Point to Point Weekly 24-5-2023

Furius finish

DEREK O’CONNOR

‘We can look back on along c that has provided many highlig confirmed the good health of t point-to-point scene’ Page 2

Amomentous season drawstoaclose with some exciting performances including afine victory for Marcus Furius at Inchydoney Reports, pages 4-5 s

campaign g the

IN F BAR

‘The mo strong a aca national

otivation to keep chasing is as as ever’ The champion rider reflects mpaign that brought him his seventh title Page 3

DerekO’Connor Straight to thePoint Vitalfor sport’sfuturethatwe concentrateonthe community

ANOTHERseason has endedand we canlook backonacampaign that hasprovidedmany highlights and confirmedthe goodhealth of the Irish point-to-pointscene

LastweekHRI publishedareport on the economic and social contribution made by the Irish racingand breedingindustries.It notedthe role playedbypoint-topoints andsummed up the situation as follows:“Point-to-pointrepresents the grassroots of Irish national hunt racing.. .takingplace in 24 of the32 Irish counties in 2022, it hasproven itself as the formingground forthe finesttalent, both humanand equine,and contributing significantly to ruralcommunities.”

TheDeloittereportmakes reference to sales figures for point-topointhorses from the 2021-22 season, givingatotal of £34m for sales at public auction and an estimateof£17m for private transactions,bringingthe aggregate sale value of Irish point-to-point graduates to an estimated £51m.The figuresare expressed in sterling because amajority of the auctions takeplace in British sales rings.

Of course, this does not takeinto accountthe massiveturnoveratthe majorIrish store-horsesales hosted by Goffs and Tattersalls Ireland.

They arekey to the partplayedby Irish point-to-pointinginthe cycleof jump racingbecause this is howthe majorhandlersand individual owners replenish their stock, reinvestingafter sellingthe fouryear-olds and five-year-olds whose abilityand potential areshowcased up and down the countryfrom autumn to spring in everyseason.

Thesuccessofthis businessmodel hasbeenresponsible for increasing the influence of Irish point-to-points on the wider jumpingscene.Onthe backofa strong 2022-23 season, the outlook is bright for theupcoming store-horsesales.

It wasalsogood to see the Deloitte report mention some of the things you can’tactually measure. The report pays tributetothe social importanceofpoint-to-points, describing“apride of place asset” to the community that “contributes to the wellbeingofthe local population”.

That reflects the importance of the voluntaryworkdone by hunt committees in organisingpoint-topoints.I’m sure Ispeak for my fellow riders and handlers in thanking them all for all their greatwork.

Special thanks go to the committees who made an extra efforttoprovide arange of other activities for racegoers to make it an enjoyable dayout for families and children.

It’s vitally importantfor the future of the sportthat we continue to concentrateonthe community aspectand make surethe local point-to-pointinour particular area is regarded as an annual highlightinthe life of the community.

Aseason of manyhighlights

Throughout the season, at allthe majorfestivals and on all the big occasions,the racingpublic in Britain and Ireland sawmany outstandingproducts of the Irish point-to-pointfield Pride of place is taken by the former Warren Ewing-trained Constitution Hill, abrilliant winner of the Champion Hurdle and undefeatedinseven racecourse starts since he wasbeaten aheadina maiden at Tipperaryjustovertwo years ago.

He hasthe jumpingworld at his feet and wasthe star of aseason in which Honeysuckle lost her unbeaten recordbut stillmanaged to go out in stylebywinning the Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, almost fiveyearsafter her winningdebutfor JerryCosgraveat Dromahane.From beginningtoend,she wasa huge credit to everyone involved with her Other highlights includedaKing George victoryfor the former Donnchadh Doyle-trained LingstownwinnerBravemansgame,

and asecond Grand National winfor aLucinda Russell-trainedIrish pointinggraduate. Corach Rambler, aMonksgrange winner for John Martin Walsh,emulated the 2017 winner OneFor Arthur

