FOUR of the six winners at the sole fixture in Britain last weekend, Sunday’s Point-to-Point Owners & Riders Club meeting at Barbury Castle, were Irish-bred with the conditions race for seven-year-olds and upwards being won by pointing newcomer Princely Player.

The King’s Theatre gelding was ridden by Co Waterford’s Sean Houlihan, who was recording his 13th success between the flags, all of which have been in England. The 21-year-old won a hunters’ chase at Newton Abbott in April 2015 and he also has a Punchestown bumper victory to his credit having ridden Petuna to score for his uncle, trainer Maurice Phelan, in October last year.

For the past three and a half years, Houlihan has been based with Philip Hobbs, who sent out Princely Player to land four hurdle races and a chase before the bay had over two years off following a win over timber at Worcester in June 2014.

The nine-year-old is now trained by Karen Hobbs, who is married to Philip’s brother Peter and is one of many point-to-point trainers to use the gallops at Sandhill Racing Stables.

“I schooled the horse a couple of times before Sunday,” said Houlihan. “It’s handy getting to ride them here for outside trainers and, while that was my first ride of the new campaign, I hope I will be kept busy in the points come January. I had 70 to 80 rides last season which resulted in eight winners and I’d very much like to improve on that score.”

IRISH-BRED

Nine runners went to post for the preceding mixed open which was won by the Irish-bred Iberico.

The 10-year-old, another son of King’s Theatre, is trained and ridden by Sam Jukes for the Bennett family who purchased their winner from Padge Berry. The latter had trained the bay, who is out of an own-sister to Celtic Shot, to land a six-year-old geldings’ maiden at Lisronagh in May 2012 on his third start here between the flags. Sunday’s victory was Iberico’s sixth since that Tipperary Foxhounds’ success.

Jack Andrews claimed the Connolly’s Red Mills intermediate on the eight-year-old Urban Ocean gelding Treacyswestcounty, who ran twice here without winning when trained by Henry de Bromhead during the 2013/14 season, while owner/trainer Dale Peters brought up a double when landing the four, five and six-year-old maiden on Wither Or Not.

Sent off 13/8 favourite for the two and a half-mile contest, the 2010 Saffron Walden gelding was having his first start in England when beating newcomer Troed Y Melin, a Craigsteel four-year-old, by a neck. Wither Or Not ran in two bumpers and nine point-to-points when trained by Brian Hamilton, finishing second four times, third once and fourth on three occasions.

The next meeting at the Wiltshire track, the Barbury International point-to-point which is open to Irish horses and riders, takes place on Saturday, January 14th.

The card comprises a four, five and six-year-old maiden over two and a half miles followed by a similar race for mares. There will be a three-mile, six furlong veterans’ chase, a three-mile mixed open, an open maiden and a novice riders’ race. The programme will finish with a bumper over two miles, the first time one has been staged at a point-to-point course.

Transport and accommodation allowances are on offer for long distance travellers and anyone thinking of going to the meeting as a spectator should also look at the Barbury Races website as entrance tickets can be purchased for just £1 up to December 23rd.