Point-to-point trainers welcome Monday's Punchestown showcase

Irish point-to-point trainers have a belated opportunity to showcase their wares on Monday in what will be a rather different sort of meeting to most of those seen at Punchestown.

An eight-race card of bumpers is scheduled live on Racing TV, most of which feature the sort of young prospects who would be having their first taste of the action over fences and out in a field, with connections dreaming of an impressive victory and a quick sale onwards.

With pointing having been suspended in Ireland since mid-January and a revised Tattersalls Cheltenham March Sale appearing on the horizon at the end of the month, there was gratitude expressed by several of the practitioners involved that they had some action.

This is the first of what are likely to be a handful of such events which have been arranged, and big-hitters such as Donnchadh Doyle and Colin Bowe are multiply represented.

Denis Murphy, who has been able to send out some runners under rules from Ballyboy Stables in Wexford, said he had "lots" still needing to get out.

His newcomers are both to be ridden by Jamie Codd - Ocovango gelding General Medrano in a four-year-old maiden over two and a half miles (3.25) followed by five-year-old Jet Of Magic, a son of Jet Away (3.55).

Murphy said: "They’re two nice geldings, but this is a different stepping stone for what we’re training them for, which is to go over three miles and jump fences.

"I fear they might be a little lost out in the country when they quicken up, whether I train them sharp enough for it. Whoever has them the sharpest is going to be on the ball.

Denis Murphy: 'This is a different stepping stone for what we’re training them for.'Credit: Debbie Burt

"It’s better than nothing, maybe something will happen, maybe it won’t, but at least we’re getting out there and might get something moving."

Aidan Fitzgerald's Cobajay Stables in Carlow had a recent boost when Umbrigado, sold for £160,000 at the Festival Sale in 2018, took last weekend's Greatwood Gold Cup. He does not have a licence to run in rules races so has his fingers crossed for Tintern Abbey in the opening four-year-old fillies' race (1.55) and Sholokhov four-year-old Ez Tiger (2.25).

Fitzgerald said: "We're very grateful for any opportunity to showcase our horses. We’ll always try to beat the big boys anyway, we’d always be taking them on in point-to-points.

"We don’t know what they’ll be like but they’re ready to run. The mare is a homebred from Liam Walsh, her half-brother Enemenemynemo was third over hurdles the other day and she’s a nice mare. The Sholokhov horse goes well and we’d be hoping for a good run."

A potential star of the show in the third race could be Grand Jury, who earned rave reviews in landing a point at Turtulla in November and is now representing the powerful team of Brian Acheson's Robcour and Henry de Bromhead.

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