Quintet of maiden point-to-point winners set for their rules debut

A quintet of maiden point-to-point winners are set to make their rules debuts in bumpers on Monday, with a pair lining up in the concluding event at Stratford at 4.50pm, while three more have been declared for Chepstow's 5.30pm.

Out Of Style, one of two winning pointers declared for the closing race at Stratford, was a notable pinhook for Monbeg Stables, who purchased him as a three-year-old store for €21,000 from Moyfinn Stud at the Goffs Land Rover Sale in 2014 and sold him less than a year later for €80,000 to trainer Evan Williams at the Goffs Punchestown Sale, after he had won his maiden.

Bred by Fintina Kealey, the six-year-old is a son of Court Cave and bumper winner Lohort Castle. He won on his sole start, which came in the four-year-old maiden at Dromahane in April 2015 before selling for the second time.

The form of that maiden has been boosted, with both the second- and third-placed horses, What A Game and Desertmore Dreamer, having since won over hurdles.

The other horse in the race with form between the flags is Clondaw Castle, a five-year-old son of Oscar and the unraced Portanob, who is a three-parts brother to three-time winner Risk A Fine who raced in the Diana Whateley's colours.

He made amends for falling on his point debut by winning on his only other start in a four-year-old maiden at Glenbane in November last year.

Trained by Michael Goff, who bought him as a foal for €17,000, he was withdrawn from the Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham December Sale, and has since found his way into the care of Tom George.

Bred by Carl Beame out of the Presenting mare Lohort Castle, he is a brother to the useful hurdler Red Devil Boys.

Forty minutes later, it is the turn of Phoebus Lescribaa, Warthog and The Flame, with Oliver's Island and Drumlee City also having placed in point-to-points.

Goff also handled Phoebus Lescribaa, a son of Policy Maker out of Mia Lescribaa, an unraced half-sister to French Listed hurdle winner Moussu Lescribaa, who won the four-year-old maiden at Lisronagh in December. He is now in the care of Rebecca Curtis, having gone unsold at the Cheltenham December Sale at £28,000.

Perhaps the most impressive of the winning pointers is Warthog, a five-year-old son of Martaline who was ten lengths clear at the finish at Lingstown on his second start in December. He did not come cheap, however, with Alan Harte Bloodstock having to go to €55,000 to secure him as a three-year-old store at the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale in 2015.

One does not have to look too far back in his pedigree to see where he gets his ability from. His dam, Shekira, won one of France's most prestigious hurdle races, the Prix Renaud du Vivier, in 2007 for trainer Arnaud Chaille-Chaille.

Not all the point form comes from Ireland, however, as The Flame, a four-year-old son of Flemensfirth, was successful on his only start in an open maiden at Thorpe Lodge in the Midlands in January. He is out of the four-time winner Molly Round, a daughter of Old Vic.

4.50 Stratford

5.30 Chepstow