JOHN Nallen’s Minella academy of point-to-pointers has a rich history of producing future big-race performers.

The 2021 successes of his ex-pointers Minella Indo and Minella Times in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Aintree Grand National propelled his pointing academy into the national spotlight and it has proven to be the platform for a nephew of the Clonmel hotelier to launch an enterprise of his own.

Conor Bowen, a sixth year student at Rockwell College in Tipperary was inspired by those Minella victories to set up a mini-business producing Minella Racing merchandise which can often be seen at pointing venues around the country.

“Anytime I’m not in school I would be out in his yard working with the horses, but when I was in transition year we had a business project to start a mini company which I started as a sports clothing brand,” he explains.

“That season Minella Indo won the Gold Cup and Minella Times the Grand National so John had an idea for me to make gilets as souvenirs for people to buy.

“I designed the gilets and got them manufactured and began selling them online and at the hotel. They were a great success and I sold out a few times.

“I decided this year to change it up and I developed a hybrid jacket which is a mixture between a hoodie and a gilet. I have sold quite a few of them over the Christmas period and look to sell even more to scale my business even more.”

The entrepreneurial gene clearly burns brightly within the Nallen family.

Alo’s rewarded for

her consistency

STAMINA proved to be a valuable asset at Aghabullogue on Sunday with testing conditions facing the 33 runners on the card, something which certainly did not faze Alo’s Vision (76+).

Liam Burke’s daughter of Well Chosen has built up a valuable wealth of experience for a recently turned five-year-old, and that experience which she had gained in her six starts in the previous 11 months was evident in the battling victory that she recorded to come out the right side of a protracted battle with the returning Lady Corrib.

Indian Louis (88+) had things much easier when making all in the geldings’ equivalent and would look value for more than the winning three and a-half length winning margin, while Rocky’s Howya (108+) continued his rapid rise through the ranks.

The seven-year-old commenced his winning run in an older maiden at Ballycrystal back in October, and he took his tally for the season to four on his open debut. The runner-up may have accepted defeat before the last to exaggerate the winning margin to 24 lengths, but it brings his combined winning distance for the season to a notable 77 lengths.

Quickest

He set a strong tempo here from the front to clock by far the quickest time on the card, and looks a stout stayer who can play a big part in this division going forward.

In contrast at Tinahely, Coco Mademoiselle (77+) had to quicken off a pedestrian gallop which set a ceiling on the mark that she could achieve.

The Gordon Elliott pairing of Happy Victory (87+) and Hardline (104) won more truly-run contests, with the obvious eye-catcher being the unexposed Rockandrose (87++).

He pulled 16 lengths clear of the pack which featured a number of form horses in the older maiden and he could strike up a sequence.