Remarkable local influence
Wexford’s key role as a National Hunt production hub
I HAVE been banging the drum here for quite a while about the importance of Wexford’s role in the point-to-point industry as a production hub for top class National Hunt horses.
There has been a string of recent successes in important races in Ireland and Britain by horses that began their careers in various Wexford point-to-point yards.
Clondaw Castle won the biggest race of the week at Kempton on Saturday, the £75k Close Brothers handicap chase, and this one was a graduate of the Mick Goff academy at Clondaw, Ferns – one of many horses running in Britain and Ireland bearing Goff’s ‘Clondaw’ brand.
The horse won his maiden at Glenbane in Tipperary, and was sold on to trainer Tom George in England. He has won a bumper, two hurdles and five chases worth £180k and is bound for Cheltenham.
Secret Investor (14/1) and Bryony Frost won the Grade 2 Denman Chase at Newbury for Paul Nicholls. The horse began his career in the care of Donnchadh Doyle in 2016 when winning his debut point-to-point four-year-old maiden. Doyle had bought him in a year earlier for €38,000 but following his win he sold him on to Paul Nicholls for £175,000.
Full Time Score ran his pointto-point maiden for Seán Doyle of Monbeg on February 18, 2018 and though only second he was sold on to Chris Jones and went to Henry De Bromhead who has been patient with him.
At Fairyhouse on Monday of last week, he duly won with some ease under Rachael Blackmore.
Colin Bowe recently had the unusual distinction of having two of his former point-to-point horses fighting out the finish of the Scottish Supreme Novices Hurdle at Musselburgh.
Winner was Bareback Jack, completing a hat-trick of wins for Brian Hughes and Donald McCain. He was sold to McCain for £70,000 after an impressive point-to-point maiden win last February.
Second in the hurdle was Tommy’s Oscar who took a while to win his point-to-point before eventually getting his head in front at Loughrea in Co. Galway.
He was sold on to Ian and Ann Hamilton who got second in a bumper and then three wins on the trot before being bested by Bareback Jack.
Velvet Elvis won a rated novice hurdle at Thurles a couple of weeks ago under Darragh O’Keeffe for trainer Tom Gibney.
Colin Bowe bought him in May 2019 at Goffs spring sale for a modest £11,000; after he won his point-to-point maiden by a clear 20 lengths at Nenagh last February, he sold him on for £95,000.
At Cheltenham last year three Colin Bowe graduates were successful – Envoi Allen, who won his maiden at Ballinaboola and was sold on for £400,000; Samcro, who won his maiden at Monksgrange, Rathnure, and was then purchased by Gordon Elliott for £335k; Ferny Hollow, winner of the Champion bumper for Willie Mullins, won his point-to-point maiden at Knockenard and then was sold on to Mullins for £300k. J.J. Bowe had bought him eight months earlier for €38k.
Monkfish, winner of the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last March and several Grade 1 races since, with Paul Nolan’s Latest Exhibition second to him three times, was handled by Cormac Doyle, the youngest of the three Monbeg brothers, when he won his maiden point-to-point at Stowlin in Galway.
He had been sold as a foal for just €12,500 in 2014; Monbeg bought him as a three-year-old three years later for €36,000, and within a month of his points win he was sold on to Willie Mullins for Rich Ricci for a cool £235,000 Stg.
Bravemansgame won the Challow Hurdle having won his only point-to-point at the Lingstown March meeting in 2019, when handled by Donnchadh Doyle who had bought him for €48k.
Within the week he was knocked down to Nicholls for £370k. Colin Bowe graduates Star Gate and Glancing Queen were second and third in the Challow.
This is only a sample to once again give a flavour of the significance Co. Wexford point-to-point holds in the National Hunt world. It is in serious danger of being badly damaged by the ongoing lockdown.