Point-To-Point Weekly 11-01-2023

DerekO’Connor

Straight to thePoint Tolworth winner Tahmuras a reminder of pointers’versatility

LASTSaturday’sTolworth

Hurdle wasthe latest in a series of advertisements for Irish point-to-point graduatesinimportant novice hurdles in Britain.

ThePaulNicholls-trained Tahmuras,who made it three from three over hurdles by winningthe Grade 1Sandown event, startedhis career with Donnchadh Doyle, landinga four-runner maiden first time outatBallingarryinMay 2021.

YoungIrish point-to-pointers come in all shapes and sizes and can be effectiveondifferentgoingand over awide rangeofdistances

It’s beenlikethat for alongtime butofcourseitwasn’t alwaysthe case.Therewas atime when people typically looked at point-to-pointers mainlyaslong-distance chasers in the making.

WhenIstartedridinginbumpers that waswherethe agents and trainers were lookingfor the top novice hurdlers of the following season and the speedier chasing prospects of the future.

All that haschanged.Irish bumpers,although still used by severaltop trainers as avaluable introduction to racing, arenot nearly as significantastheyusedtobe.

Many of thebetter bumper horses have alreadycome through the maiden point-to-pointroute,and you seldom see the maximum-field bumpers that were often afeature duringthe early days of my career, when theseraceswerefrequently the biggestbetting races on the card

Lookingbackatthe listofrecent winnersofthe Tolworth youget an idea of the influence of Irish pointto-pointers in one of the season’s majortwo-mile novice hurdles

Startingwith NickyHenderson’s 2014 winner RoyalBoy,who Irodeto winfirsttime outfor PatDoyle in the 2011 season, six of the lastten winnersstartedout here in points

Another,the 2018 winner Summerville Boy, began his career with one of ourleadingpoint-topointhandlers, SamCurling.Inthis case,the subsequentSupreme Novices’winner wasa debutbumper winner at Killarney.

TheWillieMullins-trained2016 winner Yorkhill came from Wilson Dennison’sfamous nurseryand was awinner at TattersallsFarm. The following year it wasthe ill-fated

The2020

By recentstandards,Tahmuras was not aheadline-maker at the sales Sent to the2020 Derbysalefrom Rathturtin Stud near Clonroche in County Wexford, he wasboughtby the Doyles’Monbeg operation for €10,000. Five days afterhis Ballingarrywin twoseasons agohe made £68,000 at the Tattersalls Cheltenham sale.

NotonlydoIrish pointwinners come in all sizes,some of the pedigrees thesedaysare very differentfromthe traditional.

Tahmuras is by Falco, a winner of the French 2,000 Guineas,and is the first foal outofan unracedmareby Whipper,who wasa Group1-winning sprinter/miler Thekey to his ability as ajumperprobably lies in the fact that his dam Alinga is outofaKing’s Theatremare. King’s Theatrehas been ahugeinfluence as ajumps

sire, responsiblefor the likes of Cue Card,RiversideTheatre, Captain Chris,Menorah,The NewOne, Carlingford Lough and many others

Iwas interested to hear Paul NichollscompareTahmuras with Al Ferof, whowon theSupreme Novices’Hurdle for him in 2011 after finishingsecond to CueCardinthe Champion Bumper the year before. Al Ferofwon amaiden pointat Athlaccaand alsoabumperfor Liz Doyle beforebeingsold.

Iguess that Tahmuras will be effectiveoveragood bitfurther than twomiles buthe’ll probably headfor the Supreme Novices’since the stable hasastrongcontender for the BallymoreinHermes Allen, aGrade 1winner in the ChallowNovices’ Hurdle at NewburyonNew Year’s Eve. He fetched£350,000 after a maiden winatKirkistown during the 2021 autumn campaign Hermes Allen wasthe thirdexIrish pointer to winthe Challowin the lastsix years after the ex-Roisin Hickey-trainedPoetic Rhythm in

2017 and this season’sKingGeorge winner Bravemansgame twoyears ago. Like Tahmuras,Bravemansgame beganwith Donnchadh Doylefor whom he wasaneight-length winner at Lingstownin2019.

