CHELTENHAM 2025 once again highlighted just how crucial a role the point-to-point sphere plays within the wider National Hunt racing sector. When the two juvenile races were excluded, the point-to-point sphere accounted for 35% of the runners in Prestbury Park last week.
It is a significant statement to be able to say that over a third, or one in every three horses, that ran at the biggest festival for jump racing, had previously run between the flags on these shores.
Impressively, that number has grown from 25% of the festival runners in less than 10 years and, behind that headline number, the influence is there to be seen at all levels and across all distances.
Crucially, it was a bumper year of winners. No fewer than 11 of the week’s victors boasted previous point-to-point form, up from eight 12 months ago, whilst a further 26 ex-pointers finished either second or third.
Whilst there is no shortage of handicap prizes on offer at the festival, the biggest accolades are sought in Grade 1 company, and it is here that point-to-pointing was particularly well represented.
At the top level, 37% of the runners in Grade 1 races last week started their careers in point-to-point maidens here, and they won 42% of the Grade 1 races open to them, despite the high-profile disappointments in the championship races from star names like Constitution Hill and Jonbon.
That included the impressive nine-length victory for Fact To File in the Ryanair Chase, whilst Bob Olinger was just the third ex-pointer to win the Stayers’ Hurdle in the past 30 years of that particular Grade 1.
Versatility
Perhaps most notably, it appears to be the first time ever that at least one point-to-point export finished in the first three of all 12 Grade 1 races, excluding the Triumph Hurdle, at the Festival.
That highlights the incredibly diverse profile of horses that handlers are currently producing through the point-to-point sphere at present. Last week’s results show how they deliver on the biggest of stages over all trips and disciplines, from two miles up to three and a quarter miles, in bumpers, hurdles, and over fences, with both mares and geldings.
One handler who had every reason to celebrate last week’s results was Mick Goff. The Wexford operator was the only handler to have produced two subsequent winners across the four days of action in Cheltenham.
Jango Baie, who had finished second for him in a four-year-old maiden at Knockanard in 2023, got up late to land the Arkle, whilst Daily Present, who was a first Cheltenham winner for Barry Stone in the Kim Muir, had started his career winning a four-year-old maiden for Goff at Tipperary in 2021.
That was a particularly fine return from the three graduates of his Moate Stables operation, who were in action at Cheltenham.
Donnchadh Doyle was once again responsible for the greatest number of ex-pointers, with nine of his former charges in action, including Fact To File, whilst Sam Curling, Colin McKeever and Colin Bowe were each associated with a further seven runners in a week to remember in the Cotswolds for the sport.
2025 Cheltenham Festival winners who began their careers in point-to-points
Grade 1 My Pension Expert Arkle Challenge Trophy
Jango Baie (Mick Goff)
Ultima Handicap Chase
Myretown (Robert Tyner)
National Hunt Challenge Cup
Haiti Couleurs (Harley Dunne)
Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase
Stumptown (Sean Doyle)
Grade 1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper
Bambino Fever (Nicky Stokes)
Grade 2 Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle
Air Of Entitlement (Colin Bowe)
Grade 1 Ryanair Chase
Fact To File (Donnchadh Doyle)
Grade 1 Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle
Bob Olinger (Pat Doyle)
Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup
Daily Present (Mick Goff)
Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
Jasmin De Vaux (Stuart Crawford)
St James’s Place Festival Hunter Chase
Wonderwall (Sam Curling)
OFF the track, the Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival sale was responsible for its share of the headlines, with a record-breaking renewal, which not only produced a record aggregate of £3.6 million, but also a record-equalling median price of £150,000.
It is fair to say that the prices that some of the 23 lots realised raised a few eyebrows, as the bumper prices featured prominently in the post-Cheltenham debrief at last weekend’s fixtures.
The past 18 months have seen a shift in the sale of point-to-pointers, with the private market gaining particular favour. Previously, for these boutique festival sales, in particular, it would have largely been the case that most of the winners from the two weekends preceding the sale would have come under the hammer at that public auction.
However, just three of the 14 four-year-old maiden winners from the two weekends preceding the Cheltenham Festival were offered at the sale last week, which makes the record results that it produced all the more remarkable.
It will now be interesting to see if prospective vendors are enticed back to the public sales arena by last week’s bumper returns, with the next festival sale just around the corner in Aintree.
THE third and final fixture of the season at Lisronagh takes place tomorrow, a month after their last fixture, which can lay claim to having produced the top two lots at last week’s Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival sale.
Cristal d’Estruval and Clondaw Park, who had won both four-year-old races on the card, were sold for a combined £720,000.
Racegoers at tomorrow’s fixture will get to enjoy a bumper day, with the Tipperary Foxhounds set to host a number of auctions in between races.
The items up for grabs include a stable tour of Henry de Bromhead’s Co Waterford yard, a day’s hunting for two people with the Ledbury Hunt plus accommodation, a morning on the gallops with Edward O’Grady followed by a champagne breakfast, and a trip to McKee Barracks.
The full list of the 21 auction items on offer will be printed in the racecard.
GARY Murphy looks to have an exciting bunch of youngsters on his hands, if the evidence of recent weeks is anything to go by. He sent out his third four-year-old winner from just four runners within the age group in 2025, when Hidden Fortune (84+) made a winning debut in the sole four-year-old mares’ maiden of the weekend at Ballyragget.
Always catching the eye with the ease at which she travelled through the contest, she made just one slight error at the penultimate fence and, although she had two rivals in hot pursuit at that point, she was able to open up on the run-in and pull five lengths clear by the line. She looks a pacey individual.
The geldings’ equivalent on the same card saw Soomaroy (93+) make a winning debut. The penultimate fence claimed his chief rival and hampered the other danger, which certainly simplified his task, but the principals look like three nice future track winners.
At Daramona House, Green Hint (90+) easily made his way to the front and, whilst he did not gap the chasing trio to a great extent, he was always doing enough and looked to be value for the winning margin, whilst Tip Of The Wings (91++) did well to spread the field out as much as he did given the very slow gallop. He clearly has plenty of gears. Lancelot Du Large (89+) faced three rivals at Knockanohill, but showed good staying qualities up the hill.