Incoming chief executive Paul Miller hoping Glenmount can get him off to a flier at Hornby Castle

Paul Miller will be in Yorkshire on Saturday hoping to celebrate victory at Hornby Castle with Glenmount, who he co-owns. On Friday he is at the Point-to-Point Authority’s HQ in Wiltshire en route to becoming the sport’s chief executive. 

That will involve more than one debrief with outgoing CEO Peter Wright, whose tenure of just over five and a half years ends in June. Miller should be hoping to avoid pandemics, shut downs, equine flu and relentless waterlogging/abandoned fixtures which have been among a raft of issues that tested Wright, who many will thank for maintaining the sport through some particularly dark days.

Born in Glasgow, Miller’s racing interests came from his grandfather, a bookmaker who would take his grandchildren racing. He says: “My love of jump racing came from standing by a fence at Ayr, and feeling the thrill as a group of horses came over – I still get that thrill standing by a fence at a point-to-point.”

After starting a small haulage business in Scotland, recession hit in the early 1990s so he headed to London and joined a recruitment company that later floated on the stock exchange. 

Miller then set up a consultancy, looking at businesses from board level down, considering product management, staffing, marketing and relationships with customers. In a fast-moving world, yesterday’s successful product can be out of date tomorrow. 

He will maintain that consultancy after becoming CEO, saying he plans to recruit to partially replace himself while retaining an interest. 

He says: “I see that as a benefit, because it will keep me in touch with the world outside point-to-pointing.”

Married to Kate and living in Warwickshire, he was introduced to the sport some eight years ago, quickly becoming involved in partnerships and syndicates. That relatively brief association may spark two reactions in people – he lacks experience, or that he is unhindered by trenchant views and traditional whims and brings fresh ideas to the role.

Paul Miller: will take up new post in June

Miller credits former top woman rider and now trainer Claire Hart with firing his interest in pointing. Two years ago, his wife and Hart created 360 Racing, a syndicate which has two pointers, a gelding – out of prolific winning pointer Lady Myfanwy – with Martin Keighley, and a foal.

One of the pointers is Glenmount, who is shared with trainer Julie Wadland and is a very desirable six-year-old – a proper chasing type bidding for a hat-trick on Saturday under James King. 

Wadland, who trains near Miller’s home in Warwickshire, says: “We have two runners at the meeting in consecutive races, so I’ve told Paul he might have to groom his own horse while we tend to the second. He knows he has to learn all the angles.”

Fields of necessary knowledge are about to roll in Miller’s direction but, in this sport, being good with a bucket and a sweat scraper is always useful.

Weekend preview

While fixtures continue to drop like rainfall, those which remain above the floods are benefiting from increased entries. 

Last year High Easter attracted 59 for its Grand National day fixture, but that has risen to113 for Saturday’s meeting, while Cotley’s 69 entries 12 months ago has nearly doubled to135. It will be heart-breaking for treasurers if they have to hand out refunds due to late cancellations, but weather forecasts suggest that is unlikely.

Remarkably, High Easter landowner Simon Marriage said in midweek: “I’m thinking of watering – there are some good to firm patches and it would be quite handy to have a splash of rain.”

East Anglia is renowned for being drier than the west of England, but that takes some believing. Marriage added there will be a break after the fifth race for racegoers to watch the Grand National on a giant screen.

The Marriage-owned, Gina Ellis-trained Main Stage has a winning chance in the members’ race under Ellie Holder, while the men’s open can go to Bradley Gibbs’s Fier Jaguen, although the likes of Deise Aba, Clara Sorrento and Law Of Gold will not be pushovers.

Fier Jaguen: leading chance in the mens' open

The men’s open at Hornby Castle has a competitive look, with the likes of Buster Valentine, Camdonian and Super Citizen among the entries, while Salty Boy is not dismissed. Camdonian failed to win in five starts for Dan Skelton, but is unbeaten in six point-to-points for Yorkshire trainer Jack Teal and rider Christy Furness.

The ladies’ open at Cotley has attracted entries from D’Jango and Shantou Flyer, who finished fourth and sixth in the Cheltenham Festival Hunters’ Chase.

Saturday

High Easter, Essex CM1 4QL – first race 1pm. 7 races, 113 entries

Hornby Castle, Yorkshire DL8 1NQ – 12.30pm. 6 races, 114 entries

Maisemore Park, Glos – abandoned

Trebudannon, Cornwall – abandoned

Sunday

Cotley, Somerset TA20 3EP – 2pm. 8 races, 135 entries

Edgcote, Northants – postponed to April 28Ystradowen, Glamorgan – postponed, date TBC

More information at pointtopoint.co.uk & gopointing.com

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