THE 2020/21 British point-to-point season resumed last Sunday with two meetings in England – one being the Wheatland fixture at Chaddesley Corbett which had originally been scheduled for November 8th.

Three of the six advertised races, which included a bumper sponsored by Highflyer Bloodstock, were divided with five races being won by Irish-bred horses.

Perhaps it’s a sign of things to come but both divisions of the five-year-old and upwards maiden plus the bumper for four- and five-year-olds were won by British-bred horses.

Bradley Gibbs, who is now based in Hertfordshire, rode and trained both winners of the divided mixed open. The first leg went to the six-year-old Ask mare Highway Jewel, who made all the running to beat the odds-on favourite Hazel Hill by 25 lengths, while her stable-companion, the year-older Court Cave gelding Premier Magic, accounted for the odds-on Wishing And Hoping by seven lengths in division two.

Both beaten favourites were ridden by Alex Edwards for rookie trainer Melanie Rowley who, having had an excellent start to the season, failed to win with any of her eight runners on Sunday.

Rowley saddled the favourite Latitude for the opening Tattersalls Cheltenham maiden for four-year-olds, the first race confined to that age group in Britain, but this Shirocco gelding, who won a point-to-point bumper in October, could only finish third behind the newcomers Harper’s Brook and One Fer Mamma.

The winner, ridden by Jack Edwards for his brother-in-law Tom Ellis and a €22,000 graduate of last year’s May sale at Tattersalls Ireland, is a gelding by Ask out of the Dano-Mast mare Un Jour D Ete who won in her native France. The bay will be coming up as Lot 8 at next Thursday’s Goffs UK point-to-point sale at Yorton Farm.

The first division of the Retraining of Racehorses and Jockey Club veteran horse conditions race resulted in a dead-heat between two Irish-bred horses. These were the Chris Bealby-trained, George Chatterton-ridden Inchcolm and the James Ridley-trained, Zac Baker-partnered Chase Me. Galway native Tommie O’Brien completed a double in division two on the Alan Hill-owned and trained Hawkhurst.

The day ended as it began for the Rowley yard with disappointment in the bumper where Huw Edwards brought up a double on the Laura Richardson-trained newcomer Superior Glance. This 2015 British-bred mare by Passing Glance is another heading to Yorton Farm next Thursday where she will be sold as Lot 24.

That Wheatland fixture took place behind closed doors while owners and three bookmakers, but not members of the general public, were permitted to attend the Cornwall Hunt Club meeting at Wadebridge where they enjoyed far better weather.

Wadebridge

Here, there were also nine races but only Izzy Marshall managed to complete a double and both her winners, who were favourite for their respective races, were supplied by the aforementioned Hill. The pair landed the ladies’ open with Back Bar, who won by 15 lengths, while Getting Closer claimed the Exeter Racecourse intermediate by a head.

Those two winners were among the seven Irish-breds who scored at the meeting. First to strike was the Getaway gelding Raddon Top who, trained by Leslie Jefford, won for the fifth time between the flags when landing the first division of the veteran and novice riders’ conditions race under Co Waterford’s Conor Houlihan.

A brother of National Hunt jockeys Sean and Niall, Conor is based at Will Biddick’s breaking and pre-training yard in Somerset.

The first of three divisions of the maiden was won by the Chloe Roddick-owned and trained newcomer Old Town Garde, a four-year-old Robin Des Champs gelding out of the Bob’s Return mare Old Town Queen. The bay, who won by five lengths, was ridden by Angus Cheleda.

Ian Chanin trained the other two winners starting with the Josh Newman-ridden Rossderrin (a five-year-old Getaway gelding), who was making his British debut, while the similarly-aged Mountain High gelding Tip Top Mountain landed division three in the hands of Robert Hawker.

While most of the races were well-filled, only five started in the men’s open which was won by the Dean Summersbury-trained Honest Deed who scored by 10 lengths under Darren Edwards.

BOTH meetings last Sunday were livestreamed with the Cornwall Hunt Club fixture at a sun-drenched Wadebridge being presented by Cornelius Lysaght.

One would imagine that if the service was provided here, the expectation would be that Horse Racing Ireland or a sales or feed company would sponsor the coverage.

However, across the water they were looking for donations to cover the cost of broadcasting and the same is true of today’s meeting at Larkhill and that at Barbury tomorrow.

A one-off payment of £9.99 will allow access to the coverage of tomorrow’s meeting at Alnwick where former jockey Andrew Thornton will be the presenter.