Image © Healy Racing
Gordon Elliott looks set to be represented by several of his well-known handicap performers when the new point-to-point season gets underway on October 4th.
The Meath trainer, and former champion under-21 rider between the flags, has hunter certed a trio of horses for the open lightweight division in the coming weeks, including the former Dublin Festival winner The Goffer.
The eight-year-old scooped the Grade A Bulmers Handicap Chase at Leopardstown’s 2023 festival, and as recently as last spring, he finished a commendable third in the Topham Chase over the National fences in Aintree.
Remaining in the ownership of his long-time owner Allan Snow, the Yeats gelding is a former Grade 3 winner over hurdles, and is returning to his roots, having started of his career point-to-pointing with Wexford handler Benny Walsh.
His stablemate Tullybeg has the Mayo National on his CV from a five-year spell on the track since starting his career point-to-pointing with Colin McBratney, in which time he has amassed over €150,000 in prize money.
The ten-year-old son of Sholokhov is one of two Bective Stud-owned horses to have received a hunter certificate for the upcoming point-to-point season, as he could be joined in the pointing fields by Chemical Energy.
Gaillard Du Mesnil - National Hunt Chase 2023#CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/cUja8OVljE
— Cheltenham Festival Fans (@cheltfestfans) July 16, 2023
That nine-year-old still boasts a chase mark of 141 despite being without a win in just under three years; however, in that winless period, he has managed to finish second in the Grade 2 National Hunt Chase at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, and third in last year’s Munster National at Limerick.
The chestnut was last in action in the Galway Plate, where he finished thirteenth behind Western Fold.
