Top riders and some talented horses will be heading to Dunsmore in Devon for tomorrow’s first point-to-point of the 2023/24 season in Britain.
Current men’s champion Will Biddick – the sport’s most successful point-to-point rider in Britain – and former champion James King are expected to be in action. Another former champ, Jack Andrews, was expected to ride Geordies Secret in the young-horse maiden race for five-time champion trainer Tom Ellis but that horse is said to be a non-runner. Danielle Kenealy’s Humaniste will carry Biddick in the mixed open race, a contest in which King’s name is pencilled in against the Luke Harvey-trained Notre Pari.
Will Biddick, who rides Humaniste for trainer Danielle Kenealy in the mixed open race (Ce)
Reigning Highflyer Bloodstock novice champion Callum Pritchard and former novice champs Martin McIntyre and Charlie Sprake have booked rides, while Izzie Marshall and Molly Landau, who each rode 13 winners last season in the women’s championship, will also be donning colours. Marshall’s rides include the Alan Hill-trained Normofthenorth in the mixed open race, in which the top-rated horse on the card, Time Leader, is likely to start favourite.
Time Leader was trained last season by Cheshire-based Joe O’Shea who saddled him to win four hunters’ chases. O’Shea has since retired and handed the reins to Hannah Roach, who will be responsible for her first runners tomorrow.
The first race goes off an noon, entry is £15 per person which includes a racecard, while children under 16 are admitted free of charge. The course is located at Silverton and the postcode is EX5 4DU.