Point To Point Weekly 26-04-23

Qualimita unlimited

Walter Connors’filly makes aflying start to her career at Fairyhouse

Reports, pages 2-3

DEREK O’CONNOR

‘Five years ago the brilliant Honeysuckle was sold for €110,000 at the GoffsPunchestown Sale after awinning debut at Dromahane, so it’s fitting that BellasBridge, agame winner of the same mares’ maiden,isonoffer this time’ Page 4

Oldcastlewinnerfor Rob James OAK GROVE (RIGHT)was purchased byFergal O’Brien Racingfor £250,000 Also Liscarroll runner-upfor James and Ellen Doyle’s Baltimore House Stables FORTIFIED FORTUNEwas soldto ChristianWilliams/ChrisTrembathfor £115,000.

Proven Grade 1 sire byGALILEO

NORTHKERRY AT TRALEE FRIDAY

Hendrick hits 50 as Histrionic screams outstarpotential

JACK HENDRICKreachedthe

50-winner milestone with a patientrideonthe Denis Murphy-trainednewcomer

Histrionic in the Goffs PunchestownSale &SeanieSheehy four-year-old maiden.

Thewell-toutedson of Walk

In TheParkout of asisterto Grade 3winnerAlfie Sherrin, waskept at the rear of the ei gh t- ru nner field un til Hendrickedged him closer from four out.

The€100,000Derby sale acquis itio nm ov ed past longtime leader Boston Boy before the second-last then took over approachingthe final fence to beat the pacesetter by twoand ahalf lengths

“You canbenervousrunning abig-money horse buthis homeworkwas alwaysvery good andhe’ll nowgotothe

Punchestown sale,” Murphy said of the Grangeclare Studownedwinner He ndr ic kc om plete da double and startedthe path to his nexthalfcentury in the QuilterInsulation maiden on Shark Hanlon’s Le JeuneBresil

Havingfallen six outonhis only startatAghabullogue in January, Le JeuneBresilwent to thefront after the fifth fence and, although runninga shade keenly, forged clear after the second-lasttobeatLahardaun by ten lengths in the colours of

RichardEganand his handler’s partner Rachel O’Neill.

“He’sa big, backwardhorse who hasneededtimetofillhis frame,” O’Neillsaid. “Welike him alot and he’ll gotoasale.”

SamCurling alsohit adouble, the Sk eh an ag ho pe ra tor

KILLEADYATDROMAHANE SUNDAY

openinghis accountwith One ForDaisy in theQuilter Insulation mares’ maiden.

TheRathcannon runner-up wasclosetothe lead until dropping to third after four out butDerek O’Connorsenther back to thefront two outtobeat

Star performance

Histrionic wononhis debut with plentyinreserve

Glendaars Fortunebyfour lengths in the coloursof Listowel breeder John Sayers

“I’m delighted,”Curlingsaid “Gerry Mangan pre-trainedher and she then came to me.She will go forthe mares’ point-topoint bumper at Tipperary, and she’ll be anice mare nextyear.”

Curling wasthen on the mark with Shannon Bridge in the Dil lon &P re nd iv il le Auctioneers& Beale Hill Wind Farm open for novice riders Awinner four timesunder ru lers for Da nS ke lt on , Shannon Bridge fulfilledthe promiseofhis fourth in the Knockanard banks race by leadingthree outunder owner GerrySpain to see off Ma Hoey by three and ahalf lengths

Connections decidedtorun Shannon Bridge only on the morningofthe race Cuchcullan’sSon,onhis fourthstart, wonthe Derra Farm Equestrian &Kellihers Mills maiden for the fatherand-sonteam of handler Pat and riderJimmyO’Rourke.

However, Bitsnbuckles was travellingbetter with athreelength advantage when blunderingawayhis chance at the final fence,allowingCuchcullan’s Sontobeathis luckless rivalbyhalf alength.

Th eJ ean et te Ri or dantrained Fabreze spranga major surpriseinthe JKS Interiors &McMahon Concrete mares’ winners-of-one

Theformer hurdler hadjust movedthrough to join issue with SeventyEight Team when the latter was cannonedintoby aloose horsetwo outand unseatedher rider.Fabreze and Brian Barrywerethen left cleartobeatRosietoken by two lengths for afamily successas Barr y’sbrotherJohnnyis married to Riordan’sdaughter Jessica, who owns Fabreze

Old-timerFrHumphreyshakesRocky’s Howya

ROCKY’SHOWYA,the season’s leadinghorse with seven victories,was deniedaneighth after ashockdefeatbyarival morethantwice as old.

