A mare who last season won a maiden point-to-point at Brocklesby Park landed one of the top awards at the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association’s NH Awards Dinner.
That’ll Do Moss, a six-year-old daughter of Black Sam Bellamy who was trained and ridden by Yorkshire-based John Dawson during a season on Britain’s point-to-point circuit, won the Leading Hurdle Mare title sponsored by Shade Oak Stud. In front of a large audience who gathered at Doncaster racecourse on Monday evening for the awards, Dawson stepped up to collect the winner’s trophy on behalf of That’ll Do Moss’s breeder, Reveley Farms.
He revealed it was hard to find a buyer for her following her success at the Lincolnshire track, but she has gone on to prove a star for Gloucestershire trainer Fergal O’Brien. She won twice for his yard last season, and then in April finished a close second to the Willie Mullins-trained Aurora Vega in a Gr.1 mares’ hurdle at Fairyhouse’s Irish Grand National meeting. Ten days later Aurora Vega was sold at Goffs’ Punchestown Sale for €450,000.
Dawson, who finished fifth on That’ll Do Moss when she made her point-to-point debut at Chaddesley Corbett in December 2023 (pictured on right, above) before her maiden-race success, said: “We broke her in, won a point-to-point with her, but couldn’t find a buyer for her. Paddy Brennan took a chance, sent her to Fergal O’Brien and I’m so glad it’s worked out.”
Important sale of pointers opens in Doncaster
Goffs UK’s Spring Sale of horses in training and point-to-pointers opens in Doncaster tomorrow.
Following the closure of Ascot as a bloodstock sales venue Doncaster is now the sole British location for live auctions of in-training jumpers and pointers, and the Spring Sale, which was established in 1962, has taken on added significance. The catalogue for the two-day sale includes horses from leading yards such as Dan Skelton, Nicky Henderson, Paul Nicholls and Olly Murphy, and there are pointers from both sides of the Irish Sea.
Buyers inspecting horses ahead of tomorrow's opening of Goffs UK's Spring Sale of Horses in Training and Point-to-Pointers (photo by Sarah Farnsworth/Goffs UK)
Multiple Irish champion point-to-point handler Colin Bowe and other leading exponents such as Sam Curling, the Doyle brothers of Monbeg Stables, Sam Curling and Jonathan Fogarty have entered horses, while British point-to-point trainers who are offering stock to the market include Gina Andrews and Josh Newman, who are in a battle to become the next champion trainer, Jack Teal and Fran Poste.
The sale gives licensed trainers a chance to buy a young pointer who can then progress under rules, and for point-to-point owners to secure an ex-handicap hurdler or chaser.
Bidding opens at 10am and can be followed here