Titlefight forRocky’s Howyaand Bold Enough

BALLINGARRYhosts the last twoopen racesofthe season thisweekend and theyare likely to decide whether it is Rocky’s HowyaorBold Enough who is crownedchampion point-topointhorseafter theywereboth among last weekend’swinners

Bold Enough wasthe first to strike when scaring away the opposition to such an extent that the David Christie-trained eight-year-old wasthe only horsedeclared for the Taylorstownopen,which he wonina walkover

TheJeremygeldingbarely had24hours at the top of the leaderboardwhen he was joined on theeight-winner mark by Rocky’sHowya,who hadthe stiffer task of beating the Cheltenham runner-up and recentPunchestown victor

ItsOnThe Line at Ballindenisk

Should the pairremain tiedit would be Declan Queally’s Rocky’s Howyawho would be cr ow ne dc ha mp io no n co un tb ac k, ha vin ga lso recordeda second place

Meanwhile,the southern title is the lastofthe regional riders’ championships to be decidedand atimely double for Chris O’DonovanatBallindenisk meanthemaintaineda one-wincushion over Derek O’Connor, with John Barrya further winner backinthird.

Theother regional titles have all beenwrapped up with Barry O’Neillagain thechampion in the eastand north, while Pa King retains his western title,a prizeheshareswith O’Connor.

Finn and McGill ready for aclose finish

Colin Bowe hashit top gear in thefinal weeks of the season, sendingout five winners last weekend. Hishat-trickatBallindenisk could provekey for Bertie Finn’shopes of landing the Under-21 title.

It hadseemedasthough Dara McGill hadone hand on the trophywith acommanding advantageafortnight agobut sevenwinners in the lastthree weekends have seen Oulart rider Finn launch himself into title contention. He nowsits just twoshortofMcGill.

Theformofthe Bowe stable will ensurefurther twists and turns in this title race,particularly as the handler himself has movedontothe 43-winner mark,leaving him four shortof equalling Robert Tyner ’s modern-dayrecordof47 winners in aseason.

None of Bowe’s fivewinners last weekend will have given him as much pleasureasthe first success hisson Bobby achieved in pony racing.

Rocky’sHowya andChris O’Donovanlandthe open at Ballindenisk to levelwith Bold Enough in thetitleraceand set up afascinating final weekend of theseason

Aregular by hisfather’s side at point-to-pointfixtures around the country, Bowe’s firstwinnerinthe saddle came at NavanonSunday.

Downpatrick to host newhunter chase

Anew race will be addedtothe calendar on Fridayevening whenDownpatrick hosts the Down RoyalCorporation of Horsebreeders HuntersChase Tophunter chasersVaucelet and Billawayare among the entries for the race over three and ahalf miles,which features as partofafixture supportedby the race’s sponsor

TheDRCOH, which hasbeen offeringsupportand fundingto the thoroughbred breeding and ra cin gi ndus tr yi n Northern Ireland since the change of managementat Down Royalracecourse at the end of 2018, will alsohosta po in t- to- poi nt aw ar ds ceremonyfor the northern region in the evening. This will seethe achievements of the region’s leading riders,handlers and breeders recognised.