Five-time winner Samanntom among early hunter certs

The 2019/20 point-to-point season has come a step closer with the first batch of hunter certificates coming through, and plenty of handlers are keen to get going, with no fewer than 60 horses featuring on that opening list.

The Loughanmore outfit of Colin McKeever and Wilson Dennison as usual feature prominently on the opening list, certing 16 young horses, 14 of which are four-year-old’s. Among them is a rare point-to-pointer by the stallion Sinndar. This pick of his progeny to have appeared in the pointing fields to date is James McAuley’s Eshan who got the better of star open horse Top Twig in a Ballindenisk open in 2009, whilst more recently, Colin Bowe also sent out Full Back to finish second in the four-year-old maiden that was won by Let’s Go Champ at Bartlemy last May.

Tipperary handler Pat Doyle features among the hunter certificates with five four-year-old’s, each of whom will  the colours of his wife Mary, whilst he also has an early hunter certificate for Samanntom, the horse that took his daughter Susie to five open successes last term.

Samanntom, who finished last season in fourth spot on the leading horse leaderboard, could renew rivalries with All Hell Let Loose, whom he defeated on consecutive starts at Ballysteen and Dromahane last Spring, as that three-time track winner is one of four Tim Hyde-owned horses to feature on the opening hunter cert list.

The Mid Antrim’s once again have the honour of hosting the first fixture of the season at Toomebridge, and Noel Kelly will be looking to repeat his opening day successes of 12 months ago, as he has certed five horses, including the three-time placed Old Dominon who has joined his Co. Derry yard over the summer having previously been campaigned by champion handler Colin Bowe last season.

Those handlers who wish to run their horses on the opening weekend of the season should take note of the following cut-off dates to have hunter certificates lodged with the IHRB.

Owners and Handlers of horses who wish to run at Mid Antrim (H) on Saturday 5th October and Westmeath (F) on Sunday 6th October should ensure that relevant Hunters Certificates are lodged at the Offices of the IHRB, The Curragh, Co. Kildare, R56 Y668 for registration no later than close of business on Friday 20th September.

Owners and Handlers of horses who wish to run at Galway Blazers (F) on Sunday 13th October should ensure that relevant Hunters Certificates are lodged at the Offices of the IHRB, The Curragh, Co. Kildare, R56 Y668 for registration no later than close of business on Friday 27th September.

Reminder: Please note that a Hunters Certificate will not be registered if the Owner’s and Handler’s unique reference numbers are not included on the Hunters Certificate.