Irish point-to-pointers enjoyed a very successful few days with no less than 24 winning since Friday with names such as Faugheen and Finian’s Oscar creating headlines over the weekend as the National Hunt season begins to heat up.
Slate House, further added to his tally of career wins when he won the Grade 2 Sky Bet Supreme Trial Novices´ Hurdle on day three of the Cheltenham November meeting for the Colin Tizzard yard. Bred by Aaron Metcalfe, the Harry Cobden-ridden gelding led for much of the 2m contest, which saw all of the hurdles in the home straight being omitted due to the low lying sun.
Having been hard pressed inside the final furlong by Summerville Boy, Slate House dug deep in the closing stages to win by three quarters of a length over the latter with a further three and three quarter lengths back to Better Getalong in third.
This was his second victory at Prestbury Park having opened his account over hurdles there last month by a comfortable three and a quarter lengths over Dans Le Vent.
A €44,000 purchase out of the Derby sale, the son of Presenting, won his four-year-old maiden at Tattersalls last December when in the care of Colin McKeever carrying the familiar colours of Wilson Dennison. Following that success, Slate House was sent to the Cheltenham Festival sale, where he was purchased by Tom Malone for £260,000.
This was one of five Graded races won by former Irish Pointers in three days.
The former Paul Cashman trained-On The Blind Side began preceding’s for the Irish Pointers by taking the Grade 2 Ballymore Novices' Hurdle on day one of the Cheltenaham November meeting for the Nicky Henderson yard.
Posh Trish remained unbeaten since taking her four-year-old maiden at Lemonfield in March for John Hanlon by winning the Listed Experience The Theatre At The Festival Mares´ NH Flat race by three and a quarter lengths over another point-to-point graduate in Grageelagh Girl. This was the second time the Paul Nicholls-trained daughter of Stowaway met the former Grennan winner as the pair had finished in the same placings last month at Aintree.
The consistent servant Jury Duty gained his due reward when taking the Grade 2 Liam & Valerie Florida Pearl Novice Chase by three quarters of a length over former Lemonfield winner Shattered Love on what was he third start over fences for the Gordon Elliott yard. Third at Ballyarthur in 2015 for J P Flavin, the son of Well Chosen has not finished out of the first three on eleven of his fourteen starts to date.
The winning spree continued for Irish point-to-point graduates in the following race at Punchestown when 2015 Champion hurdle winner Faugheen , who was making his first appearance in almost two years, returned to action by taking the Grade 1 Morgina hurdle in extremely impressive fashion. A winner of 13 out of his 14 starts with eight of those being Grade 1’s, the son of Germany has now won nearly €900,000 in prizemoney.
A full list of all the Irish Pointers in action can be viewed each day on our Daily Pointers by clicking HERE.