Amongthe novices,therewas a Grade 1chase winatPunchestown for Feronily. Hard to believehe reachedthat level lessthansix months after Irodehim to wina maiden at Rathcannon for Ellmarie Holden. That wassometraining performance by EmmetMullins,who gave me apersonalhighlight of the season when IrodeIts On TheLine towin the Irish DailyStar Champion Hunter ChaseatPunchestown

Although not directly linked to the point-to-pointscene,Igot agreat kickout of the achievements of trainer John Kiely with ADream To Share, winner of the Grade 1 bumpers at Cheltenham and Punchestown.John wasabrilliant mentor to me at the startofmy career and is an inspiration to anyone who loves jump racing.

Another memorable thingabout the season wasthe retirement (twice!) of Davy Russell, who left the amateur ranks in 2002 as jointchampion point-to-pointrider with the greatJohn Thomas McNamara and never forgothis roots.

He rode the lastGrade 1winner of his brilliantcareeratAintree.The horse wasFrench-bred,but its name wasIrish Pointwhichseemed fitting.

Congratulations all round Most of this year’s titles were well and trulyinthe bagbeforethe final weekend. Colin Bowe equalledhis career-bestscoreof46wins, along wayclear of Donnchadh Doyleand SamCurling each with 25.

BarryO’Neill toppedthe 60 mark for the fourth time in his career, riding64winners.Iwas adistant runner-up on 33, one ahead of Rob James.Barry alsotook thenorthern and eastern titles

Dara McGill wasa deserving winner of the under-21 title, ending with 16 wins and three clear of the strong-finishingBertie Finn.

Thenextgenerationofriders is beginningtotakeshape,and severalothers,includingthe likes of Alan O’Sullivan and Brian Dunleavy, arepoised to make further progressgiven the right opportunities

Maxine O’Sullivan edged out MoiraMcElligottbyeight to seven to land the women riders’ title,while a last-dayBallingarry double for JohnnyBarry meanthesharedthe southern region honours with Chris O’Donovan. Therewas also atie for the western title between Pa King and me

To round things off Iwantto mention fiveyoung riders who enjoyedabig momentonthe last weekend of the season, Frankie MurphyonBreaking Silence,Luke Carberry on No More Lockdown, Sophie Carter on Croi Corcra, and Jack Sutton on Lanziano,all at the two-dayBallingarryfixture, and James Cousins on Chief Lady at Inchydoney.

All fivecelebrated ridingtheir first winner and Ihonestly can’t think of a better waytoend theseason than to see theseyoungstersachievethat milestone

Ihopetheywill be inspired to work hard to preparefor nextseason. Whether theywanttobuild acareer in racing, as arider,orinanother industrysector, or simply enjoyitas ahobby, Ihopethey’ll find it a rewardingactivity. Iwish them all well for the future.

‘A last-day Ballingarry doublefor JohnnyBarry meanthe shared thesouthern region honourswith ChrisO’Donovan’

James Cousins’success on ChiefLadymakes himone of fiveyoung riders to record afirstpoints victorylast weekend

HEALYRACING

BarryO’Neill, the champion rider, looksbackon anotherhugely successfulseason

EVEN though it’s my seventhtime winningthe overall title,the motivation to chaseitisstill as strong as it waswhen Iwon my firsttitle backin2017.

In this game,ifyou settle for anythinglessyou wouldn’tbe givingityourfull 100 percent.

Formeit’sall go andthat’s the main targetbecause you can’t takeanythingfor granted.

RobJamesand Iwerevery closefor agood portion of the season until unfortunately he gotinjured.Itwould have been alot closer butfor that. He’s backrace-ridingagain and that is the main thing.

I’mveryfortunatetobein the position I’min and Idon’t takeany of the supportI receivefor grantedbecause thereare alwaysyoung riders comingthrough

That’s what it’s all about. It keeps people likemegoing because if you arenot up to the mark thereare plenty of young riders theretostepinto yourshoes.

