Success for Tinahely duo at Fairwood
THE autumn Point to Point season got off to a start with racing at Fairwood Park, Tinahely, on Sunday, October 21.
The good weather brought a good crowd and an enjoyable day’s racing was had.
The opening race, a race for four-year-old maidens was kindly sponsored by Tony Deegan of Winners Enclosure Bookmakers, Shillelagh and Carnew, and was won by De Forgotten One which is trained in Wexford by Michael Goff and owned by Caitriona Goff.
This was ridden by Shane Fitzgerald who moved up and kicked on with less than a mile to race to build up an unassailable advantage and returned unchallenged.
The runner up, On my wish list, was trained by Mary Doyle and ridden by Luke Murphy.
Third place went to another Wexford trainer, Denis Murphy, with Businessman ridden by Jamie Codd.
The second race, for five-yearold geldings was sponsored by Goffs UK P2P Autumn Sale and was won by Thegallantway traned by David Harry Kelly and gave Jamie Codd his first winner of the season.
The runner up was Darsi Rose trained in Wexford by Bernadette Murphy and ridden by Luke Murphy.
The third race was the Mare’s Winners of One and this saw the well-backed favourite Lough Derg Rose win for the Denis Murphy stable.
The mare is owned by Pat Coffey and ridden by Jamie Codd, giving him a quick double.
The runner up was Summons to Court which won at Moira last Saturday and is trained by John Andrew Kinsella and ridden by James Kenny from Craanford.
The next race on the card was the Open Lightweight for Lady Riders which proved a very exciting finish where the outsider who had lost touch earlier in the race was sent on after the third last fence and stayed on best to get up in the last few strides for rider, Sheila Ahern, and trainer, Sean Ahern.
The market leaders, Eddies Miracle, trained by David Christie and ridden by Kate Ferris, and After Eight Sivola, trained by Sam Curling and ridden by Lisa O’Neill dead heated for the runners up slot.
The five-year-old and up mare’s maiden went to yet another Wexford trainer, Shane Byrne, from Blackwater, with An Rinceoir Alainn ridden by Harley Dunne who picked up strongly in the home straight getting the better of the favourite ‘Kiera Royale’, trained by David Harry Kelly and ridden by Jamie Codd.
The last race of the day, for sixyear-old and up maiden geldings was a very popular local success for No More Monkeys for the father and son team of John and James Walsh from Preban, Tinahely.
This horse has placed track form and is owned by Simon Kenny.
The runner up, Ask Harry, was trained by local trainer, Philip Rothwell for Torn Power and Annette Lawlor and ridden by Harley Dunne.
This gave John and James Walsh a weekend double as their own horse Minimum Mix won the concluding race at Portrush the previous evening.
The next point to point races being run at Fairwood Park will be run by the Wicklow Hunt and will take place on Sunday afternoon, November 18.