Point-to-Point Column: Postes and Barbers have no plans to go pro

In recent seasons, many point-to-point handlers have transitioned to the under-rules training ranks and it is no secret that making a sustainable business from training point-to-pointers alone is an impossibility. So, I wanted to explore two of the power house establishments to understand why their loyalties lay with the grassroots sport and what has helped them to stop joining the professional ranks.

Warwickshire-based Fran and Charlie Poste are part of the furniture within the grassroots sport, each season more successful than the one before, and renowned for their constant flow of sales horses which has produced many superstars; Kinondo Kwetu, Switch Hitter, Country Mile and Third Time Lucki are just a small example of the quality which has been produced at Station Yard.

Charlie is an instrumental figure within pointing, as well as being Chairman of the PPORA is also a highly successful jockey coach who this season can be proud of the accomplishments of Champion Conditional-elect Tristan Durrell and amateur Heidi Palin, both of whom are attached to Champion Trainer Dan Skelton.

It is fair to say the Postes have established themselves very well within the sport. Fran has trained 192 winners and, with their endless enthusiasm, ambition and talent, they have found other financial avenues to enable their continuation to train point-to-pointers.

When I asked both of them if they would ever take out their license, they responded with a resounding no! There was not a moment’s doubt for either of them. Fran said: “We love pointing and why would we ever want to take on our neighbours?” By neighbours she means Dan Skelton and Olly Murphy.

She continued: “No, seriously we love everything we do and we want to be the best at it. The breakers and pre-training side keeps us continually busy and we have lots of clients.”

Charlie was a National Hunt jockey who started by riding on the Flat and was based with Richard Fahey. He rode six winners, including a five-furlong sprint around Chester and twice rode at the low weight of 7st 9lb before turning his attention to the jumping game.

Fran continued: “Our venture started when I was riding out for Paul Webber, we rented a little yard from John Funnel and I was riding a horse of my own, Magic Sky, in point-to-points and having a lot of fun. We bought our first ‘sales’ project, Fortunata Fashions and were clueless. She won at Brocklesby first time out, went to Cheltenham sales and made £55,000. We could not believe it. It was all very overwhelming but from there we reinvested and the rest is history.”

Thoughtfully, she added: “The only way we would ever get a license is if we got a Flat license, or maybe a permit to enable us to run some in bumpers?" But the realisation that as soon as a license is obtained, the life as they know it is gone and she admitted: “We love the buzz of selling though, it is highly addictive - it is like gambling at the highest level!”

Station Yard has become a household name around both National Hunt and, more recently, in the Flat sales ring. Charlie explained the venture into breeze-up horses. “This is our third season doing them, we set up a sales syndicate whereby around 15 people put in funds to reach a total of approximately £350,000. Each year we head to the sales and buy five or six yearlings, bring them home, break them in, and then give them a break before we bring them back in around January to then head to the spring sales.” 

Fran added: “We have always prided ourselves on doing all our breakers properly. The breezers have to be straight, they have to gallop well, a small jink loses valuable time so if they are well-educated, balanced and rideable it has to help. We want them to be good rides and done properly on every level and that includes their manners on the ground.”

Charlie added: “You can't make a bad horse good and you can't make a slow horse fast, but what we can do is prepare them well. We educate them so that they can showcase their ability.”

The powerful Poste team is well established in the National Hunt sphere and they buy the stores themselves, but the employment of Tom Biggs from Blandford Bloodstock has helped them in the early days of the breeze-up journey.

This venture has so far proved a success and Fran said: “We have been very fortunate so far, the first one we had breezed the fastest in the Tattersalls Craven Sale and sold for £800,000. He is called Corolla Point and has won three of six starts.”

There is no doubt team Poste have found ways in which to support their point-to-point training, through the breakers and pre-trainers and connecting themselves to the big yards. Licensed trainer Olly Murphy said: “Charlie and Fran have been a huge help to me and my business since I started training. Both pre-training and breaking in the young horses, and they have a great set-up to be able to cater for everyone.”

Reflecting on a winning weekend in the point-to-point field Fran explained: “We had a great weekend, it has been a good season. Sam Lee would have been particularly pleased with both Laudable and Jasmin Des Blins at the weekend as they were horses he had done lots with.”

