Blackbow makes it three for ex-British pointers

Blackbow’s win at Navan yesterday completed a trio of beginners’ chase wins in under a week for former British point-to-pointers in Ireland.

All three victories were easily gained, starting with Eurobot’s success at Thurles and followed up by Energumene’s stroll at Gowran Park. Blackbow’s success came in a 14-runner affair in which he was sent off the 5/2 second favourite under David Mullins.

Taking up the running from flag fall he led throughout, and while challenged by the 5/4 favourite Entoucas in the home straight any doubts were settled by a fluent leap at the final fence. He won easing down by just over four lengths.

Quoted on racingpost.com, David Mullins says of Blackbow: “He jumped very well. He got his own way in front and that helps a free horse. He’s well able to jump and when he relaxes he just shows what he can do. He never really settled over hurdles. In better company he’s probably going to get taken on, but I rode him down to the start and he never picked up the bridle in behind horses so you wouldn’t know, maybe the next day he could drop in. He’s a classy horse when he puts it all together.”

Pleasingly all three horses are trained by Ireland’s outstanding Jump trainers Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins, showing the faith they have in plucking pointers from the British side of the Irish Sea. Eurobot won at Andoversford for Warwickshire’s Tom Ellis before being sold into Elliott’s yard for £105,000 at Goffs UK’s Aintree Sale, while Larkhill scorer Energumene and Blackbow were trained in Herefordshire by Sophie Lacey before transferring to Mullins’ care. Blackbow scored at Maisemore Park under Tommie O’Brien (pictured above, the pair leading at the last) before being sent to the Aintree Sale where he was knocked down to Mullins for £150,000, while Energumene was sold privately.

Young former British point-to-pointers are regularly making a mark under Rules and as the number of four-year-olds passing through the sport increases so will the figure for those becoming graded performers under Rules.

At Cheltenham’s recent November meeting Does He Know won a Gr.2 hurdle for trainer Kim Bailey. Formerly trained in Yorkshire by Cherry Coward, he won a maiden race at Charm Park last year before being sold for £38,000. At the same Cheltenham fixture Third Time Lucki finished second in a Gr.2 hurdle for Dan Skelton having made his debut in a maiden point at Thorpe Lodge for Warwickshire trainer Fran Nimmo.