Another of the best Britishnovice hurdlers is Rare Edition, unbeaten since joiningCharlie Longsdon from the Costellofamily who ranhim twice in points at theend of 2021.

Hunter chasers back in the spotlightatClonmel

There’sabig difference between Grade 1action over hurdles in Britain and the world of maiden hunter chases closer to home

Butit’simportantthat there’sstill a place for old-stylepointers and traditional hunter chasers

Thursday’scardatClonmel includes the Rathronan Maiden Hunters Chase. Last year this event producedagood winner in the David Christie-trainedAsk D’man, previously afour-time winner in points and again successful when ridden by the record-breakingLiz Lalor at Largy

Ask D’manended the season in stylebywinningthe Champion Novices’Hunters’Chase under Barry O’NeillatStratford, his trainer’s second winner of the eventfollowing Vaucelet the previous year

Vaucelet wonthe Champion Hunters’Chase at the same meeting lastseason, amonth after losingout toCheltenham winner Billawayat Punchestown

He returnedwith avictory at Portrush,then wonthe hunter chase at Down RoyalatChristmas,agood performance on ground his trainer feared would be toosoft for him.He’s beingtrainedfor Cheltenham,where his stablemateWinged Leader was beaten aneckbyBillawaylastMarch

TheChristiestable alsotook the maiden hunter chaseatLimerickon December27with UltimateOptimist, who wonamaiden at Stowlinfor Donnchadh Doylelastspring.

He hasbeenprogressivethis term, winningatLoughanmoreand Quakerstown beforebeatingJohngus by 12 lengths in the Limerickrace.

Johngusgoesagain at Clonmel, butthe twowho stand outare Christie’s promisingGlobal Assembly and Gordon Elliott’sWearelongterm, separatedbyonly aneckat Kirkistown in November

‘I wasinterestedto hear Paul Nicholls compare Tahmuras with Al Ferof, who wonthe Supremefor him in 2011’

Finian’sOscar,whosefirst Grade 1 successcame lessthanthree months after his debutwin for Denis Murphy at Portrush

winner Fiddlerontheroof rantwice in pointsfor ShirleyBerry and lastyear we hadthe brilliant Constitution Hill, producedby Warren Ewingand runner-up on his debutatTipperaryinApril 2021.

Tahmuras andHarry Cobden strikeanother blow forformer pointersinthe Grade1TolworthHurdleatSandown

MARK CRANHAM (RACINGPOST.COM/PHOTOS)

MaikeMagnussen revealshow she switched from showjumpingto trainingpointers

IAM originally from Germanybut Ihave beeninIreland for ten years now. Iama showjumperand when I came over Istartedoff with Mark Molloyand he asked me if I’deverridden thoroughbreds.

My English wasnot very good at the time so Ihad no idea what the word thoroughbred meantuntil he said it wasaracehorse!

He askedmeifIwantedto giveita go andfromthereIfell in love with the point-topointers. That very firsthorse I rode in Ireland wasBishops Road and Ithoughtitwas just likedriving aFerrari

Ihad no clue aboutriding on the gallops or anythinglike that butitjustfelt brilliant.

Ispent almostsix years there with Mark andthen Iwentto work for HenrydeBromhead to learn moreabout howabig yard operates.Ialwayshad it in the backofmymind that I wanted to setuponmyown and it wasgreat to getthat experience

‘The firsthorse Irodewas BishopsRoadand it was just like drivingaFerrari’

When Idid setuponmy ownIstartedwith breakers and pre-trainingand beganto build it up from there.

It wasa longprocessgetting startedand alot of people helped me alongthe way. Without all of their supportI couldn’t have done it.

