Point-to-Point Ratings

GAVIN Cromwell has not had many four-year-old runners in this sphere in recent years, but at Boulta last weekend he introduced a striking Walk In The Park mare in Bioluminescence (86++) at Boulta. She powered clear from the final fence to win by 20 lengths hard held and could not have been more impressive.

The geldings’ equivalent in the age group was particularly dramatic with no fewer than three contenders coming down at the penultimate fence. Yes Day (91+), who was upsides at the time, returned a comfortable winner in the end.

Chris’s Dream (121+) became the latest top-level track performer to make a successful switch to the pointing fields and put up a big performance in doing so.

While the likes of The Storyteller and Hardline have achieved closer to average winning performance ratings for their combined three wins to date, Chris’s Dream, like Samcro, certainly stood out as above the average level of open performers.

In defeating Aloneamongmillions, Solomn Grundy and Ifeoinly – three proven winners in the division - by distances of between 22 and 116 lengths he highlighted himself as a horse who, despite not yet matching the very heights Samcro has reached this season, is in the upper echelon of the season’s performers.

The only horse to clock a quicker time on the card was Getoverthathill (88+) in a very strongly-run five-year-old geldings’ maiden where just three of the 10 starters could complete. The Getaway gelding is likely a stout stayer for the track.

At Lingstown, Only By Night (81+) came from a very unlikely position as she was not among the five horses who broke clear leaving the back straight before bursting through to lead before the last. Brook Bay (94+) had been expected to put up a big debut performance and certainly delivered in the first division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden in a race where the two placed horses also look to be horses worth following.

The second division also went to Donnchadh Doyle with Simple Getaway (93+) a horse who looks like he could develop into a smart staying chaser having eased clear in a race where few horses were able to get involved.