WHILE there were six point-to-points in Britain last weekend we are first going taking a look at the results of the Weston and Banwell Harriers’ evening meeting at Cothelstone on Wednesday last, May 16th, when a good-sized crowd enjoyed eight races.

Five of the winners were Irish-bred including the pair who landed both divisions of the concluding three-mile open maiden.

Bringing up a double for rider David Prichard in the first half was the Michael Watson-trained Massini’s Blade, an 11-year-old Dr Massini gelding who had his first ever run at Wadebridge in earlier January. He is out of the three-time winning, Grade 2-placed hurdler Mary’s Manna (by Heavenly Manna).

Co Galway’s Tommie O’Brien partnered another first time out winner for owner/trainer combination of Tom Lacey and his daughter Chloe when the Milan gelding Enchancia won division two as the even-money favourite.

The only four-year-old in the nine-runner field, and thus getting 14lbs and upwards from his rivals, the bay is out of the three-time winner Dancingwithbubbles (by Supreme Leader) who, in turn, was out of the 10-time winner Kates Charm (by Glacial Storm).

Only one of last weekend’s meetings took place on Saturday and that was the Golden Valley fixture at Bredwardine where five of the seven winners were Irish-bred.

Included in that number was the nine-year-old Garuda gelding Rockinrolldixie who gave the men’s championship leader Alex Edwards another success in the conditions’ race.

The final two races on the card were for maidens with Zac Baker claiming the first of these, the four-runner, three-miler for four, five and six-year-olds, on the Maxwell Young-trained Black Frost.

The 2014 newcomer by Morozov, who beat the O’Brien-ridden, odds-on favourite Orchard Lane by two and a half lengths, is out of the Fourstars Allstar mare Little Twinkle.

The seven-year-old and upwards maiden over the same trip was won by the Byron Moorcroft-trained and ridden favourite Free Scorpion. The seven-year-old is out of the unraced Turtle Island mare Free Dreamer, a half-sister to Minella Class (by Oscar) and Deputy Dan (by Westerner). Free Scorpion’s three-year-old half-brother by Ask is in the Derby Sale catalogue as Lot 327.

There were three Irish-bred winners on Sunday’s six-race card at Hexham where the Border meeting brought the curtain down on the season in the northern area. Kilkenny-based Tom Hamilton was the Albert Bartlett men’s champion for the second time.

Hamilton was at Goffs UK’s Spring Sale at Doncaster during the week when his mother sold the homebred Diamond Brig to David Minton who was acting on behalf of Trevor Hemmings. Tom rode the six-year-old Black Sam Bellamy gelding to win a hunters’ chase at Kelso last month.

DOUBLES

Six of the seven winners at Trecoed last Sunday were Irish-bred, four of them supplying doubles for Ben Jones and Byron Moorcroft. The former initiated his brace in the four-runner mares’ maiden on the Michael Bowen-trained Get An Oscar.

Having her third start, the 2014 Getaway chesnut is the second foal out of the Oscar mare Lady Perspex.

The David Rees-owned and trained Buck Bravo won the following maiden for horses and geldings by a length under Bradley Gibbs. The six-year-old Mahler gelding, who was trained here last season by Ashleigh Murphy and was having his fourth British point-to-point star on Sunday, was bred by Thistletown Stud out of the Sir Harry Lewis mare Damoiselle, a dual hurdle-winning half-sister to Land Afar (by Dominion).

One of three Irish-bred winners on the seven-race card at Bratton Down was the Camilla Scott-trained Moonlight Fly who was having his fourth start in a point-to-point having previously run on the track for Scott’s husband Jeremy.

The six-year-old Broadway Flyer gelding, who was ridden here by Christopher Barber, is a full-brother to the five-time winner Charminster.

Although it appears a forlorn effort, the reigning men’s champion Will Biddick is not giving up his title without a fight and recorded a double at this Dulverton (West) meeting on Imogens Thunder (restricted) and La Madonnina (conditions).

There were seven races but small fields at Edcote where two of the winners carried IRE suffixes. The concluding eight-runner PPORA club members conditions race for nine-year-olds and upwards went to the Philip York-ridden, Tim Underwood-owned and trained 10-year-old Presenting gelding, Presenting Beara.

The trainer had earlier saddled the German-bred Tempelpirate to win his 21st point-to-point in the conditions’ race for novice riders. The now 11-year-old Black Sam Bellamy gelding, who was first trained here by Gerry Cully, didn’t have the best start to his racing career as he was brought down on his debut in a 17-runner five-year-old geldings’ maiden at Kilworth in early March 2012.

He suffered the same fate six runs later at Kildorrery but, on his final start for Cully, finished second, beaten a length, in a confined maiden at Dromahane in March 2013. He has only failed to complete twice in 35 starts in Britain and usually finishes in the placings.

Half of the six races at Tabley were won by horses bred in this county including the Joseph O’Shea-trained Fair Exchange, an eight-year-old Beneficial gelding who landed the conditions race under Tommie O’Brien.

The action is quietening down across the water with two meetings today, three tomorrow and two on Monday which is a bank holiday in Britain.