THERE may still be close to 70 fixtures to be run, but the calendar tells us that this weekend actually brings us to the half-way mark of the point-to-point season.

Encouragingly, despite 29 fewer races having been run this season in comparison with the same point last year, the number of individual riders who have won at least one race has actually increased.

A total of 75 different riders have ridden a winner this season, which is six more than last year, and while that may only seem like a somewhat marginal increase, when it is taken in the context of those 29 fewer races, it has to be considered a real positive.

Significantly within that cohort of 75 winning riders, 13 were tasting victory in a point-to-point for the first time, including four riders across the past two weekends of action.

Point-to-pointing clearly remains an appealing nursery, not just for future equine talent, but also for riders, with a total of 26 riders also riding in a point-to-point for the first time this season.

Opportunity

Whether these are individuals aspiring to make a career in the saddle, or attracted to pointing by the opportunity to ride in a race for sport, these new additions are significant, particularly amidst the ongoing staffing difficulties facing the wider sport.

Barry O’Neill continues to sit at the top of the tree; his dominance remains clear in his 20-winner tally, already double that of any other rider, in part explained by his continued busy campaign, having ridden in 35 more races than any other rider.

Declan Queally, Derek O’Connor and the reigning under-21 champion Dara McGill are tied in second, with the former boasting a remarkable 77% strike rate, even more notable for the fact that only one of his rides this season has failed to produce a top two finishing position.

Bring forward the four-year-olds?

THERE was no shortage of interest in the first four-year-old bumper of the year at Naas last week, and with 14 runners taking to the track, it certainly went against the current trend of smaller field sizes in bumpers.

In British point-to-pointing, four-year-olds can make their competitive debuts throughout the month of January, yet all the while, their Irish-based counterparts must wait until the beginning of February before they can run in a point-to-point, beginning at both Ballinaboola and Bellharbour on February 4th.

In this regard, the comments of Bryan Mayoh, Chairman of the British Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association National Hunt Committee and co-breeder of the 2017 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Sizing John, when the BHA unveiled a new programme of junior National Hunt development hurdle races for three-year-olds, is pertinent.

Upbringing

“We have long believed that differences in upbringing, rather than in breeding or environment, is the principal reason why French-bred jump horses have outperformed those produced in Britain and Ireland,” he stated in a BHA press release published to announce the introduction of the series.

“The impact that Irish four-year-old point-to-points are now having on the successes of Irish-trained horses supports the hypothesis that jump horses need to be broken and taught to jump earlier than has been traditional in Britain.”

As other jurisdictions seek to move forward, should further consideration be given to trialling a small number of four-year-old races here in January?

After all, the programme of races for four-year-old mares’ here has stepped forward significantly in the past decade, providing greater opportunities earlier in the year.

Ten years ago, there were just two such four-year-old mares’ maiden races programmed before mid-April, yet this year there will be 13, including two in the month of February.

In an evolving industry, it is important not to become complacent.

TATTERSALLS Ireland has extended its support of point-to-pointing with the announcement that they will sponsor all fixtures throughout the spring following on from a similar commitment across the autumn term.

The agreement will see these sponsored races carry the Tattersalls NH brand, and further strengthens the connection with point-to-pointing here.

Announcement

“I am a massive point-to-point man, it has got me to where I am today,” Jamie Codd, two-time champion point-to-point rider and member of the Tattersalls Ireland bloodstock team, said of the announcement.

“It’s been everything to me, so to work for a company that supports them at every meeting, I think it is just brilliant for point-to-points to stay successful and to stay going.

“We need that sponsorship, and that for me is key.”

Point-to-point ratings

Professional show from Morris

OLD Tom Morris (90+) may have been anchored in rear for much of the journey as he made his debut in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden at Turtulla, but he always travelled strongly through the race, beginning to pick off rivals from five out.

He cruised into contention, and despite his main rival having more experience, he was the more professional jumper over the last to seal a debut win. He also clocked a time that compared favourably with the open which was won by a talented track performer in Ramillies. At Aghabullogue, Aleish Lass (80+) may not have set the track alight in five attempts on the track, but the switch to pointing produced a different performance. She won the five and six-year-old mares’ maiden by 35 lengths in a race that clocked a time considerably quicker than any other race, highlighting how when many of her rivals began to falter, she was not stopping as she galloped relentlessly to the line. Hitak (105+) backed up his initial open success at Dromahane last month by adding a second open to his CV on just his fourth career start, which is a notable feat. The seven-year-old stamped his class to cement his reputation as an upwardly mobile individual.