Point to Point Weekly 24-3-24

Eyes Off Annie and Maxine O'Sullivan put in afine performance at Durrow Reports, pages 2-3

‘Coming homefrom Cheltenham with two wins and asecond from three rides in the JP McManus colours meant alot to me’

GAELIC WARRIOR

Arkle winner forWillie Mullins and Mrs Susannah Ricci

‘He’s the best fouryear-old I’ve ever had’ –

Power hails Gillespie Road

AS A rider, Paul Power had particular success in the fouryear-old maiden division, with a third of his 71 pointing winners coming in the ultracompetitive category

Since turning to training, the Waterford native has already produced the 140-rated chaser Enjoy Responsibly to win a four-year-old maiden, and Gillespie Road became his latest winner in the division when battling gamely to land the Charlestown Racing fouryear-old auction maiden here.

The El Salvador gelding was picked up for €14,000 at last year’s Tattersalls Ireland July store sale and, sporting the silks of owner Francis Connolly, the bay was produced by Barry Stone to tackle Three Zambezi’s approaching the last fence Showing a good attitude, he found plenty to account for his rival by a length

“I was confident coming here today he would win,” Power said. “He’s very quick over a fence and was making ground

Star performance Gillespie Road jumped well in making a winning debut in a steadily run race

at every fence From day one he’s been so easy. He’s the best four-year-old I’ve ever had.”

Stone doubled his tally when teaming up with regular ally John Walsh to land the Tattersalls NH and ITBA mares’ maiden with Nellies Magic Placed in three consecutive starts before this breakthrough success, the Michael Reckow ne d six-y ear-old to ok control of the four-runner contest early in the home straight to beat Jolie Maresca by 11 lengths to supply the Wexford handler – who started off the previous afternoon’s Go ld Cu p thir d Co ra ch Rambler – with his second success of the campaign.

Just 13 days earlier, Asphalt Cowboy had his sixth and final start for champion handler Colin Bowe when pulling up at

Borris House. However, the sixyear-old was a different proposition on his first outing for Kildare handler Sonny Carey when ma kin g the brea kthrough in the Kepak and Kilmurray’s Stone and Gravel older geldings’ maiden.

St ri ki ng the fr o nt approaching the wings of the last, the noseband-fitted bay powered clear on the run-in to beat Buster Hall by five lengths to supply rider Michael Sharpe with the first success of his career

“Michael’s been with me since he was 12 or 13 and he turned 18 the other day,” Carey said. “He’s exceptional; he’s one to watch I bought the horse for Michael to ride and learn off, so that’s the plan. He’ll run as often as he can just to give Michael experience.”

Only 27 horses took to the track during the afternoon with the poor turnout most evident in the TEE Fire Safety Solutions open for non-Graded winners for which Cash Cut was the

only horse to be declared from nine entries

The Arctic Cosmos gelding ha d wo n his ma iden at Oldtown a month earlier but the decision of the father-andson team of John and James Walsh to bypass winners’ company and jump straight into open class was rewarded

The six-year-old trotted past the winning line to supply the Tinahely pair with their second

NORTH KILKENNY AT BALLYRAGGET SUNDAY

success together this season.

Ian McCarthy has the pointto-point day at Cork’s Easter meeting in mind for Eyes Off Annie, owned by his wife Nikki, after the six-year-old battled gamely to claim the Hamill Motoring Services mares’ winner-of-one.

Rob James had been on board when she opened her account at Punchestown three weeks earlier, however the

Wexford rider sided with the Donnchadh Doyle-trained Millie Supreme on whom he won at Ballycrystal in January. That pair led the field away from the penultimate fence, but it was at that point that Eyes Off Ann ie , wi th Ma xi ne O’Sullivan riding, loomed alongside with both horses serving up a thrilling battle to the line, which Eyes Off Annie won by a head.

Miller grinds it out to give Doyle and James treble

DONNCHADH DOYLE was the only po in t- to -p oin t handler to produce two Chelt enham Festival winners this year and the Wexford native, who st ar te d o ff Br ow n Advisory winner Fact To File and the £310,000 purchase, Albert Bartlett winner Stellar Story in this sphere, ended the week on a high with a treble Mossy Fen Road was first to strike for the Monbeg stables team when he made a winning debut in the Tattersalls NH four-year-old geldings’ maiden under Rob James

The Flemensfirth gelding did have his task simplified when the challenging Journey So Far departed three out, becoming a rare four-year-old from Derek O’Connor’s academy not to hit the bullseye of late That paved the way for the €75,000 store

Star performance

Mossy Fen Road travelled strongly throughout and won with what appeared to be plenty in hand

purchase to come home four lengths clear of Mashalla Habibi.