When you start from scratch with no background, family or business here behind you it’s a tough game.You need to stick atitand have support along the way. Icouldn’t have gotto whereIamwithout that support.

Camilla’s Choice wasmy firstwinner at BorrisHouse [in December2021] and then I hadthe opportunity to get CrazyworkDeVassy for Mike McDonagh and he wonan open in Liscarroll. They were greatchances and you were learningthe ropesas

you went alongand tryingto getthe better horses

I’mnow based in Bill Harney’sformer yard in Templemoreand it’s a beautiful yard with agreat gallop

Thechanceto train herecame aboutasa coincidence really butI’m very grateful that Ihave the chance.I wasalready trainingamare calledBridget Mary who wasbred by the Harneyfamily, when theyoffered me the chance to rent the yard here and I’mverygrateful because alot of good horses came out of this yard beforeIarrived I’ve beenhereonly since the

Suirview graduates give Doyleaday to remember at Naas

PATDOYLE and his daughter Susie were at Naas on Sunday to witnessa memorableday for graduates of their Suirview stables in Thurles,which includedthe Grade 1successof ChampKiely in the Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle

TheOcovangogeldinghad come acropper in afour-yearold maidenatDromahane in December2020 when under Doyle’s care beforejoining Willie Mullins.

Hisvictor ycontinueda notable winningstreakfor former point-to-pointersinthe Naas Grade 1, havingwon the last sevenrunningsstretching to Bellshillin2016.

Doylewas responsible for startingthe careers of eachof Mullins’three winners at the Kildarevenue,withAppreciate It and HuntersYarn other for mer re si de nt so fh is Holycrossstables ChampKiely’svictoryon SundaycompletedaGrade 1 doubleoverthe weekend for former Irish point-to-pointers as 24 hours earlierTahmuras hadimpressed in landingthe

Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown.

Hissuccesssaw him become the third former pointerina fortnightsaddled by Paul Nichollstowin aGrade 1race following the victories of Hermes Allen and Bravemansgame.

As with the King George winner,Tahmuras alsowon his four-year-old maiden when ridden by James Walsh for Wexfordhandler Donnchadh Doyle, butfor aGrade 1winner on testingground over hurdles at Sandownhehad somewhat su rpr isin gly op ene dh is accountbywinning agoodground maiden in Ballingarry.

HRI boost forfixtures

Lastweekend’s fixturesat Aghabullogueand Tinahely mayhaveproduceddisappointingentries for their organisingcommittees of 57 and 53 respectively, butthey areamong the firstcommittees to benefit from aslightincrease in fundingfromHorse Racing Ireland.

Their €68.6 million budget for 2023 includes €2.6m of

fundingfor point-to-points and featuresanincreased grantfor hunt committees

The€1,000 Covid-19grant introducedtemporarily in 2021 will nowbemaintainedpermanently and will be increased by afurther €500 to accountfor the increased costs currently experienced.

This will supplementthe administrationgrant of €6,500 the committees receivein addition to the prize-money fundingof€800 or €1,750 dependin go nt he ra ce category

Mighty Mikeymilestone

MikeyO’Connor is making swiftinroads in becomingthe fifth mostsuccessful riderin point-to-pointhistory with his latest victory at Aghabullogue on Liam Burke’sAlo’s Vision

It washis 411th pointing wi nner,l eavi ng him tw o behind matchingEndaBolger’s tally of 413.

