O’Neill and O’Connor slug it out
ELEVEN TIMES point-to-point riders’ champion Derek O’Connor is making a determined bid to regain his title this season after Jamie Codd and Barry O’Neill had brought it to Wexford for four of the past five years, and he had a treble at Aghabullogue in Cork on Sunday, but O’Neill did keep tabs on him with a double at Fairwood, Tinahely.
Wexford connections dominated the Shillelagh and District Hunt meeting, winning four of the six races and taking lots of places also.
O’Neill made all in the five- and six-yearsold geldings’ maiden on Colin Bowe’s Éclair Des Sablons, getting home a length and a half ahead of Simon Cavanagh on Denis Murphy’s Whatsupwithyou, with Tiernan Power-Roche (Tomhaggard) third on Denis Murphy’s Vinnie Dev.
O’Neill completed the double on his old friend, Kruzhlinen, for Gordon Elliott in the Slaney Foods Open, the horse’s fourth win already this season. John Walsh (Ballyday, Gorey) was third with Loggan Lady under his son, Barry John.
The older geldings’ maiden for novice riders provided a big day for a Tomhaggard horse and connections. Barrells Buoy won by three lengths under Jamie ‘Paddy’ Scallan, for breeder, owners and handlers, Leo and Mary Doyle.
The opening mares’ maiden was won by Harley Dunne (Blackwater) on the Shark Hanlon-trained Dime a Dozen, which had been second in her three previous runs.
Second here was Sadhbh’s Delight, ridden by Aaron Sinnott (Enniscorthy) for Kieran Roche and John McCabe (Adamstown), and third was Achy Breaky Heart under Jamie Scallan for Shane Byrne (Blackwater).
Shark Hanlon made it a double in the Central House Shillelagh Winner of One with Woodbrook, chased home by Daryl Deacon’s Coach Road under Tiernan Power-Roche and Singing Banjo for the Walshs, Ballyday.
There was a smaller Wexford contingent at Aghabullogue for the Muskerry Hunt fixture, but Rob James (Killanne), third in the riders’ table, did get a winner on Tom Keating’s Shuil Luas in the six-years-old mares’ maiden, with Jimmy O’Rourke (Wexford) second on Paul Martin Pierce’s Aigead Suas.
Luke Murphy (Inch, Gorey) took the opening mares’ maiden on Theflickeringlight, handled by former Wexford resident, Colin Motherway.
But the riding honours went to Derek O’Connor who is now just two behind Barry O’Neill, 23 to 21, with Rob James third on 17 and the still injured Jamie Codd on 13.
Congratulations to O’Connor who the previous week created another milestone when he surpassed a remarkable 1,200 career wins; Jamie Codd is in second placed with 907 winners. They have been wonderful ambassadors for the sport.
Next weekend is unusual with only one point-to-point fixture, the Killeagh Hunt at Boulta, Ballynoe in Cork. The pace picks up after that with three and four fixtures per weekend.