British point-to-pointing throwing up more success

Britain’s point-to-point circuit is throwing up steady success on the racecourse and in the sales ring.

Few know that better than Yorkshire-based John and Alice Dawson who have enjoyed a particularly sweet seven days with horses that have begun their careers in the amateur sport.

At Warwick on Thursday the Dawsons’ former stable inmate, six-year-old Cherie D’Am, won a Listed chase for mares, her fourth victory since being sold privately into Dan Skelton’s stable. Twenty-four hours later the Dawsons scored again when trading recent Hexham point-to-point winner Jack The Lad (pictured above with Alice Dawson) at Tattersalls Cheltenham’s December Sale.

Anthony Bromley of Highflyer Bloodstock bought the son of Linda’s Lad for £120,000 on behalf of well-known racehorse owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede.

Dawson, who rode Jack The Lad when he won at Hexham and who landed the Festival Hunters’ Chase in March on the mare Sine Nomine, said: “I was always hoping he would make £100,000 because I knew what he could do at home. I didn’t want to give him away. I’m chuffed that Highflyer has bought him – they showed a lot of interest in the horse and hopefully he will be a good one for them.

“We’ve sold a few good ones to go under rules in the past few years. Cherie D’Am [who also won at Hexham] would be the best and has flown the flag, while That’ll Do Moss has won his bumper. This horse just seems different.

“I’m sad to see him go, but it’s the job. He’s exciting and it was exciting to have him around the place, but it’s brilliant to see him sell like that.”

Sinchi Roca, who at Tattersalls Cheltenham on Friday sold for £70,000

At the same auction the Eamonn O’Donovan-trained Sinchi Roca, a four-year-old who made a winning debut at Larkhill recently, was sold for £70,000 to former jockey Darren O’Dwyer and racehorse owner Syd Hosie.

In the past seven days Tom Ellis’s stable has gained two good results with former pointers owned and bred by his mother, Pippa. On Saturday last week he saddled Latenightrumble to win a handicap chase at Wetherby, then at Cheltenham yesterday that horse’s half-brother, Latenightpass, ran another superb race when finishing third in Cheltenham’s Glenfarclas Cross-Country Chase. Latenightpass landed upsides in front at the last and battled hard for the line, but was headed on the run-in.

Country Mile (Harry Skelton) seen winning at Cheltenham on Friday (photograph by Debbie Burt)

A former British pointer who did score at Cheltenham on Friday afternoon was Country Mile, who was the impressive winner of a novices’ hurdle for Skelton’s stable. Formerly-trained by Fran Poste, Country Mile finished second a year ago at Chaddesley Corbett in Britain’s sole point-to-point restricted to four-year-olds and was then sold into Skelton’s yard for £80,000. He was won three times under rules and looks set for more success.