Doyle and James added the Connolly’s Red Mills five-yearold geldings’ maiden half an hour later with the game Small Town Kid

The Moig South runner-up Rock On Jet had tried to seize the initiative when striking for home exiting the back straight, and although Small Town Kid briefly dropped into third, he showed an admirable attitude to get his head back in front on the run-in.

Although Doyle’s opening two winners are likely to be offered for sale after their maiden victories, he suggested a winners’ race could be next in line for Milo Miller, who completed the Doyle-James treble in the John Phelan & Co and John Holland adjacent maiden.

The Black Sam Bellamy gelding was still holding strong claims on his debut when fallin g thr ee ou t in the Knockanard four-year-old maiden that produced Grade 1 winner Jango Baie

Although it has taken three subsequent starts, he belatedly got his head in front with a 20-length defeat of Hold Your Ground.

“We’ve always thought he was a smart horse,” Doyle said. “H e fe ll the fir st da y at

Knockanard in a four-year-old maiden last year We really fancied him that day. He did it well today and will go for a winners’ race next.”

Jack Hendrick is on course to beat his best tally of 22 winners achieved last season after the victory of Scar Bridge in the Gain Equine Nutrition fiveyear-old-and-upwards mares’ maiden brought the Mayglass rider his 16th victory of the campaign

Bought privately by her owner Brian Jordan after failing to find a buyer at the foal sales in 2019, the Lucky Speed mare stamped her authority on the race leaving the back straight, from which point her six rivals failed to land a meaningful challenge

“We were going to run her last week but the ground got

too soft,” Jordan said. “We were still not sure about running her this week, but we said we would chance her because you can’t keep galloping them at home all the time.”

Hendrick had previously joined forces with Billy Codd, father of former champion rider Jamie Codd, to land the Aidan Brophy and Tallis & Co Ltd four-year-old ma re s’ maiden with Hay Meadow

The homebred had met trouble in running at Lisronagh on her debut three weeks earlier, but that experience proved helpful as she came home best of all to catch Queenofthejukebox in the dying strides to win by a neck.

“She didn’t get her run the last day; two horses fell in front of her at the third-last,” Codd said.

“She has improved a good bit since then.

We thought the ground would be too heavy for her, but she handled it well and stayed on at the line.”

Declan Queally moved to within four winners of Colin Bo we at the top of the champion handler leaderboard when Don’t Matter Now won the John Dalton and Sons open for novice riders

Th e nine- ye ar-o ld ha d missed more than two years since finishing runner-up in a Cork maiden hurdle in May 2021 but since making his stable debut on his return to action at Damma House in November he has made up for lost time, with his two-and-aha lf-le ng th defe at of De Nordener, a fourth success of the campaign.

The Mikey Sweeney-ridden Whispering Dancer had the measure of Good Cody to supply Wexford handler Mick Goff with his ninth success of the season.

Injured Hannon on his way with Bigbraveboy

JA ME S HANN ON may be sidelined from race-riding with a neck injur y but he still featured among the winners when landing his first training success of the season with Bigbraveboy in the adjacent maiden.

The six-year-old bay brought the best form into the fiverunner race sponsored by Ahern’s Bar, Butcher’s Bar and Cotter’s Bar, considering he was leading when falling at the final fence on his previous start at Knockanard, and was sent straight into the lead by James Murphy.

He wa s ch al len ge d by runner-up Holokea from two out but his rival couldn’t raise his effort from before the last as Bigbraveboy pulled seven lengths clear in the colours of Ray Fitzgerald.

“He’s a grand fun horse to have and we might go for a hunter chase with him now,” said Hannon, who sustained his neck injury in a December schooling fall.

Holokea’s trainer Garr y Aherne earlier struck with the mare My Best Valentine in the Village Inn winners-of-three My Best Valentine was sent through to lead by regular

Star performance

My Best Valentine posted an exhibition of jumping as she made amends for a recent Borris House departure

partner Stefan Tobin at the fifth fence and the sweet-jumping six-year-old made the rest of the running, asserting on the run-in to see off Saffron Hill by two lengths in the colours of ow ner Dan O’Br ien from Tallow.

“She’s a brilliant mare who just needs time to settle early doors and she ground it out well at the finish,” Tobin said of the winner, on whom he also wo n at Ba ll inden isk an d Cragmore in January.

There were a couple of close finishes, particularly in the Goffs Aintree Sale four-yearold maiden as Sean Doyle’s Parish Quiz stepped forward from his third-placed effort in a two-and-a-half-mile Punchestown maiden last month by mastering main market rival Person Of Interest inside the final 50 yards to win by a head under Jamie Scallan.

