NOT for the first time this month, the wet weather has had a significant impact on the weekend schedule.

The popular East Antrim fixtures at Loughanmore were scheduled to kickstart the Easter weekend’s pointing action this afternoon, with the bank holiday Monday fixture traditionally drawing one of the biggest crowds of the season in the region.

However, the track was inspected on Monday evening and found to be unfit for racing, and with an unfavourable weather forecast for the days that followed, the decision was taken to cancel both days of racing.

The loss of those two days in Antrim has left this year’s Easter programme in the pointing fields with a quieter look to it, with tomorrow’s three fixtures being bolstered by this afternoon’s hunter chase at Fairyhouse and the point-to-point day at Cork, which boasts a trio of hunter chases and a pair of point-to-point bumpers.

Considering the particularly wet winter that Ireland has endured, which is now continuing into the spring, the minimal level of cancellations up to now has been particularly fortunate.

However, that luck appears to have run out as land across the country is now feeling the effect of the substantial rainfall amounts.

Challenging period

This weekend’s losses follow on from the cancellation of both Liscarroll and Loughrea a week earlier.

The weather has ensured that it has also been a particularly challenging period for committees and handlers alike.

Of the 25 fixtures run since the second week in February, a total of 19 have featured heavy in the going description, and there is no immediate improvement to the situation in sight.

Unsurprisingly, handlers are hesitant to give their four-year-olds their first taste of competitive action in such testing ground, which has led to something of a rollover in entries.

That is evident in the entries within this age group at tomorrow’s three fixtures, with Quakerstown, in particular, attracting an entry of 65 for their four-year-old maiden.

In addition to this weekend’s weather-related changes to the fixture list, two further fixture changes have also been announced for the coming weeks.

The Muskerry Foxhounds fixture, which was scheduled for Dromahane on Sunday, May 5th, will now take place at Ballindenisk on the same afternoon. The programme of races remains unchanged with the card beginning with a pair of four-year-old maiden races, one each for mares and geldings.

Before that, the Stonehall Harriers fixture at Ballysteen will move forward by 24 hours to Saturday, April 27th.

THE name Barber will be familiar to many within point-to-pointing here.

Paul Barber is best known as joint-owner of the former Grade 1 winner Denman, and his colours were frequently seen in the pointing fields here, particularly on the Cork and Waterford circuit, where he enjoyed a successful association with Liam Burke, among others.

Barber’s brother, Richard, was one of the all-time great trainers within British point-to-pointing, and the Barber name remains closely associated with the sport there through Chris Barber, a grandson of the man who sent out over 1,000 point-to-point winners.

Legendary

This latest member of the legendary Barber clan to train point-to-pointers in England has swiftly gained a reputation as a shrewd operator, aided by a knack for sourcing horses that may be failing to set the track alight on these shores, yet who prove themselves well up to the level required to win in British points.

In fact, last weekend, he won a sixth English point race this season alone from a trio of horses that he sourced from the list of non-finishers in the same four-year-old maiden that was run at Tinahely in November.

Wolf Walker has now won three races on the bounce at Larkhill for the Dorset handler following his latest success there last Saturday.

The Diamond Boy gelding had pulled up in a division of the four-year-old maiden at Tinahely that was won by the now bumper-winning Kish Bank, and two of his opponents from that day who had a similarly unsuccessful outing, having pulled up in the race, have followed him across the Irish Sea to become stablemates.

All Star Boy also won his maiden at Larkhill, while success for Summer Jam came at Chipley Park in January.

Interestingly, the trio were sourced from three different handlers here, which makes the feat all the more unusual.

THERE will be an additional point-to-point bumper run this spring with an extra race in the category having been added at Downpatrick.

The late May fixture at the Co Down venue last year was boosted by the addition of a second hunter chase, which saw top horses in the category, Billaway and Vaucelet, fight out the finish, while awards for the northern point-to-point circuit were also presented on the evening.

The fixture will have an even stronger point-to-point theme to it this year, with the bumper on the May 24th card set to be switched to a point-to-point bumper, bringing the total number of such races in the season to six.

While most of the point-to-point bumpers of late have tended to produce single-figure fields, there was a strong turnout for the pair of races at Tipperary last year, with 15 horses contesting the geldings’ bumper and 12 in the lineup for the mares’ equivalent.

It will be interesting to see how this new point-to-point bumper at Downpatrick is received, particularly in its position right at the very end of the season, which may encourage more handlers to take up the opportunity.

Point-to-Point Ratings

TESTING conditions continue to dominate, and the youngsters at Portrush had the additional element of a strong wind to contend with too.

Given that, it was no surprise that the four-year-old maiden was a steadily run affair as riders found their way in the conditions.

Banter At The Bar (93+) showed a particularly likeable attitude to outstay the favourite Cobbler’s Way, who had travelled into the straight looking to be going best of all.

If that open was steadily run, there were no hiding places as Winged Leader (121+) galloped his rivals into submission, clocking a time 19 seconds quicker than any other winner on the card in his best performance for some time.

Front-running tactics proved to be the way to go at Lisronagh 24 hours later, with no horse winning under hold-up tactics on the card, and three of the winners making all.

Douglas Hyde (90+) was one of those to profit from racing from the front and his jumping proved to be a real asset in maintaining his position at the head of the field, particularly as those in behind began to falter.

Elsewhere on the card, Mary Stanford (80+) soon turned the mares’ maiden into a one-horse race by stretching the field out from an early juncture, as she ultimately returned unchallenged. It was particularly notable just how full of running she was at the line.