CONNECTIONS of Cheltenham Festival Hunters’ Chase winner Premier Magic have expressed deep frustration over being denied the chance to contest the Punchestown Festival equivalent when British handlers in similar situations were permitted to run in recent years.

Trainer-rider Bradley Gibbs was not allowed to run the 66/1 shock Cheltenham winner as a result of a licensing stipulation for point-to-point handlers in Britain when having runners in Ireland.

It’s understood that British-based point-to-point handlers, like Gibbs, are registered as point-to-point keepers under Britain’s Point-to-Point Authority, rather than holding licences through the British Horseracing Authority.

A spokesperson for the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board said that overseas trainers are defined in Ireland as those who have “satisfied the IHRB that they are currently licensed or permitted to train horses by an overseas Turf Authority” - in this case the BHA.

The BHA confirmed on Friday that Gibbs is not licensed by them, so Premier Magic could not take part.

However, Gibbs’ frustration has been increased due to the fact he insists Horse Racing Ireland told him last month that Premier Magic would be permitted to run at Punchestown, when the trainer contacted the governing body to query the horse’s eligibility.

Connections say the licensing issue was only flagged to Gibbs before entries closed for the Irish Daily Star Champion Hunters Chase on Monday, and the 10-year-old was not allowed to take part.

Critical

Irish point-to-point handler Jimmy Kelly, who sourced Premier Magic for Gibbs and was looking after the horse since travelling over to Ireland for the intended Punchestown bid, is critical of the authorities lack of flexibility on the matter.

“I was disappointed that more effort wasn’t made to help us get this horse to run,” Kelly told The Irish Field.

“They could have worked with us to find a solution and, in general, should have put their hands up over the false information that was given initially when Bradley rang HRI. It has cost him nearly four grand to go through getting the horse here.”

Rule enforcement

British-based point-to-point trainers such as Rose and Sam Loxton, Francesca Nimmo and Kelly Morgan, who have or were said to have the same licence status as Gibbs, have saddled runners in the Punchestown event in recent years.

Kelly questioned why Gibbs’ lack of a BHA licence has only become an issue now.

He said: “Other British trainers in the same circumstances as Bradley have come over to this race and won it in recent years. It looks like they have missed out on enforcing this rule in the last few years, so why couldn’t they use their discretion? I believe Rose Loxton [who saddled Caid Du Berlais to win the race in 2018 and 2019] would have held the same type of licence as Bradley.

“It’s frustrating when a horse like Billaway, who hasn’t run in a point-to-point in years, is able to run at Punchestown when Premier Magic can’t. Would it not be good for point-to-pointing if a horse like Billaway had to run in a couple of point-to-points a year [before running in hunter chases]?”

When contacted by The Irish Field, neither HRI or the IHRB put forward a solution as to how such an episode can be avoided in future.

Paul Nicholls is listed as the owner of Cheltenham Festival third Shantou Flyer, trained by Sam Loxton, and the British champion trainer also had an issue with entering for the Punchestown prize.

Nicholls tweeted: “It is a disgrace. I entered Shantou Flyer but was then told as Sam Loxton trained him he was ineligible too. Effectively, Irish hunter chases are only open to professional UK trainers. Perhaps we should do the same with next year’s Cheltenham and Aintree hunter chases in reverse!”