Image © Healy Racing
Point-to-Point racing returned to the picturesque seaside town of Portrush in 2016 following a 40-year absence, and since then it has proved to be a popular venue.
Taking place in a field adjacent to track of the International North West 200 road races, the point-to-point at Portrush always draws a big crowd from the seaside town which is renowned for its holiday attractions and caravan parks.
With the exception of an uphill climb into the home straight, the course itself is quite a level and fair track, of a mile in circumference with the runners starting alongside the final fence. From there they race up in front of the judge, before climbing slightly on the bend towards fence one. After negotiating that obstacle, they race downhill into the back straight and jump fence two which is almost directly opposite their starting point. Continuing along the back, they jump fence three which is out of sight of the spectator enclosures, before beginning their longest run on the level.
As they turn at the bottom of the track to exit the back straight, they begin a notable uphill climb to the home bend, from where they jump two fences in the home straight which are well spread out.
Vital Statistics
Fences per circuit: 5
Direction: Left-handed
Top Rider: Barry O’Neill (17 wins)
Winning Favourites: 1 of 6 at last year’s fixture
The rider’s verdict
Portrush is a nice track to ride, and it usually takes a well-balanced horse with a good turn of foot to go well around it.
It has a nice long home straight with the two fences that well spread out, which is where you gain the advantage by having a horse with a nice change of gears.
It is a fair track now and the ground is usually very reasonable in the autumn and spring.
Mark O’Hare, former northern champion rider.
Iconic moment
Portrush certainly returned to the point-to-point calendar with a bang in 2016, as the very first race on the card, saw Finian’s Oscar make an emphatic winning debut.
Having made the long journey from Denis Murphy’s Ballyboy Stables base in Co. Wexford, the Oscar gelding, who had been bought by Joey Logan’s Tower View Stables for €50,000 at the previous year’s Derby sale, was sent off as the 2/1 joint-favourite as he lined-up alongside seven opponents for his competitive bow.
With Jamie Codd aboard, they had to contend with a runaway leader as Mark O’Hare raced into a clear advantage aboard his own Drops Of Jupitor. As he was reeled in entering the home straight, Codd sent Finian’s Oscar to the front before powering to an eight-length victory over Mr Clarkson.
Finian's Oscar winning his point-to-point at Portrush - less than six months later, a two-time Grade 1 winner! @irishp2p pic.twitter.com/O0sy8esqiO
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) April 8, 2017
Following the success, Finian’s Oscar was offered at the following month’s Cheltenham sale where Tom Malone and Colin Tizzard secured the four-year-old with a bid of £250,000, and his new connections did not have to wait long to scale the heights with him.
Just over two months after his Portrush success, Finian’s Oscar was a Grade 1 having landed the Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown.
He would go on to add the Grade 1 Mersey Novices’ Hurdle to his CV, and only missed out on an opening season Grade 1 hat-trick when beaten by a short-head at Punchestown in the champion novice hurdle there.
As a novice chaser the following season, he also tasted Grade 1 success in the Manifesto at Aintree’s Grand National festival before he sadly died in July 2018 due to complications after an attack of colic.
Last year’s rewind
There was an upset in the open when Vaucelet, who was bidding to win the race for a third time for David Christie, could only finish third behind Warren Ewing’s new recruit Jay Bee Why.
That was one of two winners on the card for Dara McGill as he continued a strong start to the season at his local track by also landing the mares’ maiden aboard Springtime Promise for his father Gary.
Twenty-year-old Erin Dunseath, who hails from Randallstown, returned to a rousing reception when she recorded an initial career success aboard her own horse, Mountorra, in the older geldings’ maiden.
This time around…
All eyes will be on the potential re-appearance of last season’s champion point-to-point horse Winged Leader, who features among six entries for the Macauley Wray Solicitors open lightweight.
Owned locally by John Hegarty and Jennifer O’Kane, who sponsor the winners-of-three contest on the card with their Royal Court Hotel, the ten-year-old won nine races on the bounce last season en route to securing the championship crown.
David Christie’s has more than proven himself at the venue in the past, winning on each of his three visits to Portrush, including earlier this year, when putting up one of his most impressive performances of the season to defeat the capable Jay Bee Why by some 15 lengths.
Gorthill could line-up in opposition to the defending champion, and their head-to-head currently stands at one-win apiece.
Caroline McCaldin’s charge won impressively at Kirkistown last season, when Winged Leader could only finish third, but the order was reserved on their latest meeting when Winged Leader proved to seven and a half lengths too strong for his younger opponent.
Entries: 62
First race: 1pm
Postcode: BT56 8PD
Race replays will be uploaded to p2p.ie on Saturday, approximately 20 minutes after each race, for members to view.
