That New Year’s resolution to own a point-to-pointer just became easier, particularly for the uninitiated.
A version of this article first appeared in the Racing Post on Friday 29th December.
A directory of trainers and their locations around Britain has been launched on fledgling website gopointing.com, which went live in the autumn with the aim of providing easy insight to the sport.
The trainer directory, which can be found under the Come Pointing banner, enables viewers to type in a postcode and search for yards in that area. Useful for owners, but also those who would like to work in or ride out at a yard.
Extensive media coverage means many licensed trainers would be familiar faces to even rare racegoers, but most trainers of pointers could slip into the beer tent on a point-to-point course and go unnoticed.
Many prefer it that way, but for those who would like to fill a stable or two, sell shares in a horse or recruit new members to a racing club, the trainer directory is a welcome addition.
Shark’s advice unheeded
Standing in a Worcestershire field, Shark Hanlon cut an incongruous figure when I bumped into him at Chaddesley Corbett’s early December meeting.
Hanlon has run and traded horses via British point-to-points, but on this occasion he and partner Rachel O’Neill had a different reason to attend. Son Paddy was about to have his first ride in a point-to-point.
Paddy Hanlon and his father Shark (Patrick McCann)
“He’s 16,” said Hanlon. “You have to be 17 to ride in Irish point-to-points, so he’s starting off here.” Hanlon Jr pulled up when riding the Fran Poste-trained Russian Diamond, but just before the race I spotted Hanlon in the beer tent, admiring the Cheltenham Gold Cup which had been taken by Hall of Fame staff to the point-to-point and was on display. “How is Hewick?” I asked. “He’s grand,” said Shark. “We’re aiming for the Gold Cup. He’ll win that, and he will probably run in the King George beforehand. He’ll go well in that too.”
I heard it there first, but foolishly still failed to back the horse.
