DerekO’Connor Straight to thePoint VitalIslandprovidesthe thrills at Knockanard on banksreturn

ONE of the greatthings aboutIrish point-topointingisthe wayin which it managesto provide asuccessful business modelfor the presentwhile stillkeeping itslinks with the past.

It wasgreat to be present to see the successful launch of the new banks course at Knockanard lastSunday.

Thecourse, on similar linesto Punchestown,providedathrilling spectacle.The race hadafitting winner in Vital Island, the Richard O’Keeffe-trainedgelding who gave a memorable performance to winthe Ladies’Cup at lastseason’s Punchestown festival.

He’s alsoamultiple winner over the bankscourseatLingstown, which hasplayedsuchabig partin keepingthe tradition of banksracing alive.

In abrilliantfinish,the Benny Walsh-ridden 11-year-old wonbya head and shortheadfromSpace Cadet and TheRed Menace

Februaryhas beenaspecial month for Benny, part-owner with Con McSweeneyofButcher Hollow, who wonthe firstfour-year-old maiden winner of the season, and producer of TheGoffer,the Gordon Elliotttrainedwinner of the Leopardstown Chase.

TheKnockanardcourseisagreat credit to everyone who worked so hard to turn adream into areality.

Racingoverthe banks hasalong historyinIreland, and it’s atradition that came very closetodyingout.We should be extremely grateful to Punchestown for stickingwith the banksraces at the festival duringthe 1980s and 1990s at atime when arguments were made that they shouldn’t formpartofa showpiece festival meeting.

I’mtoo young to have personal memories,but Iknowhow much Pat Hogan, the famous “PP”,did to maintain the standardwith his brilliantly schooledjumpers.

Then, in the mid-1990s,along came Risk Of Thunder,produced originally by Nelius and Noreen Hayes, beforejoiningEndaBolger, who hadbeenmentoredby“PP”, to become the greatest bankshorseof all time

He wonthe La Touche Cupseven times and would surely have been eightbut for the foot-and-mouth epidemic in 2001.

Risk Of Thunder’s starquality, and the fact that he raninthe coloursof

Sean Connery, wasa bigfactor in buildingthe popularity of the redeveloped cross-countrycourseat

Punchestown andinmaking

Cheltenhamsit up and takenotice

In 2005the cross-countryrace became partofthe Cheltenham

Festivalexperiencefor thefirsttime.

John Thomas McNamara wonthe firstrunningfor Enda on the amazingSpotThedifference,and therehavebeenonly three years when it hasn’tbeenwon by an Irishtrainedhorse.

Iknowthereare stillpeople who think it doesn’t deserve aplace in the festival programme,but Ithink most true followers of jump racing appreciate it for what it is,a greattestofhorse and rider and alwaysan entertainingspectacle

It played abig part in the amazingstory of TigerRoll andhas seensome wonderful riding performances.In particular,I’llnever forgetthe wayJohn Thomas McNamara and Nina Carberry rode the track, presentingtheir horses perfectly at all the differenttypes of obstacles Pure class

Love conquers all as title chasers keep it tight

Last weekImentioned howRob James waskeeping in touch with champion BarryO’Neill in the race for the riders’title

After another weekend the gap remains at four,withthe pair riding three winners apiece.Barry hada treble at Kirkistown,the highlighton

JhentongEnki, aColin Bowe-trained French-bred who jumped well to takethe four-year-old maiden Robwon at Kirkistown with Check TheScore, who he alsotrains,and then hadadouble at Punchestown on Sunday. This time it washis turn to ride one of Colin Bowe’s promisingyoungsters,four-year-old maiden winner Undeniable Alibi. He alsoteamed up with Gordon Elliott to winthe farmers’race on Tinahely maiden winner HappyVictory

It wasabig dayatPunchestown for one promisingyoung rider, Matthew Love.The grandson of Irish Grand National-winning trainer DotLoverodeawinneron

his first point-to-pointride

He timedhis challenge perfectly on theCiaran Murphy-trainedDown TheHighway to getthe better of odds-on favourite and former Grade 1winnerThe Storyteller in the open race for novice riders.

Matthew is following in the footsteps of his elder brother Timmy, who alsowon on his firstpoint-topointride in the 2017 season and has ridden winners on the track, includingDownThe Highwayina hunter chaseatCorklastseason.

It’s beenagood season so far for many youngriders who have made an initial breakthrough.Races like the Punchestown eventprovide a valuable opportunity for novice riderstopartner experiencedhorses.

Whenyou’retryingtomakea name for yourself you will oftenhave to accept rides on lesserhorses in weak races

While everythinghelps to give experience,when it comes to buildingconfidence,there’sno substitutefor ridingwinners