Thehorse who beat him was Fr Humphrey,a 15-year-old gelding owned, trained and ridden by NiamhHennessy

It washer firstride of the season, her initial successasa trainerand firstasarider but there wasnoflukeabout Hennessy’s winner

Although victorywas amajor surprise, Fr Humphrey fully deservedhis success over Declan Queally’s seven-yearold stablestarinthe Killeady Hunt Supportersopen on a marathon ten-racecard.

Fr Humphrey,awinnerfive times under rules for Mary Hallahan, Willie Treacyand morerecently Neil Mulholland,

Star performance

CaptainBellamy was a classabove provenhorses on hisdebutand looks everyinchafuturestar

alwaystravelled well as Rocky’s Howyamade acouple of uncharacteristic jumpingerrors in trying to forcethe pace

He nness y, ri din gt he outsider of six, swept past the

1-2 favourite twoout to winby four and ahalf lengths

“I work with the breeze-up horses for Brendan Holland at GroveStud,”Hennessysaid

“Brendan kindlyallowsmeto keep my twopointers and thisis my firstseason with alicence.”

Th eJon at ha nFog ar tytrained newcomer Captain Bellamy (right) hinted at a bright futureonthe trackby

destroying theopposition in a division of the Goffs Punchestown Sale four-year-maiden.

He ledfromsix outand sto rm ed cl ea rf ro mt he second-lastunder Barr St one to b Ca stl eto w Ge og he ga n thirdUnion Avenue by 14 lengths

“T his is fa nt as tic , unbelievable,” Fogartysaid o the BlackSa Be ll am y- s i Ca ptain B ell am y , whosedam is ahalf-sister to US jumpsperformer Hirapour “Hewas unsold at Doncaster as athree-year-old in Mayand Kevin McAuliffe then sent him to me.He’ll be sold now.”

RobJamessteered debutant Off TheJury,whom he trains for the Ma tchm ak ers Syndicate, to aclearcut debut successinthe second division.

Off Th e Ju ry to ok mand twoout d ,a lt ho ugh unninggreen n the closing stages, the son of Ju keb ox Jury beat Ski L od ge by three lengths o boo kh is sagetotomorGoffs sale at Punchestown

Ow ner -tr ai ner De nis Murphysaddledtwo winners, the Ballyboystables operator openingwith newcomer Binge Worthy ina divisionofthe Tattersalls NH maiden.

TheWalk In ThePark-sired winner,whosedam is ahalfsister to Cheltenham Gold Cup winner MinellaIndo, pickedup the runningbeforethe lastfor Jack Hendrick to defeat Itsnoteasy by alength

Murphywas then on the mark with Wild Side Of Life in the sec ond di vision, the LoughanmoreOctober debut thirdleadingfromtwo out under Joey Dunne to beat Ri Na Cuirte by four lengths

Trainer-rider BennyWalsh recorded his firstdouble as a handler and signed off aboard the impressivenewcomer Lightening Mahler inthe third division of the KilleadyHunt Members Race mares’ maiden. TheSeamus Osborne-owned baystormed clear from the last to beat Emily’sChoice by four and ahalf lengths

Walsh gotoff the mark on Harrys Hope,representinghis wife Jenny, in the second division of thisrace with the sw ee t- ju mp in gc he st nu t accountingfor MorningStar by four and ahalf lengths Coli nB ow ea nd Ba rr y O’Neillcombinedtolandthe firstdivision with Nt Field Minn es ota ,w hile Mo ir a McElligottjoinedMaxine O’Sullivan on sevenwinners in the ladyriders’title race by bringingher husband Willie Murphy’s Barton Snow from off the pace to landthe Killeady Hunt Landownersmaiden.

ThePadraig Butler-trained mare Imperial Fox,owned and bred by Clonakilty point-topo in tl an do wn er Le sli e Beamish,won the closing Crossbarry Innadjacenthunts maiden under JamesHannon.

Histrionictakes Jack Hendrick to his50thcareerwin (left); Shannon Bridge andGerry Spain (bluecap)landadouble forSam Curling(above)

FERMANAGH AT NECARNE SATURDAY

Winged Leader flying againafter hisAintree flop

WINGED LEADERregained the winningthread nine days after disappointingoverthe Grand National fences at Aintree, provingtoo good for tworivals in the Mannock and RTDCrawfordladies’open.

Abeatenfavourite when eighth in the Foxhunters’,his localsupportershad nothingto worryabout at handler David Christie’s localcourse.

Alwaystothe fore, the nineyear-old landedhis fourth successofthe season and 13th overall, in beatingWoodbrook Boyby17½ lengths to give ladies champion Susie Doyle her first success since returning toraceridinginFebruary.

