THE number of point-to-points in Britain dropped considerably last weekend, following the excesses of previous weeks. Just five fixtures were staged throughout the country with others being cancelled because of the drying ground.

At the very well-attended Dartmoor meeting in Flete Park on Saturday, five of the seven winners were Irish-bred including Ballinaclasha Lad who landed the two and a half mile Subaru restricted under Sean Houlihan. The 11-year-old Snurge gelding scored by five lengths from the Martin McIntyre-partnered Marguerite St Just.