The Monbeg Partnershipowned Parish Quiz, who traces to 201 6 Mi dl an ds Grand National winner Firebird Flyer, was acquired for €10,000 at the 2023 Tattersalls Ireland May sale

Fo r wi nnin g the ra ce , connections of Parish Quiz received a free nomination to Racinger, who stands nearby at Donal White’s Foxwood Stud outside Castlelyons

The judge was also busy after the Tattersalls NH, Dairygold and KDC Builders five-year-old geldings’ maiden as newcomer Gamblergo, a fourth individual winner of the season for handler Michael Griffin, cut down long-time leader Duce Bigalow close home to win by a head in the hands of Alan O’Sullivan.

Duce Bigalow was inconvenienced in the closing stages as rider Frankie Murphy’s leather broke at the second-last, which meant the teenager had to ride the rest of the race without irons

Griffin suggested his wife Kay’s winner, a close relative of French Listed winning jumpers Otchoa Rouge and Red Name, and who was bought as a foal, would now be sold.

Eugene O’Sullivan’s Famous Liss went one better than his previous start at Kildorrery by making most of the running under Ca l Sh ine in the McCarthy Insurance Group, J Li neh an Tr ansp or t and Swallow Inn Bar older geldings’ maiden.

Famous Liss finished alone after closest pursuer Keeptheoldmanout was pulled up when held in second before the last “He’s for sale, but if we still have him he’ll go for either the point-to-point bumper or the maiden hunter chase at Cork on Easter Monday,” O’Sullivan said.

Billy Coonan, a 20-year-old rider from Maynooth who won the amateur riders derby on Belgoprince at Epsom last August for Tony Martin, landed his first points winner on Ellmarie Holden’s Shantou Princess in the Gain Equine Nutrition, Radley Engineering and Condon Builders five-yearolds-and-upwards mares’ maiden.

Th e re cen t Li sr on ag h runner-up, owned by her handler’s mother, Catherine Holden, led before the last to beat Araglen Star by seven lengths

Pictures HEALY RACING

The Killultagh Estates fiveyear-old geldings’ maiden may have feature d only three runners, but that did not limit the excitement as just half a length separated first and second in another tight finish

(Above) Gillespie Road and Barry Stone land the fouryear-old auction maiden by a length for handler Paul Power; (above right) 20-year-old rider Billy Coonan has a first points success on Shantou Princess (white silks) in the five-yearold-and-upwards mares’ maiden

Mossy Fen Road impressed with a commanding debut victory

DerekO’Connor Straight to thePoint

Twoout of threeatthe festival in JP’s coloursain’t badatall

ITWAS beforemytime when Meat Loaf sang “Two OutOf ThreeAin’t Bad”.Anolder racegoercame up with that one last Friday after ItsOnThe Line finishedsecond in the St James’s Place Festival ChallengeCup Iwas in line for what would have beenaperfect week. But, coming home from aCheltenham Festival with twowins and asecond from three ridesinthe JP McManus coloursmeant alot to me.Not bad at all.

CorbettsCross gotusoff to agreat startinthe National Hunt Chase. With the race namedinhonour of the late MaureenMullins, Iwas thrillednot to have let Emmet down, although if it hadn’t beenhim,it would have beenWillie with Embassy Gardens Corbetts Cross was an ideal type for the race,but I’ve no doubt he’s alsocapable of high-classformover shorter distances.Hewas aclass apartonthe day, although Ireckon Embassy Gardens didn’t runupto his best Igot alot of pleasurefromriding Inothewayurthinkin to winthe Kim Muir for Gavin Cromwell. As anyone who sawthe race will know, Iwasn’t able to execute the plan to ride him handily.

He gotshuffledbackand his jumpingwas abit biginthe firsthalf of the race.Fortunately, theywenta good gallop in the conditions and I managed to gethim to jump more confidently and takemytimegetting into the race

Consideringhe’sonly asix-yearold and wasthe only horseofthat ageinthe race,Irateitafine performance.Itwas brillianttosee his sister Limerick Lace winthe Mares’ Chasefor Gavin, JP,and Keith Donoghue on Friday.

ItsOnThe Line hadtosettle for second place behind an English runner in the St James’sPlace for the second year in arow.Ihad to work hard on him at variousstages.

To be fair to him,hestuck at it and we were beaten only three-quarters of alength by Sine Nomine,a talentedmarewho wonthe

Champion Novice race at Stratford lastsummer and wasproducedin greatshape by FionaNeedham

With Billawaybeingthe onlyother Irish-trainedrunner to complete the

course,Ifeelwejustbumped into a horse whocopedbetter with the trackand theconditions on the day. Iwouldn’t find much faultwith the performance.Its On TheLine finishedtired buthe’satough sort and Ireckonhe’ll be fine forAintree, atrack that will suit him better

It wasanother good Cheltenham for ex-Irish point-to-pointers, startingwith Slade Steel, who putanend to Mystical Power’sunbeaten record in winningthe Supreme Novices’. The Telescopegelding

‘Its On The Line finished tiredbut he’s atough sort andIreckonhe’ll be fine forAintree,a track that will suit himbetter’

wonamaiden at Dawstown in the spring of 2022 for Pierce Power.