“Wewereabit disappointed at Aintreebut he’s beensuch a greatservant for theyard,” Christie said. “Hehas plenty of mileage left so we came hereto see what formhe’sin. He’ll stay on the open route beforewe look at another hunter chase.”

Christie addedthe SpanWright maiden to his haul when Nevermindestranger broughthim his 20th successof the season in sharingthat race with BourbonNKentucky.

Thelatterhad been absent sinceasecond at Umma House in October 2021,and alaterally from Bertie Finn’smount saw the Colin Bo we -tr aine d Ocovango geldingjoinNevermindestranger, ridden by Barry O’Neill, on the line

Earlier,O’Neill wason Josie Alice forBoweinthe ITBA mares’ maiden.The Soldier Of Fortune mare, ahalf-sister to Grade 1winner TheNew One, hit the frontthree out, and although Somebody’sFortune kept her honestinthe straight, she openedher account at the

THERE wasonly one name on the lips of racegoers leavinga marathon ten-race card at 8pm,fiveand ahalfhours after itbegan – Qualimita

Like eight-time Grade1 wi nner En vo iA lle n, the French-bred is adaughterof Muhtathir,sportingthe colours of Wa ter for dv et Wa lt er Connors,for her debutina division of the Boardsmill Stud four-year-old mares’ maiden.

Alwaystothe fore, Barry O’Neill oozedconfidence on the bay, who barely came outof second gear fora 30-length win.

“She’s abig filly who was weak and we’vetaken ourtime with her.She hasa greatmind and averybig engine,” handler Colin Bowe said. “She jumps brilliantly and she’s very exciting. She’sfor salenow.”

Star performance SpringtDeLaMarewas 14 seconds quicker than any other winneronthe card

thirdtime of askingbya length

That wasthe winningmargin for Kerryhill,who returned from amid-season absence to winthe Goffs Punchestown Sale geldings’maiden.

Colin McKeever’s sonof Soldier Of Fortune hadfailedto findanew ownerwhenupfor sale after asecondatKirkistown in November butherewarded connections by beatingLet’s Go Joebyalength

Hissuccesscame thesame dayhis Kirkistown conqueror, TheHeroNextDoor, wona $35,000 hurdle in Americafor his new trainer Leslie Young.

Harley Dunne sent outhis second four-year-old maiden winner of the weekend when Tiernan Powerdeputised for him on SpringtDeLaMare in the Dennison Commercials maiden.Boughtfor €88,000 at last year’s Derbysale,the No Risk At All geldingled home a battalionofFrench-bredswho filledthe firstfourplaces

Another French-bred Great Pepper,gaveDonnchadh Doyle his 20th winner of the season after aquiet month by his standards,inthe Killyhevlin Hotel winners-of-three

Confidently producedby5lb claimer Alan Harney, the Great Pretender geldingbeatPour Me ADouble by three-quarters of alength.“Iwasn’t convinced he’d handle the ground so Isat outthe backand coaxed him into the race,” Harney said. “Donnchadh thinks he’s agood horseand he’s shownithere.”

Star performance

Qualimita couldnot have been more impressive on her debutand oozesstarquality

Pulledupinboth previous races,the grey daughter of CoastalPath ha lf -s ist e Grade Bwinn AvenirD’Un Vie, took a notable step forward by be at ing Knockaneleigh Girl by tw oa nd a ha lf len gt h and will now her stablem the Doncaster sales next month

weekend for the David Christie stable when he proved much toogood forfive rivals in the Captain SH WalfordMemorial open for novice riders

Bertie Finn wasalwaysfull of confidence on his firstride on the eight-year-old,with the olas-owned

o fJeremy

ily winning sfifth race

n successionsince

h is op en

d ebu ti n

m id-

Februaryby

ea ti ng

er ythin g

w by fo ur

Mark O’Hare wasalsointhe winner’s enclosurewithhis wife Sara’s Cleatus Poolaw TheClovis Du Berlais gelding hadchasedhome subsequent bumper winner TheJukebox ManatTurtullainNovember and hadtoo much in thetank for TottenhamGreen in the five-year-old geldings’maiden.

Thesuccesswas the middle legofatreble for O’Neill, with Bowe alsocompletingadouble when PracticeRun struck on his debutinadivision of the Goffs Punchestown Sale fouryear-old geldings’maiden.

