WHILE Gina Andrews continues to boot home winners between the flags, she hasn’t enjoyed the same luck of late in hunters’ chases and, at Leicester last Tuesday week, she had to settle for second on both rides trained by her husband, Tom Ellis.

In the extended two-and-three-quarter- mile open contest, the pair’s Indirocco finished eight lengths behind Marracudja, an 11-year-old Martaline gelding who was ridden by Tristan Durrell for the Dan Skelton yard.

In the maiden race over two and a half miles, Benefaktor went down by three-parts of a length to the David Kemp-owned and -trained Rebel Dawn Rising, an eight-year-old Getaway gelding ridden by Dale Peters.

Two days earlier, Downpatrick-born David Maxwell partnered his own Paul Nicholls-trained Shantou Flyer to victory over three miles, two furlongs at Fontwell.

Since then, and up to Monday just past, Irish-breds failed to hit the scoreboard in hunters’ chase at Musselburgh, Ludlow and Southwell with these being won respectively by the French-bred geldings Rio Des Echanault, trained by Jess McKie and ridden by Nick Orpwood, plus Gesskille and Dieu Vivant, who are trained by Oliver Greenall and ridden by Toby Wynne.

On a sad note, hunt racing in Britain lost a stalwart of the sport recently with the death, at the age of 95, of owner, trainer, breeder and stallion master Bunny Tarry.

IN spite of some meetings being abandoned recently because of the weather and ground conditions, it has been a busy period on the British point-to-point scene, particularly so last weekend when there were three fixtures on both Saturday and Sunday.

An Irish rider to score on Saturday was Co Galway’s Daniel Kyne who landed the Level 3 conditions race at Didmarton on the Robert Varnham-trained Count Simon who was making his British pointing debut.

The eight-year-old Rip Van Winkle gelding won a flat maiden, a chase and three times over hurdles when mainly trained by Gordon Elliott. The bay was one of five Irish-bred winners on the six-race card at this Duke of Beaufort fixture.

There were small fields on heavy ground as the Brocklesby Hunt celebrated 200 years of racing at Brocklesby Park where six of Saturday’s seven winners carried an IRE suffix.

There were riding doubles for Gina Andrews and Rosie Howarth plus training doubles for Tom Ellis and Cherry Coward. The concluding four-runner maiden fell to the Alice Stevens-ridden, Jonathan Barlow-trained The Whistle Blower, a seven-year-old Flemensfirth gelding who was previously trained here by Sean Doyle.

There were small fields also at Ampton where five of the seven winners were bred in Britain. The Ellis yard had two winners at this fixture also while Will Biddick, currently leading the men’s championship table, added to his seasonal tally when comfortably landing the two-runner men’s open on the 1/8 favourite, Tullys Touch, a nine-year-old Touch Of Land gelding trained by John Ibbott.

Charlton Horethorne

On Sunday, when, in the main, there were small fields at all three meetings, Biddick was in action at Charlton Horethorne where he recorded a double on the six-race card as did the reigning men’s champion, James King, and young Freddie Gingell.

The only race at this Blackmore and Sparkford Gale fixture to attract runners in double figures was the six-year-old and upwards maiden where just three of the 12 starters managed to complete. Here, Biddick initiated his brace on the Chris Barber-trained Knockmoylan.

This seven-year-old Stowaway gelding, who was having his first start in Britain and was one of four Irish-bred winners during the afternoon, was previously trained here by Ellmarie Holden for whom he was placed in two bumpers.

The sole Irish-bred winner among seven at Bangor-On-Dee was the 2015 So You Think gelding Ellipsism who, under Murray Todd, justified favouritism for the James Ridley yard in the veteran and novice riders’ race.

Co Galway’s Tommie O’Brien struck twice for owner/trainer Clive Boultbee-Brooks while there were single wins for Bradley Gibbs and Izzy Marshall.

Charm Park

There were three Irish-bred winners on the eight-race card at Charm Park where the Yorkshire Jockeys Club held their inaugural meeting in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund and Racing Welfare.

Gina Andrews and Tom Ellis recorded another double for their Warwickshire yard while Joe Wright completed a riding double in division two of the five-year-old and upwards maiden on the Courtney Tinkler-trained Socialiser.

Sent off as the 4/5 favourite on his second British start, this six-year-old Milan gelding ran twice in Ireland this season for Pierce Power.

TOM Ellis sent out five winners over the weekend of February 26th and 27th, four of these scoring on the Saturday at Kingston Blount where Gina Andrews partnered three of the quartet while Zac Baker was on board the winner of the men’s open, the 10-year-old Robin Des Champs gelding Al Shahir.

The yard first struck in division two of the opening three-mile maiden where, on his British debut, Every Minute made most of the running under Andrews to justify favouritism by 11 lengths.

The six-year-old Yeats gelding was previously trained here by Roger McGrath for whom he finished fourth in a Tipperary bumper last May.

The first division of that maiden saw the Bradley Gibbs-ridden Keaden Hill go down by one and three-quarter lengths to the 7/1 shot, Buachaill Dana, who had finished second earlier in the month at Charing.

Trained by David Phelan and a first winner since his return to the amateur ranks for Freddie Mitchell, this five-year-old Milan gelding had finished fourth in a maiden hurdle at Kilbeggan last August for his breeder, Terence O’Brien.

There were three other Irish-bred winners on this seven-race card with the 10-year-old Getaway gelding Agamemmon landing the ladies’ open under Alice Homer whose grandfather, the well-known show horse dealer and producer, David Tatlow, trains the bay.

Alnwick

The sole winner for Andrews and Ellis on the Sunday at Alnwick was the eight-year-old Flemensfirth gelding Dundrum Wood who justified favouritism by three and a half lengths in the ladies’ open.

There were three other Irish-bred winners at this College Valley and North Northumberland meeting including Courting Flow who, on his second start in Britain, was sent off even-money favourite for the 14-runner maiden under Christy Furness.

The Jack Teal-trained six-year-old Court Cave gelding had been in the care of Peter Fahey for whom he was placed over hurdles.

Six of the eight winners at Great Trethew carried an IRE suffix including both of Josh Newman’s winners, the 2017 Fame And Glory mare Valereum Bridge in the four- and five-year-old bumper and the 2016 El Salvador gelding Sake Of Secrecy in division two of the four, five and six-year-old maiden.

The first division of that maiden was won by the Charlie Sprake-partnered Doc McCoy, a 2018 Getaway gelding who was making his debut for the Ian Chanin yard.

Darren Edwards completed a double in the mixed open on the Nicola Martin-trained Sykes, a 13-year-old Mountain High gelding, while Will Biddick landed the restricted on the odds-on favourite Jeremy Central, an eight-year-old Jeremy gelding owned and trained by Tom Malone.

Larkhill

Bradley Gibbs and James King kept tabs on Biddick by riding a winner apiece on the nine-race card at Larkhill where Zac Baker and Freddie Gordon recorded doubles.

Baker landed both divisions of the five-year-old and upwards maiden, his first successful partner being one of five Irish-bred winners during the afternoon, the newcomer Far From Over. The five-year-old Valirann gelding is trained by the Co Cork-born former jockey, Maurice Linehan.

The two Irish-bred winners of the divisions of the four, five and six-year-old bumper were the 2018 Battle Of Marengo gelding Hilltown (ridden by Paddy Barlow for Seamus Mullins) and the 2016 Sans Frontieres mare Nairobi Girl (ridden by Luke Scott for Sarah Bailey).