THE countdown to the start of the new four-year-old maiden season is well and truly underway with just over two weeks remaining until the first horses from the 2018 crop take to the point-to-point fields.

Last spring proved to be a much curtailed four-year-old campaign owing to the suspension of racing in the point-to-point fields, and while it was condensed into just two months of racing from its early April, return the quality certainly remained.

Champion Bumper

Sean Doyle’s American Mike, who won at Cork last April on the day that marked the resumption of point-to-pointing, has impressed for Gordon Elliott this term and is currently top of the ante-post market for the Grade 1 Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival.

Recent Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle victor Constitution Hill had finished second in his four-year-old maiden at Tipperary later that month following a crucial final fence error.

Turning to this year’s crop, and Denis Murphy, Sam Curling and Pat Doyle are among the first handlers to have had their initial batch of four-year-old hunter certificates published, with this week’s list of registrations in the HRI Calendar also full of four-year-olds destined for the point-to-point fields. What programme of races will await them next month?

Currently there are 12 four-year-old races in the programme book for February with all fixtures in that month, with the exception of Kildorrery, Farmacaffley and Bandon, down to host a four-year-old maiden.

Insurance crisis

Crucially, with so much uncertainty still surrounding how the coming months will play out due to the ongoing insurance crisis, it is a concern for owners and handlers who are going through the final preparations with their new batch of four-year-olds.

Those three fixtures that will not stage a four-year-old maiden, are three of the fixtures that handlers know will not be affected by the insurance issues due to their positions in either the Cork and Waterford Association or in Northern Ireland.

Uncertainity

It is particularly unfortunate that all three fixtures closely follow each other on the final two weekends of the month.

There is uncertainty surrounding the insurance status of the other fixtures outside of these two regions, and who actually account for the bulk of the four-year-old programme throughout February.

It highlights the problems facing the authorities in attempting to provide a balanced calendar and programme with sufficient opportunities for all age groups in the midst of the current climate.

Kildorrery in particular hosted a first four-year-old maiden at the venue last November which was well received and attracted 36 entries.

It could be one fixture to help fill the gaps in that category should insurance remain a problem.

LAST weekend’s three fixtures proved to be a bumper two days for new additions to racing between the flags, with no fewer than eight riders alone making their first competitive appearances in a point-to-point here. That already brings the number of point-to-point debutants to 34 for the season, a figure that is a real shot in the arm for the sport at present.

It is no secret that the number of qualified rider licences has decreased significantly in the last decade. The latest figures from the IHRB show that in 2020, 305 qualified rider permits were issued, a figure which is down from 548 10 years previously, a decline that totals over 44% in the period.

That figure does contain bumper-only riders, and so the total of 183 riders to have ridden in a point-to-point during the current season, provides a more accurate measure.

Female riders

While it is down from 263 at the same point 10 years ago, the drop is not as stark and does contain some notable positives. Despite the overall number declining, the number of female riders this season in point-to-points has moved in the other direction, increasing from 30 to 39 in the period, and the aforementioned 34 new riders to point-to-points is also an increase.

The weigh-tent has undergone a notable degree of change in the past 10 years. Of the 183 riders from this season, less than 20% of them rode in the 2011/12 season with the influx of new riders certainly making their presence felt.

Traditionally, the spring term, with three or four fixtures on a Sunday through the peak weekends, offers new riders additional opportunities. The interruptions encountered in the past two years have put paid to much of that, and in order to stem any further losses and offer more opportunities to those new riders, everyone will be hoping that this coming spring campaign can return to its traditional course as soon as possible.