SEASON’S LEADERS

THE all-conquering Bold

Enough scared away all rivals for the Boyds Stores open, leaving David Christie’s charge to gain his all-important eighth success of the season in a walkover as the champion point-to-pointer title race moves on to the final weekend of the season.

“We were both disappointed and relieved there was a walkover as the title chase is going to go right to the wire,” Christie said.

Christie’s prediction was correct as Rocky’s Howya’s success the following day meant the rivals drew level again and the final fixtures will decide the title.

“We will have to look at a meeting next weekend to get back on top,” Christie said.

“Owner Ray Nicholas is a great supporter of the yard and we

Star performance

Wendigo bounced back to the form of his promising debut after a below-par effort last time have had great luck this year Let’s hope this lad takes the title.”

Bold Enough’s rider Barry O’Neill signed off on his northern campaign with a treble having twice combined with his regular ally Colin Bo we , includin g when Wendigo gained a deserved victory in division one of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.

The French-bred son of Great Pretender had looked set to chase home the subsequent £420,000 se ller Ja lon D’Oudairies at Lingstown in March only to jink and unseat O’Neill on the run-in.

He did himself no favours by running off the home bend, but he was able to overcome that by staying on strongly up the hill to beat King Of Answers by a length and a quarter

The Wexford pair completed their day’s work when Theatrical Getaway backed up his easy Dawstown success 12 days earlier in the Lynda Hughes Memorial winners-of-one

Tr y as the Dr om ah ane winner Barton Snow did to keep the son of Getaway honest on the climb for the line, the six-year-old had too much in reserve for victory by two and a half lengths

“He has a lovely profile,” Bowe said. “I’d love to hold on to him, but I’d say he will be for sale now after two convincing wins in a row.”

O’Neill had his brother Jim to thank for den yin g him a

United At Ballindenisk Sunday

ROCKY’S HOWYA bounced back to winning ways with his eighth success of the season to draw level with Bold Enough in the ra ce to be cr ow ne d champion pointer.

The Declan Queally-trained Rocky’s Howya, whose winning streak came to a halt when beaten into second by Niamh Hennessy’s Fr Humphrey at Dromahane on April 23 , faced a formidable opponent in Emmet Mullins’ Its On The Line in the Pipelife Renewable Heating Solutions open.

The pair had previously clashed at the Cheltenham Festival two months earlier when Its On The Line came second and Rocky’s Howya fourth Rocky’s Howya got into a lovely rhythm under regular partner Chris O’Donovan in mid-division and picked up the running after three out. It

Star performance

Castle Ivers scarcely saw another rival as he made every inch of the running on his debut triumphant seven-year-old stayed on stoutly to beat Its On The Line by four lengths with Stranger Danger returning a further two and a half lengths adrift in third.

“The three-week break from Dromahane definitely helped and he will probably run at Ballingarry next weekend,” said the handler’s son Declan of the winner, owned by Margaret Kiely from Dungarvan.

O’Donovan consolidated his lead in the southern region ri der s’ championship by departing with two winners, the Sha nb all ym ore ri de r opening his account on Tom Ke at in g’ s im pr ess iv e newcomer Castle Ivers in the second division of the Goffs UK four-timer when the champion rider’s mount Barrons Land was overhauled on the run-in by Maggie O, a Getaway mare who was carrying Jim ONeill’s black and blue colours in the Seven Stars mares’ maiden.

The Sean Doyle-trained fiveyear-old took a step up under Jack Hendrick to win by half a length at the third time of asking.

Doyle came short of saddling a double when his Bridge Court proved no match for Roadlesstravelled, trained by his you ng er br other

Donnchadh, in division two of the four-year-old maiden.

The €44,000 Derby sale purchase had lost all chance when badly hampered two out at Loughanmore on his debut a month earlier but he made amends as Rob James guided him to a comfortable victory by nine and a half lengths

Rust To Riches could be asked to follow up his victory in the Philip McCabe Quantity Su rveyor olde r ge ldi ng s’ maiden, with a hunter chase at Downpatrick on Friday.