Sevendaysearlier,owner Brian Acheson hadenjoyed Grade 1success in the Mildmay Novices’Chase with Gerri Colombe,alsosourced from Bowe’s Milestone stables,and it washis colours which were carriedbythe bayashebeat another sonofWalk In The Park,Sportinthepark, by a length and ahalf

TheGordonElliott-trained LoughOwel completed the three-timer for the champion rider when the €60,000 Land Roversale acquisition backed up his fine second in abig-field Ca st leto wn -G eo ghe ga n maiden by beatingSea Music by six lengths in the five-yearold geldings’maiden.

O’Neill lookedtohavea fourth winnerwhen crossing thelineahead of the Gordon Elliott-trainedLightkeeperina division of the BectiveStud maiden.Despite awinning margin of twolengths over Jim Mernagh’shomebred Stylish Recruit,stewards reversed the placings due to interference on the run-in. Thewinner will nowbesold.

Theopeningdivisionofthat maiden wasalso claimedfor Wexfordwhen Ferns rider James Murray made hissole ride on the card countashe guided thePaulPierce-trained DreamBoy to atwo-length defeatofHold My Girl

Thevictory completed a Pierce stable double after Eoin Staples rode French-bred Ingenie tovictoryinthe Lauro at HayesStudmares’maiden.

Bold Enough scooped the firstoftwo open races over the

s. “I have one eyeon Listowel and then Stratford,”Christie said

Fellownorthern handler

Tottenham Green’srider Ross Berryhad betterfortune in adivision of the four-yearold geldings’ maiden on the newcomer Everyonesacritic Ashoulderinjuryfor Harley Dunne in the openingdivision of the four-year-old mares’ maiden preventedthe Wexford handler from guidinghis own JasmineBliss (left)tovictoryin the second divisionofthtat race and Tiernan Power was an able deputy as the pair beat Deons Diamond by alength and ahalf

Pictures: HEALYRACING

DerekO’Connor Straight to thePoint Bumper chancesfor amateurs make Punchestownsospecial

THIS week’s Punchestown festival marksthe end of another greatseason for Irish jump racing. When you consider the impact of Irishtrainers,jockeys and breeders at the Cheltenham and Aintreemeetings,and add that to the successesofhorseswho originated in Ireland –manyafter gettingearly experience in the point-to-pointfield –you can’t help feelingthat the sport is generally in goodshape

Therewillalwaysbethings to find fault with,but standards arehighin everysector, whether training, riding, or breeding andthe production of young horses

Punchestown is ashowcasefixture, achancetoend theseasononahigh, and it’s always beenone of my favourite weeks in the year because it’s ameetingwith great opportunities for amateur riders

Notonly arethereseven bumpers over the courseoffivedays, but many of us alsoget achance to ride againstthe professionals in one or moreofthe week’scross-country races, including Ireland’s longest race,the 4m2f La Touche Cup tomorrow.

Thereisalsothe Champion Hunters ChaseonFriday’scard, alongwith the BishopscourtCup,the traditional race that continues the link between Punchestown andthe KildareHuntClub

There’svariety in the bumpers. On theopeningday,wehad two races for four-year-olds–including the valuable Goffs Defender Bumper –and mostofthem are unknown quantities

Today’sGrade 1bumperisa race I spenta longtime tryingtowin until Willie Mullins gave me the ride on Kilcruit twoyears ago, and he managed to reverseformwith Sir Gerhard,who hadbeaten him at Cheltenham.

Waybackin2004, Iwas second in the race on the mare Blazing Liss for John Kiely. Irodeher to winher first three races.Atthe previous year’s Punchestown festival, when Iwas claiming7lb,she beat29rivals on her debutand backedthat up at the OctobermeetingatGalway before winningagain NavaninDecember. I rode her in the Cheltenham bumper, butunfortunately, she clipped heels and slipped up at around halfway.

Iwas sorryIwasn’t able to wina

Grade 1race for the mare’s trainer who playedsuchapartinmyearly career,but it’s fantastic to see John stillgoingstrong19years later, saddlingADream To Shareand biddingfor aCheltenhamPunchestown double.

I’mridingWestern Diego,one of four runnersinthe race for Willie Mullins.We’ll giveitour best

shot,but he hasaround ten lengths to find with ADream To Shareon Cheltenham running.

Sixofthe nine runners,including all of Willie’s,startedoff in point-topoints.Western Diego wasawinner at CarrigarostiginJanuary for Mark Scallan. PatrickMullinsrides Tullyhill, aMartaline geldingwho wonfor Colin McKeever and Wilson Dennison at Moira lastOctober.Hewas sold to CheveleyParkand looked smartwhen winninga bumper Gowran last month.

Jody Townend rides It’s ForMe, who wasaround five lengths in frontof Western Diego at Cheltenham.Hewon for the Crawfords at Loughanmoretowards theend of last season and wasa ten-length winner of his firstbumperatNavan in January.

