TBA backs introduction of four-year-old point-to-point maiden series in Britain

Prominent figures from within the British point-to-point scene have thrown their support behind a new series of four-year-old maidens, which is being sponsored by the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) and will take place between February and May 2022.

The Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Four-Year-Old Maiden Series features five races that will be run at Chaddesley Corbett in Worcestershire, Charm Park in Yorkshire, Edgcote in Oxfordshire, Garthorpe in Leicestershire and Wiltshire's Larkhill.

Warwickshire-based trainer Charlie Poste, who, along with his wife Francesca, has prepared and sold a number of four-year-old point-to-pointers, said: "It's a brilliant initiative by the TBA and is another example of the forward-thinking within the sport at present.

"The results are speaking for themselves, with former young British pointers like Ahoy Senor and Energumene winning top races under rules. I'm delighted there will be races in the spring for four-year-olds, and dipping a toe in the water with five races is the right approach at this stage."

Charlie Poste: 'The results are speaking for themselves, with former young British pointers like Ahoy Senor and Energumene winning top races under rules'Credit: Tattersalls Cheltenham

Fellow trainer Alan Hill added: "We will have several four-year-olds for next season and will be happy to aim at the TBA races to support the sponsorship.

"Ten years ago I didn't have a four-year-old in the yard, but our sport has changed and we must move forward. Hopefully in time the TBA's five-race series could become ten or 12 races."

Expanding on the concept, Bryan Mayoh, the TBA's National Hunt committee chairman, said: "The TBA National Hunt committee has long believed that jumps horses will benefit from earlier development in pre-training, schooling and racing. To this end, it has proposed to the BHA a series of races for three- and four-year-old National Hunt-breds.

"This point-to-point initiative is intended to run in parallel with that series, so as to encourage British owners and point-to-point trainers to develop young horses earlier and race them in four-year-old races. Doing so will provide the same basis for development of jumps horses in Britain that is available to those in Ireland. Both initiatives are vital in improving the future prospects of horses raised in this country."

Four-year-olds were readmitted to British point-to-pointing in 2006, but it has taken time to build up the number of such horses before races exclusively for their age category could be created.

The TBA's new series gives point-to-point owners and trainers an opportunity to race four-year-olds against their own age group at level weights, to assess their merit earlier before potentially competing in, or being sold for, a career under rules.

More news:

Brother of new Derby favourite Luxembourg makes a €1.2 million splash

Dramatic increase in Shadwell's Tattersalls horses-in-training sale draft

Rapidly improving pedigree helps US Navy Flag filly fetch €290,000