Sustained wave of Wexford achievement in the four-year-old division is breeding further success for the Model county

Eoghian Ward with his weekly point-to-point round-up

Colin Bowe: the dominant handler on the point-to-point scene has inspired others around him to follow in his footstepsCredit: www.healyracing.ie

Wexford trainers have continued to flex their muscles in the four-year-old maiden division this season. The county has quickly grown to become the engine that powers the commercial element of the sphere, particularly in the younger age maiden division, and that dominance has been evident across the opening seven weeks of the campaign.

The three most successful handlers within the four-year-old maiden division thus far are all housed within the Model county’s borders. Cormac Doyle, Jonathan Fogarty and Denis Murphy can each boast of having saddled three winners in the category this term.

Success, though, has largely been spread around in these early exchanges, with no fewer than 21 different handlers already managing to snare a four-year-old prize. It's only when you delve further into the list that the continued strength of Wexford handlers, in particular, is reinforced.

Exactly two-thirds of the handlers who have saddled a four-year-old maiden winner are Wexford-based, although, interestingly, the county’s dominant reigning champion Colin Bowe is a notable absentee at this point.

That leaves just Derek O’Connor in Galway, Carlow’s Aidan Fitzgerald and Willie Murphy, Maike Magnussen, Pat Doyle and Sam Curling in Tipperary, and Down’s Paddy Turley as being responsible for the non-Wexford-trained four-year-old winners.

As of yet, no Cork or Waterford-based handler has managed to get on the scoresheet in the four-year-old age category this season, something they will be hoping to put right at Boulta on Saturday.

Nonetheless, the hunter certificate numbers illustrate the geographic power shift that has taken place. There are just 84 four-year-olds with a hunter certificate attached to a hunt within the Cork and Waterford area, which is dwarfed by the sizeable 292 in Wexford alone.

The success of Bowe, Doyle, Murphy and co has given rise to a continued growth within their surrounding areas. Those who have followed their progress, and who have witnessed their successes – not only on the track but also in the sales ring – have encouraged others around them to venture into the game.

On the evidence of recent weeks, they are giving rise to a further wave of success within this division for the county’s handlers.