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.