DURING the autumn campaign a total 512 handlers received at least one hunter certificate and the latest statistics available show that almost half of all individual point-to-point handlers hold a licence to run on the track, either as a full licence holder or with a restricted trainers licence, which opens up the opportunity for their horses to run on the track during the suspension of the point-to-point season.

However, the list of those handlers who do not fall into this category features some of the leading producers of young horses such as Donnchadh Doyle, Colin McKeever, Warren Ewing, Aidan Fitzgerald and Mick Goff.