“We have to make sure we are making money with the ‘racing’ side of the business. The breakers, pre-trainers and sales horses help to keep the pointers going. Maybe we are wrong, but we don't actively try to recruit pointing owners. It is a hard sell, but we do have lots of syndicates and can promise lots of fun. If we can keep the winning debutants selling well and reinvesting it will allow us to keep the pointers, but we do have to keep making money to pay staff, overheads and all the other outgoings."

Herefordshire’s Chris Barber enjoyed five winners last weekend and as the grandson of Richard Barber, who was responsible for the sourcing of See More Business and Rock On Ruby, he has hit the training ranks running and this season finds himself in a competitive position for the trainers' championship sitting in third place, just five winners behind leader Gina Andrews. Remarkably, Barber has been operating at a 53% strike rate this season, 31 winners from 58 runners with ten finishing second.

Assumption tells us that aged only 28 and having had such success already, Barber has dreams to join the professional training rank, thankfully for us he also answers my burning question with a strong 'No'.

“The only way I would ever do it is if I was doing it for someone, as in a wealthy owner who I just trained the nice horses for. But no, no way would I want to do it. I have found my feet training the pointers, I thoroughly enjoy it and am lucky enough to have had and still have some very nice horses that are capable of taking us to the big days.”

Famous Clermont winning the 2023 Aintree Foxhunters' when given such a cool ride by the supreme Will Biddick was a highlight so far and the young trainer dreams of hitting the top level again within the amateur sport.

On Saturday at Chaddesley Corbett in Worcestershire, Grace A Vous Enki, unbeaten in his last eight starts added the Lady Dudley Cup to his outstanding record which includes 11 wins at Larkhill, Wiltshire. Trained by Barber for owners Clive and Joan Hitchings, Barber admitted to feeling sick before Saturday's race. “The pressure was on, I hated every minute of it! It is a race that Clive has always wanted to win and with a horse like him who is so incredible around Larkhill we were there to be shot at but he is a class act and produced the goods.”

Reflecting on this season Barber said: “It has been rather unexpected, I can't believe how well it has gone, but all credit goes to my superb team. Ed Doggrell is an integral part but Fred Phillipson-Stow, Clara Brewitt, Ed Vaughan and James King are also in regularly and that allows me to do lots of schooling with the young horses, we are able to leave no stone unturned. Without riders of this calibre it would be hard to do what we do.”

He added: “If I were a licensed trainer, I doubt I would have this many good riders. Being a big fish in a small pond suits us all very well.”

Barber, like Fran and Charlie Poste, is one of the latest establishments making a name for themselves as a go to for National Hunt trainers to buy winning maidens. This season, four-year-old Titi Montmartre won on debut and was sold privately to Philip Hobbs and Johnson White, Barber said: “It has become a big part of the business, we buy a number of stores each spring, break them in, educate them and run them in point-to-points. Without the team of very able riders I have this would be impossible and we hope to continue to grow this part.”

Rockatansky, another of Barber's four-year-olds, a gelding by Maxios won nicely on debut Last Saturday at Charm Park in Yorkshire and Barber confirms: “He is for sale, he will head to the Doncaster spring sale. We have sold plenty through that sale well before.”

Barber prides himself on producing the young horses to a high standard, the breaking and pre-training side of things has taken off. “I love walking around the yard looking at real quality horses, I have been very privileged to break in and pre-train some incredibly valuable youngsters. I am very proud to have top owners, for example Sara and Paul Thorman of Trickledown stud are great supporters of mine.

"Again, another reason I wouldn't want to train professionally; I wouldn’t want to lose horses like theirs being in my yard. We have found a niche and we all enjoy it. My team are happy and I have found ways to make it work. In terms of the pointers I love to have a horse or two in the yard specifically for young jockeys to have chances on. This season Mount Sinai for example has been brilliant for that.”

Hard work and a willingness to add other things to your bow seem to be the key in gaining the ability to sustain the training of point-to-pointers.

Thankfully a forward thinking attitude have, and will continue to keep these talented and top yards within our beloved sport.