialist Evanna McCutcheon has gone one step further and run one of her horses in her own name at a British point-to-point. Her 13-year-old bay gelding Long Strand is a seven-time winner between the flags in his native Ireland and last month he made his debut in a British point-to-point, when running in a club members’ race at the Flint and Denbeigh point-to-point at Bangor-on-Dee, ridden by Dr George Wilson.

Tipperary-based rider/handler McCutcheon, who saddled Maarek to land a Group 2 contest at York in 2014, found that many in Britain were unaware that the British hunter certificate changes had opened-up an opportunity for Irish-trained horses to compete between the flags in Britain.

“I became a subscriber of the North Ledbury hunt and got the hunter cert from them. At first, they were not sure if it was possible but I contacted Clare Hazell, the chief executive of the point-to-point authority, and she said there was no problem with it. Clare was very helpful.

“It was very new to everyone, so at every stage we were having to make sure it was possible and triple check everything but everyone was very helpful.”

The presence of an Irish-trained horse at a British point-to-point certainly raised eyebrows, with officials on the day still approaching connections as the horses went down to post for the race. However, with the boxes having been ticked ensuring they were eligible under the new ruling, Long Strand was allowed to run and the veteran returned safely in ninth position in the big-field contest.

LONG JOURNEY

The journey to Long Strand appearing at Bangor point-to-point began on the other side of the world in Abu Dhabi last November when McCutcheon met Dr George Wilson of Liverpool’s John Moores University.

Dr Wilson is well-known in racing circles in Britain following his ground-breaking work in the area of dietary research which has revolutionised how jockeys control their weight.

The 53-year-old set himself the task of practising what he preaches by losing two stone ‘the healthy way’, in order to highlight how the required weight to ride as a jockey can be achieved safely.

That mission was accomplished at Bangor point-to-point and McCutcheon made the most of the British hunter cert by running Long Strand in last week’s controversial hunter chase at Newbury.

Following McCutcheon’s trail-blazing efforts, it will be interesting to note if any other handlers are encouraged into following her example.