Image © Healy Racing
Since 2005, Toomebridge has been the home of the Mid-Antrim’s autumn point-to-point, and has often been the season curtain raiser as is the case this year.
Since 2005, Toomebridge has been the home of the Mid-Antrim’s autumn point-to-point, and has often been the season curtain raiser as is the case this year.
An undulating track, Toomebridge is a relatively sharp course. Beginning in a separate starting chute on the entrance to the home straight, the field have a nice run to the only fence in the home straight before passing the winning post.
Once turning left-handed, the track begins to climb on the run to fence two which will eventually bring the runners into the back straight following a further left-handed bend. This second left-handed bend which brings them into the back straight, marks the beginning of a further climb and the highest point of the course at fence three.
Once negotiating that obstacle, the climb immediately levels out and the decent all the way to the home straight begins. They will jump two further fences, four and five, before they leave the back straight behind then, with the left-handed bend marking the steepest point of the descent. Coming at such an important point in a race, handling this downhill bend is often crucial.
Grade 1 winner Yorkhill made his debut at the course, unseating at the second-last when likely set to score, whilst Rathvinden, the 2018 National Hunt Chase winner at the Cheltenham Festival, came down at the last on his debut whilst holding every chance.
Vital Statistics
County: Antrim
Fences per circuit: 5
Direction: Left-handed
Top Rider: Derek O’Connor (22 wins since 2000)
Winning Favourites: 2 of 6 at last year’s fixture
The rider’s verdict
“Toomebridge is a very tight course and it is a fast three miles around there.
"You have a real advantage if you are on a horse that has had some previous experience, because the last four fences are all jumped going downhill, so that experience really counts, and it also helps to have a forward going horse.
"It is a place where it is a definite advantage to race around the inner, especially on a well-balanced horse.”
Mark O’Hare, former northern champion rider.
Last year’s rewind
Run on the second weekend of the 2023/24 season, the Mid Antrim fixture kickstarted action between the flags in the northern region and heavy overnight rain left testing underfoot conditions with Wexford handlers dominating in the opening two four-year-old maiden races.
All six horses that filled the placings in both the mares and geldings race in the age category were saddled by Wexford handlers, with Mick Goff sending out Peggy’s Rock to land the four-year-old mares’ maiden and Caughtinyourtrance triumphing in the geldings equivalent for Matthew Flynn O’Connor.
Ger Quinn upheld local honours as he kickstarted what would become his best ever campaign with a double.
Raceview Road recorded a clearcut victory in the three-runner winners-of-one, whilst Voleur De Terres claimed the mares’ maiden. Both horses were ridden by the previous season’s under-21 champion Dara McGill.
This time around
Having sent out Raceview Road to win the only non-maiden on last year’s card, Ger Quinn could again be the handler to follow in this year’s renewal of the winners' contest courtesy of Cadoudal Saint.
He is back with the connections for whom he had made a winning debut at Farmacaffley back in February 2023 following a season with Willie Mullins. He did finish placed in a Limerick bumper for the champion trainer, and so could be expected to regain the winning thread.
Entries: 70 (View all entries here)
First race: 1pm
Postcode: BT41 3PP
Race replays will be uploaded to p2p.ie on Saturday, approximately 20 minutes after each race, for members to view.
