Codd and O’Neill neck and neck POINT-TO-POINT

BARRY O’NEILL and Jamie Codd, point-topoint riders’ champions for the past two years, are already locked in combat this season, and they are level at the top with six wins each at this early stage after Codd outscored his rival by three wins to two over the weekend.

Not many from Wexford made the long trek north to Portrush on Saturday, but Barry O’Neill made it pay off with a double, on One Cool Clarkson for Neil McKnight in a winner of three, and Absainte for Tony Martin in the five-year-old mares’ maiden.

He was third on Colin Bowe’s Duc D’Allier in the four-year-old maiden.

Codd was in action at the Tipperary Hunt meeting at Lisronagh and he also had a double. He scored for his old ally, Denis Murphy (The Ballagh), on impressive Lust for Glory (Getaway-Maisie Presenting), in the four-yearold mares’ maiden.

His second came in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden in a canter on Pat Doyle’s (Tipperary) Danny Kirwan, with Rob James eleven lengths behind on Colin Bowe’s Risky Gold. This one could be something really special.

The Murphys from Inch were second for the second week in a row in the mares’ maiden with Bloodstream, ridden by Luke John for his parents.

The action switched to Dowth Hall in Meath on Sunday and Codd picked up another winner before dashing off to Galway to ride in the bumper for Gordon Elliott, where he finished fourth.

He had a comfortable spin on Double You Be for Philip Dempsey (Kildare) in the fiveyear-old geldings’ maiden.

Michael Goff from Clondaw, Ferns got off the mark for the season in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden when stable jockey Shane Fitzgerald made all and was well clear on Good Man Jim (Martaline-Precious Lucy) for Richard Frisby.

Richie Rath from Screen got some consolation after the bad news about the death of his former charge, Fayonagh, when his Larkfield Lass (Presenting-Autumn Sunset) romped home in the five-year-old mares’ maiden under Rob James, for James Brennan.

The ‘Lass’ had been unluckily carried out at Tinahely the previous week.

The Wicklow Hunt stages its first meeting for 20 years and has the field to itself at Fairwood in Tinahely on Sunday, with meetings at Grennan (Kilkenny) and Rockmount (Roscommon) called off.

Racing starts at 12 noon.