Point-to-Point Focus

A festive edition of the Racing Post point-to-point focus…

It was the feast of Stephen and the snow lay deep and even, when a poor man came in sight and King Wenceslas sent me down to let him in before he pinched our winter fuel.

“Yonder peasant, who is he?” said the King. ‘No idea, Guv,’ said I, ‘Shall I pelt him with snowballs and send him on his way?’

The King, being infinitely smarter than his staff, beckoned the stranger in and said, “What be your business?”

“Sire,” said the poor man. “I have had a vision and it is one from which you will benefit.” “Pray tell,” said the King.

“Well Sire, you are a man who loves horseracing. It is rightly known as ‘The Sport of Kings’, although my vision tells me that one day a Queen called Anne will inherit the throne, create a racecourse on Ascot Heath and stage wonderful Jump racing. It may even stage Flat racing in June.”

“Flat racing!” exclaimed the King. “Talk not of such ills. Tell me more of your vision.”

“I foresee a new form of horse racing that will take place at rural venues around Britain, from one point to another point, and it will be known as point-to-pointing. Your sport, Sire, licensed Jump racing, will benefit greatly from this new sport, which will take racing to parts of Britain where no licensed tracks exist, introducing new people to the sport.

“It will take dozens of former hurdlers and chasers off your hands each season, putting money back into the pockets of their former owners and taking care of the welfare and upkeep of these horses; it will provide another entry point for young horses and will benefit those considered too raw for bumpers or novices’ hurdles. These opportunities for younger horses will be good for breeders.

“It will provide a stepping stone for young riders who will become conditional jockeys, and also for those who have no pretensions to a professional career, but whose experience of riding in point-to-points will wed them to Jump racing for life, and lead many to careers in racing or to becoming racehorse owners under Rules.

“Sire, your British Horsesracing Authority will create Regulations to ensure this new sport will be as clean as racing under Rules, and it will be largely self-funding through the registration of horses, sponsorship, advertising and paying spectators.”

The King looked impressed, and said: “Hmm, I like your idea, but you are a poor man, and your vision must need money, while my Levy Board funds have been hit by the law I introduced to limit stakes on FOBTs.”

The old man spoke again, saying: “This is true Sire, and in my vision your Levy Board will, in the year 2019, offer a grant of £300,000. Yet the benefits for Jump racing from point-to-pointing will be enormous, and the amateur sport will need money to maintain courses to a high standard, fund veterinary and medical costs, provide assistance in helping horses and riders into careers under Rules. It would also help enormously if prize money could be kept at a level which means point-to-point owners are not out of pocket if their horse wins.”

“Okay,” said the King. “£300,000 does seem a little on the thin side. How much does your sport need?”

“£1m a year, Sire.”

“Pah,” said the King. “You are a jester, but let me ponder the figures. Start the project right away. We need point-to-pointing.”