Moments of the Season – The Dellercheckout

Over the next few weeks we are going to look back at the 2019/20 point-to-point season and highlight some ‘Moments of the season’. This third video in the series looks back at the point-to-point debut of promising seven-year-old THE DELLERCHECKOUT at Barbury back in December 2019…

There was every reason to expect The Dellercheckout to make a mark during the 2019/20 season.

Victorious in his sole Irish point-to-point – in which he finished alone – he had been sold following that win for £260,000 to racehorse owner John Hales at Tattersalls’ Cheltenham Festival Sale. That valuation proved miscued, although he was placed in two hurdle races and landed a novices’ handicap chase for Paul Nicholls’ stable before it was decided his future as a Saturday horse was limited and he was sent to Goffs UK’s Spring Sale in May last year.

The astute point-to-point trainer Caroline Robinson was waiting for him and with a £21,000 purchase seemed likely to have bought a six-year-old with plenty more to offer. He now looks great value after winning open races at Barbury and Sheriff Hutton (pictured above following that second win), plus a Ludlow hunters’ chase in the colours of the Del Boy Partnership which comprises Robinson, her daughter Immy who is also the horse’s rider in races, Immy’s father Mike and Rob Martin.

The Dellercheckout’s Del Boy Partnership (l to r) Caroline & Immy Robinson, Rob Martin & Michael Robinson

Only a heavy defeat in Haydock’s Walrus Hunters’ Chase when beaten 53 lengths by winner Alcala blotted an excellent first season in hunt racing, and Robinson blames herself for that result.

She says: “The Haydock run came too quickly [ten days] after his win at Ludlow and the ground was too soft. At this stage he is still a big, raw seven-year-old, while the other runners were older, more hardened horses. I know Haydock well and have often walked it, and the drainage is good, but that was very testing ground.”

The Dellercheckout is now on an earlier-than-expected break at Robinson’s Shropshire farm, spending days in a field, nights in his stable and an hour’s gentle exercise on a walker as he is prepared for the full summer vacation.

Robinson says: “He’s been such a fun horse and it’s nice to have one with so much ability. When I first sat on him I said to Immy, ‘This horse is the nearest I’ve ridden to Eliogarty [her Cheltenham and Aintree Foxhunter Chase winner]’. He’s laid back, and a lovely long, easy-going balanced ride, who just takes a nice hold of the bit and gives you more if you ask for it.

“He became sharper as the season went on and dropped me twice, but I would have loved to have run him again. I learned a lot about him from the Haydock defeat, and gave him a proper break which made a difference. The plan was to go to Cheltenham’s evening meeting following one hunters’ chase run.”

This week’s Moments of the Season clip shows The Dellercheckout gaining victory at Barbury on his debut for the Robinsons. His trainer says: “We spoke to Bryony Frost, who used to ride him under Rules, and she said keep hold of his head on his first run. Immy took a pull when it looked as though she might get there too early because she didn’t want to expose him only to find he put his head in the air. It was his first start for us in a competitive race – we learned a lot that day, too.”

The Dellercheckout (Immy Robinson) leads Haymount (Gina Andrews) over the last at Sheriff Hutton