TheCorkrider became only the seventhrider to break the 400-markw ithvictory at Grennan in 2021 and since

startofSeptember butithas beengoing well. When Iwas based in Clareitwas hard to getridersand thelocation meantyou hadtodrive very far to getanywhere. They were the two main reasons I took the chance when this opportunity came along. Since movingto Templemore this season I have hadthree winners and it wasspecialtohave my firstfour-year-old maiden winner lastmonth at Tattersalls with SaladinsSon. He’s agentleman of ahorse and Iwas very hopeful going there. It wasa long road with him as Igavehim lots of time

He hadtomaturebut even nowhe’sstill not finished, he’s only startingtofillout

Hisowner TomWestroppBennetthas been abig supporterofmine from the very start.Tom is averygood friend of Mark Molloyand Iam delightedhehad that early Christmas present. Hopefully, he will sell well nowatthe sales as Tomdeservesall the luckinthe world

Ihad worked with so many showjumpers in Germanyand have developed my own thoughts on what is rightfor the individual horse. Idon’t believeyou cantrain every horsethe same way, and abig yard canbea bigmachine

Ihavealwaysliked havinga smaller number of horsesand togivethem detailed, individual attention.

Ihave18horses nowbut

thereare acouple on alittle break as when theyturn four I liketobackoff them for aweek or twotogivethem achance togather themselves.Iwantto keep my focusonthe point-topointers; Iloveitreally

Thereality, though,isthat you have to make some money by selling. Ithink it would be hard to survivetrainingonthe track. Idolovetobuy young horses and bringthem on.

MaybeIcould getacouple of people involved like that to help the small breeder or smaller ownersand givethem afair chance

Ever since Imoved to Ireland Ifelt Ihad to be open mindedand opentochange. I’malwayslearningand Iwill never stoplearningwith horses

then he haspassedWillie Rooney’s401 total to become the sp or t’ ss ix th most successful rider

Already thisseason he has tickedoff the accolade of riding awinnerin20differentseasons and he is alsoamember of an exclusivegroup of riders who have hadsuccessacrossfour decades as his initial victory came in 1999.

With O’Connor’s strike-rate thisseason cominginatjust under 25 percentand 11 of his 17 rides finishinginthe prizemoney, another milestone is just around the corner

2019 crop readytogo

Thebuild-uptothe first fouryear-old maiden races of 2023 continues,with just over three weeksremaininguntil the first

batchofthe 2019 crop takes to thepointingfields at Ballinaboola,Bellharbour and Tallow for their debuts

John Costello is the first handlertohavereceived hunter certificates for newly turnedfour-year-olds,withhis pair of Diamond Hunter and Moonshine Manthe firsttwo four-year-oldhorses to be certificated in 2023.

MAIKE MAGNUSSEN WAS TALKING TO EOGHAIN WARD

ChampKiely’sowner Michael Mastersoncelebrates with PatDoyle after theLawlor’sofNaaswin

CAROLINE NORRIS (RACINGPOST.COM/PHOTOS)

SEASON’S LEADERS

Riders

North

Festival on the agenda as Rocky’s hits four in a row

DECLAN QUEALLY is mulling over a trip to the Cheltenham Festival for the increasingly impressive Rocky’s Howya.

South

East

The seven-year-old landed his fourth successive victory of the season but his first start in open company under regular partner Chris O’Donovan and could hardly have been more dominant.

“I wouldn’t rule out the Cheltenham Foxhunters [St James’s Place Hunters’ Chase] if we get qualifie d,” Qu eal ly’s so n Declan said.

“He’s a very tough horse who stays well and he ideally likes better ground. We’ll see if we can find another open for him next month.”

Rocky’s Howya has made huge strides this season since being sent pointing in a Ballycrystal maiden in October and the change in fortune followed an unsuccessful track career which brought no wins in 18 outings over fences, hurdles or in a bumper.

As a pointer, however, he is transformed and his four victories have been achieved by a total of 77 lengths

O’Donovan bounced Rocky’s Howya out quickly in the Brookfield Leisure Centre open and made all the running with some sound jumping.

Star performance

Rocky’s Howya continued his rapid rise through the ranks with this fourth easy victory of the season from four outings

owner Margaret Kiely.

