Yielding the way - decent ground underpins encouraging start to the point-to-point season as entries soar

Ideal ground conditions have certainly been a key factor behind the new point-to-point season getting underway on a positive footing.

The term 'yielding' has featured in the going description at all four fixtures across the opening two weekends, and that has removed any hesitancy among handlers to run their horses in the early weeks of the new campaign. Eye-catching early winners in the four-year-old maiden division, Rattlin Home and Nimba, were evidence of that last weekend.

The latter was the latest son of the late Muhtathir to carry the Walter Connors silks to success in a four-year-old maiden, the fourth such horse to fit that criteria since Envoi Allen made his winning debut in the sphere more than seven years ago. Trained by Pat Doyle, Nimba opened his account at Loughrea when one of 64 horses to run at the Galway venue.

That was the largest number of runners at the Galway Blazers’ autumn fixture in 15 years, and the bonus of a dry afternoon brought with it a bumper crowd, too. That positivity followed the promising signs that were evident at Castletown-Geoghegan seven days earlier. 

The central location of the Westmeath Foxhounds’ course typically offers a strong start to the season, attracting horses from across the country. This year was no different. With the exception of the 2020 Covid-inflated fixture, the 112 entries that Castletown-Geoghegan attracted was the largest in 25 years for their October fixture.

A pastoral view of Castletown-Geoghegan point-to-point Credit: Healy Racing

The picture is not as rosy in the northern region, where entry numbers have been significantly smaller. However, last Saturday’s fixture in Portrush did realise a modest increase, producing the largest autumn entry at that venue since 2020.

In some ways, this positive start should not come as such a surprise. Hunter certificate registrations have been tracking ahead of the previous year in the lead up to the white flag being raised on the new campaign. Even with this week's latest additions, which included the leading hunter chaser It’s On The Line, the 893 horses registered represent a nine per cent increase from the corresponding figure 12 months ago.

Following a number of years of declining figures, this is a very encouraging start, which will hopefully be maintained in the coming weeks and months.

Weekend fixtures

Saturday

Loughanmore, first race 13.00

Sunday

Tinahely, first race 13.00

Umma House, first race 13.00

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Fakir D'Oudairies among the eye-catching names to go point-to-pointing this season 

Point-to-pointing is back and this is my main wish for the new campaign 

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