TheUltima winner Chianti Classico wona four-year-old maiden at Tipperarythree yearsago for Colin Bowe,beatingStumptown,who went very closetowinninglastseason’s KimMuir for Gavin Cromwell and wonabig handicap chaseat Cheltenham in January. This time he wasout of luckinthe Ultima.

Tattersalls Cheltenhamsale.

Lastweek, he gave atough staying performance,findingjustenough for SamEwing to beat TheJukebox Man by aheadinthe AlbertBartlett. The runner-up wasa Turtulla winner for Ellen Doyleinthe 2022 autumn campaign beforejoiningBen Pauling.

Loughanmorewinnerfor the Crawfords lastApril. Runner-up RomeoCoolio wonatBelclarefor Donnchadh Doyleonthe weekend beforeCheltenham lastseason, on the same daythird-placedJalon D’Oudairies wonfor the stable at Lingstown.

CorbettsCross started in point-to-points with Eugene O’Sullivan. He wonatKildorrery two seasons agowith Maxine O’Sullivan riding, and you would have seen another 2024 Cheltenham Festival winner in that race,but not for long.

Stellar Story, who started joint-favourite with CorbettsCross then,wentatthe second fence.A couple of weeks later he wona maiden at Castlelands for Donnchadh Doyleand wasthen boughtbyGordon Elliottatthe

Thesecond dayofthe festival saw three outstanding performances by Willie Mullins-trainedhorses with one thingincommon –theyall won apoint-to-pointfirst time out.

ThebrilliantGallagher Novices’ Hurdle winner Ballyburn wonat LoughanmoreinOctober2022 for the Wilson Dennison-Colin McKeever operation. TheBrown Advisorywinner Fact To File wasa Belharbour winner for Donnchadh Doyle twoseasons ago, beatingAsian Master,who wasjustdeniedthird place in the Supreme Novices’. The placedhorses in the BrownAdvisory alsostarted in points,Monty’sStar for Colin Bowe andGiovinco for MichaelGriffin.

TheChampion Bumper went to Jasmin De Vaux,who wasa

It wasa greatweekfor the Monbeg graduates and it endedonahigh note at BallyraggetonSundaywhen Donnchadh saddledhis firstwinner of the four-year-old campaign,Mossy FenRoad.

TheFlemensfirthgelding has plenty to liveuptosince he’s ahalfbrother to Grade 1chase winner Fury Road and to Monbeg Worldwide, who wonfiveofhis 11 races beforea fatal injury.

Overall, it wasanother successful festival for Irish jump racing, and it endedwith Better Days Ahead, producedbyWarrenEwing to win firsttimeout at Lisronaghtwo years ago, landingthe Martin Pipe. Warren’sstar graduate Constitution Hill wasa bigabsentee, so it wasnice compensation for him to geta winner.

Corbetts Cross andDerek O’Connorjumpthe last on theway to securing awide-margin victoryinthe NationalHuntChase at Cheltenham

MICHAEL STEELE (GETTY IMAGES)

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HAYMEADOW, owned, trained and bred by Billy Codd, landed the 4YO Mares Maiden at Ballyragget on Sunday. She is one of only two point-to-point runners to date from her sire’s first Irish crop of 4YOs.

ttBUCKNA, bred by Close Holding Ltd, won the 4YO Maiden at Kirkistown for Ger Quinn and at £350,000 was the top-priced gelding at the Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale

FUTURE PROSPECT, bred by Margaret Treacy, won the 4YO Mares Maiden by 4 lengths at Castlelands for Denis Murphy and sold for £150,000 at the Cheltenham Festival Sale

ttIDAHO VALLEY, bred Willie McCarthy made a winning debut at Tallow last month for Mary Doyle. The same handler’s QUANTUM QUEST sold for £120,000 at the Cheltenham Festival Sale having run a fine third at Borris House on his only start.

❝Montjeu’s influence in the winter game is old news, of course, but there was a breakthrough last week for the reputation of Coolmore’s other great son of Sadler’s Wells, Galileo, as a National Hunt sire of sires.

Seven of his sons got on the festival scoresheet this year❞ Martin Stevens, Good Morning Bloodstock, 18th March

Epsom Derby winner from the MONTJEU sireline

Triple Group 1 winner by GALILEO

Group 1 performer at 2, 3, 4 and 5 years by GALILEO