James Hannon was the only rider to partner two winners, the Tallow native opening his account on the Donie Barrytrained Indian Louis in the Tattersalls NH five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Indian Louis, having slipped up and pulled up in his two au tu mn foray s, wa s se nt straight to the front and the son of Mahler earned a game pillarto-post success by asserting on the run to the final fence, seeing off Georgie Burgess by three and a half lengths in the colours of Galwegian Sean Connors

“He’s a nice type,” Barry said of the bay, who is one of eight horses at his Gannons’ Hill base outside Johnstown in Kilkenny.

“He’s the first horse Sean has had with me and he’ll probably now go to the sales.”

Horses

The patiently ridden mare La Feline, winner of this race 12 months ago and unbeaten in three opens this season, moved menacingly into second under Derek O’Connor four out from where the race developed into a match

Although Rocky’s Howya had to be pushed along briefly soon after starting the descent from the second-last fence, his Sam Curling-trained rival had no more to offer from the turn into the hom e str ai gh t and O’Connor soon accepted the situation.

The winning son of Ask forged clear and, although blundering at the last, still beat La Feline by 24 lengths in the colours of Dungarvan-based

Connors also owned the dam of Indian Louis, Indian Fairy. By Indian Danehill, Indian Fairy won twice over hurdles and twice over fences when under the care of Eoin Doyle, amassing €48,000 in earnings and was rated 123 over fences at one stage.

Hannon brought up his double on the Harry Kellytrained My Reprieve in the W&M Ki el y older ma re s’ maiden.

My Reprieve, a half-sister to Evan Williams’ Welsh Grand Na tion al wi nner Se cr et Reprieve, went one better than on her previous start behind Quarry Tiepy at Ballindenisk by benefiting from front-running tactics to beat Sarah Jane by two lengths

“She’s been a shade unlucky and she had a good run in Ballindenisk the last day,” Kelly

said of the Ocovango-sired winner, owned by his cousin Mary Dicker, who was represented by her son Johnny.

The Liam Burke-trained Alo’s Vision came with a renewed effort under Mikey O’Connor to collect the D Dennehy five- and six-year-old mares’ maiden.

Alo’s Vision, having finished second on her previous start at Dromahane in November, was always in the first two until dropping third on the run to two out.

She then stormed back into

contention on the outer before the last, getting on top in the closing stages to deny Lady Corrib by a head.

Owner-breeder Mary Tynan Phelan reported that Alo’s Vision’s dam, Easter Saturday, won a division of this same race with Colman Sweeney in 2006, and her half-sister Easter In Paris also landed the 2015 race under Derek O’Connor

Those who adhere to the theory of backing the outsider of three were on excellent terms with themselves after the All Pl ast Eng ine er in g

winners-of-two when Louis Archdeacon’s Another Ocana sprang a surprise under Cal Shine by supplementing his success in the Dromahane adjacent maiden nine days earlier

The six-year-old, owned by the Tribes Royals and Rebels Syndicate, took charge on the descent from two out before finishing alone as Dundaniel and Heretoeternity were pulled up before the last.

Handler-breeder Olivia Hegarty’s ex-hurdler Sir Rock, a brother to Olly Murphy’s

Barry O’Neill: five wins clear

Rob James in riders’ title race

150-rated chaser Thunder Rock, made a winning hunt racing debut by leading from before two out with Darragh Allen to dismiss Starlight Cato in the Dan Donovan & Co older geldings’ maiden.

Murphy is a double diamond for Fairwood Park faithful

IT WOULD be no surprise if racegoers started calling out to handler Denis Murphy, “Fancy a double, Denis?”

Th e Ba llybo y St ab les operator saddled two winners at Sunday’s meeting to add to two doubles at fixtures earlier in the season at the Fairwood Park venue.

He opened proceedings when sa ddlin g Co co Mademoiselle to claim the Weatherbys Ireland five- and six-year-old mares’ maiden.

Bought for just €12,000 as a three-year-old by Tom Cloke, a long-time member of the Murphy team, the Doyen mare had failed to justify notable market support before her Lingstown debut in November when finishing only sixth at the Wexford venue.

