O’Neill and Codd match strides

BARRY O’NEILL and Jamie Codd had three wins each at the weekend and there is just one between them in the riders’ title race, 38 to 37, with Derek O’Connor on 32.

However, the pendulum has swung towards O’Neill as Codd will have to serve a 17-day ban after his bumper win at Aintree, and O’Connor also got four days.

At Moira, Co. Armagh, on Saturday, there were two Wexford riding wins - O’Neill on Golden Chance for Thomas Coyle (Meath) in the five-year-old mares’ maiden, and Luke Murphy (Inch) on a spare, Pacte in the Park, for Joe Kenny in the older geldings’ maiden.

At Bellurgan Park, Co. Louth, there were some small fields. O’Neill won the four-yearold mares’ maiden for Donnchadh Doyle with Beyondapproach (by Jeremy) from Denis Murphy’s Gipsy Lee Rose.

And he completed a double for his old ally, David Christie, with Vinnie Luck in the Open race.

Jamie Codd matched O’Neill’s with a treble at Rathcannon in Limerick where there was a good Wexford representation among the small entry.

There was an emotional win in the five- and six-year-old mares’ maiden on Yourelookinwell, owned and formerly trained by his late brother, William.

He was the only finisher from five in the four-year-old mares’ maiden, on Dramatic Approach (by Flemensfirth) for Denis Murphy, and he easily took the Open race on Minella for Value for Declan Queally (Waterford).

At the Laois Hunt meeting at Stradbally there was a big entry of almost 90, causing eight races.

Mark Scallan comfortably took Division 2 of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden on Brian Jordan’s (Rathangan) The Tangler Barry.

Seán O’Keeffe had his eighth win of the season in the last and now leads the novice riders’ championship by two.

He was on We’llcwhathappens (by Court Cave) for Rachel Rath and Benny Walsh.

There are six race days next weekend including the re-fixed Island Hunt meeting at Courtown which starts at 2 p.m.