PatTaaffe is on Rath GaulBoy,a Kinsale pointwinnerfor Mick Goff, who hasn’t runsince finishing second when ADream To Sharewon aTipperarybumperonhis debutlast May. ADream To Sharesets ahigh standard.

Friday’sChampion Hunter Chase hasattracted16entries,sothere’s a good chance we’llget aracewith more depth than last year when there were only five runners.Billawayand Vaucelet hadthe finishtothemselves, with ahuge gapbacktothe third Vaucelet startedfavourite for theSt James’s Place Hunters Chaseat Cheltenham last monthbut proved disappointing, dropping away to finishseventh.Billawayfell at the tenth at Cheltenham and hassince suffered asurprisereverse when no match for his stablemateAnnamix at Fairyhouse.

HenrydeBromhead’s Chris’s Dream finishedacreditable fifth at Cheltenham,and his former stablemateBold Enough has

impressed in winningall threepointto-pointstarts for Vaucelet’s trainer David Christie

TheDenis MurphyLough Derg Spirit putina supereffortunder Jack Hendrickwhen thirdtoFamous Clermontinthe Foxhunters’ at Aintreeand couldgowell again if the race doesn’t come abit soonfor him

Searching for astar

In addition to afeast of racing this weektherewillbeplenty of agents, trainersand ownerslooking for potentialstars of the futureatthe Goffs Punchestown Sale tomorrow. Five yearsago this weekthe brilliantHoneysuckle wassoldfor €110,000 at this sale after making a winningdebutatDromahane,soit’s fittingthat Bellas Bridge,agame winner of the same mares’ maiden lastSundayweekfor Paul Pierce,is on offer at thisselectsalewhichhas attracted some interestingprospects

Another Dromahane winner, FortunateMan, is likely to attract plenty of attention. TheMickGofftrainedSoldier Of Fortune geldingis outofa sister to Jenkins,who won fiveraces over jumpsfor Nicky Henderson after finishingsecond in aGoffs Land RoverBumper.

OffThe Jury (Rob James) and Histrionic (Denis Murphy) arerecent debutmaiden winners, whileIWont Back Down (Sam Curling) and TommyTime(LornaFowler) are alreadybumpers Maybethis time nextyear some of theseyoungsters will be backat Punchestown competing. That’s the dream,anyway.

Welcome for hunter initiativeatDownpatrick

Thehunter-chase campaign continues after Punchestown and into nextmonth.I’m pleased to hear that the Downpatrickfixture on May 19 will feature twohunter chases, supportedbythe Down Royal Corporation of HorseBreeders

Therewillbea€10,000 maiden eventover2m7f,and a€17,500 contestover3m4f that will be open to horses trainedinBritain, who will be eligible for atravelallowance

Downpatrickwillhosta northern point-to-pointawardsceremonyon the same evening, showing appreciation for the bigpartthat the northern point-to-pointcommunity plays in ourall-Ireland sport.

‘It’sfantastic to seeJohn Kielygoing strong, saddling A DreamTo Shareand bidding fora CheltenhamPunchestowndouble’

Moirawinner Tullyhill is oneofsix runners in today’sGrade 1bumperatPunchestownwho startedoffinpoint-to-points

HEAL YR AC ING

MOREBIGRACESUCCESS FORWALKINTHEPARK

FACILEVEGAwonthe Champion Novice Hurdle (Grade1)at Punchestownyesterday.

15thAprilat Aintree JONBONwonthe Maghull Novices' Chase(Grade1).

9th April at FairyhouseASHROEDIAMONDwonthe Honeysuckle MaresNoviceHurdle(Grade1) and NICKROCKETTwonthe PaddyKehoe Suspended Ceilings Novice Hurdle (Grade2).

3,400,000 Guineasyearling, Group 2winner at 2 and dual Group 1winner at 3

Contact: David Magnier, Albert Sherwood, David O’Sullivan, Andrew Magnier & Catherine Magnier: 025-33006. Robert McCarthy, Bobby McCarthy & Peter Kenneally: 058-56254. TomGaffney, Joe Hernon, Paddy Fleming, Cathal Murphy & Barry Kennedy: 025-31966.

byGALILEO

Fillyex.BLACKWATERMIST. Owned byKevinFox.

Fillyex. Grade 2winner MOYHENNA. Owned byRobertHennelly.

Colt ex.PRETTYRECKLESS. Owned byRobertMcCarthy.

Fillyex.WHATAGOA. Owned byRobertMcCarthy

Fillyex.RATHCAPPY. Owned byJohnMoylan &SeamusFinn