The money did not go astray at the second time of asking as Jack Hendrick cemented his relatively new partnership with the We xfo rd ha ndl er by steering Coco Mademoiselle to a three-and-a-half-length defeat of newcomer El Elefante Garcon Dargent had shown the benefit of being hobdayed ov er the su mmer when recording a belated maiden victory here in November and he doubled his tally at the undulatin g ve nu e in the Do nlon Mo to rs & Ta llon Wheels winners-of-one for novice riders

Mu rph y ca lle d on the services of Meath rider Joey Dunne for the first time to ride the six-year-old and the frontrunning combination gamely held off the Ballycrystal winner Old Style Humor by a length

“He is maturing all the time and did that well. He’ll head next to Ballycrystal,” Murphy said “Joey rides out for me every Wednesday and is a very good chap, a good rider It’s great to be able to give him a winner.”

The Murphy team missed out on a treble when their only other runner, Lough Derg Spirit, was beaten for the third time this season by a Grade 1 winner when chasing home Hardline in the five-runner Goffs UK Doncaster January Sale open.

Alex Hutter’s 11-year-old has been a model of consistency and deservedly recorded his second success of the season, following his CastletownGeoghegan victory on the op enin g we ek end, whe n coming home three lengths to the good “He jumped and travelled away and Barry O’Neill said he

Star performance

Rockandrose may have begun his career only this season but his 16-length success suggests he will make up for lost time

would be better on better ground; the ground is tacky there,” Gordon Elliott’s representative Simon McGonagle said. “It’s great for Alex Hutter who works in the office as she owns him.”

That victory completed a double for Elliott, who was earlier responsible for the success of Happy Victory in the Winners Enclosure Bookmakers five- and six-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Th e Fr ench br ed ha d finished fourth in a Limerick bumper last season in one of fiv e tr ac k ou tin gs whe n running for the Caldwell Construction team of Andrew and Gemma Brown, and the six -y ear -old ma de an immediate impact on his points debut and first run in the colours of Edelle Logan.

Rob James struck the front on Happy Victory before the final fence to force the Loughbrickland runner-up Ross O’Sullivan’s Ryehill to fill the second position once again.

“He jumped and travelled, and Rob James gave him a great ride and was very happy with him,” McGonagle said after the four-length victory.

“The further he went, the better he was going. He’ll stay pointing for the minute as he seemed to enjoy that.”

Ja mes re tu rn ed to t he winner’s enclosure in the concluding Central House

older geldings’ maiden when again getting the better of a Ross O’Sullivan-trained runner as Rockandrose proved much too good for Royal Rocco.

David Christie had introduced the eight-year-old last month at Quakerstown, where he fell, but there were no such issues on his second start as he breezed to a 16-length victory in the colours of Kieran Mahon and Noel Keenan, silks that have been carried to eight victories in recent times by On The Sod.

“That will shorten the trip home!” the County Fermanagh handler said. “Rob James had him as a young horse, but he got a leg and I bought him I brought him back after a year and he got cast in his box and gave himself a hairline fracture of his pelvis

“Patience has been the key and we will keep stepping up the grades, but I can see him winning on the track.”

Elusive Mae was unlucky to make a serious final-fence blu nde r at th e ve nu e in October when holding every chance, but she made amends when defeating just two rivals in the Tattersalls NH older mares’ maiden.

Moira McElligott expertly guided the seven-year-old to a five-length defeat of Cooleenymore to supply her husband Willie Murphy with his third success of the season.

The crowd at Tinahely await the field for the geldings’ maiden, a race won by Happy Victory (right); winners Elusive Mae and Moira McElligott (below) and Hardline and Barry O’Neill (bottom)

Runners round the bales in the mares’ maiden at Aghabullogue (top); the race was won by Alo’s Vision and Mikey O’Connor (above, second right); Rocky’s Howya and Chris O’Donovan land the open (above left)

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