It hasbeenagoodseason overall. Therewereacouple of weeks whereitgot abit quieter.Iwas stillriding winners butmaybe not quite

NEWS AND VIEWS

‘Ifyou’renot up to the mark thereare plenty of youngridersthere to step into your shoes’

at the rate Ihad beenearlier in the season.

Colin Bowe’s horses were under acloud for acouple of weeks andthere were alot of bugs and coughs goingaround differentyards this year

Everyone seemedtohavetheir peaks and troughs butColin’s horses were backingreat form to finish the season strongly It wasalsoa difficult time for David Christie acouple of months ago. He gave us a scare, buthis sonDavid and the team in the yard did a brilliantjob.Itwould have beendifficult for them to keep goingbut they still hadalot of winners.

Idon’t think Vaucelet wasat his best in Cheltenham.There were acouple of weeks when

David thoughthis horses just weren’t fully right.

Unfortunately, it just happenedtobearound thosebig races.It’s just the wayitis, butthereisso much to look forward to with his horses

Through it all, Bold

Enough kept winningopens David is just unbelievable at findingthesehorses year in year out. Allthe credit hasto go to him.

He hasfound another superstarwith Bold Enough He’s not the biggestbut he is a

brillianthorse; he’s adream to ride.

Hisowner RayNicholas has Ferns Lock, Ultimate Optimist, andnow Bold Enough, which is great as Rayhas beenabig supporterof the yard for a longtime.

It’s the same with John Hegartyand Jennifer O’Kane havingVauceletand Winged Leader.It’sgreat to see all their supportbeing rewarded

This year wasparticularly busy as Iwas heavilyinvolved with the inspections for the

store sales.IjoinedTattersalls Ireland in Februarylastyear and this year Isaw morethan 300 horses

Theinspections startedin Februaryand you would tryto have everythingwrappedup beforeCheltenham

It is sixorseven weeks where you don’t have much family time and it involves a lot of juggling.

Iwould be with Colin every day, butheisverygood at managingitsoIcan getaway for acouple of days

It wasn’t too bad when Iwas doinglocal inspections.I mightbeable to ride outinthe morningand then go offtosee as many horses as daylight allowed Idoenjoy it though.You are

goinginand meetingalot of people,and seeingthe other side of the game.Itreinforces howimportantpoint-topointinghas become to the whole racinggame, and that is down to so many people, many of whom givetheir time as volunteers.Without them thesefixturescouldn’t take place Iamverylucky to have the supportthat Ido, notonly from Colin, David and their whole teams,but thereare so many different handlers –people likeTom Dreaper and many others,who have suppliedmewith winnersthis season, and it really doesn’t go unnoticed.

BARRYO’NEILL WASTALKING TO EOGHAIN WARD

It’s Rocky’stitle withoutreturning to thering

BOLD ENOUGHmissed the champion point-to-pointtitle by aneckwhen finishingthird behind dead-heatersinthe BallingarryopenonSaturday.

He needed to winhis ninth race of the season to clinchthe title as his rivalRocky’s Howya stayed at home in his box.

Tied on eightwins apiece, Rocky’sHowya earnedthe title on countback afterasecond place at Dromahane

However, for all butthe dying strides of the open it looked as though the title belonged to Bold Enough

Hisconnections must have felttheyhad one hand on the prizeasthe eight-year-old led the field into the home straight, aposition he held until almost the laststride.However,hewas caughtbythe late swoop of dead-heatingduo Focus Point and Stranger Danger

Theend of thepoint-to-point season frequently delivers abig showdownbut theydon’t comemoredramatic than the final strides of this open.

O’Neill tops charts with record strike-rate BarryO’Neill hadthe national title wrappedupwell before

the season-ending fixtures, with the shoulder injurythat his chief rivalRob James suffered in late Februar y allowing him to saunterto another commandingsuccess.

Histotal of 64 wins is almost double that of runner-up Derek O’Connor’s 33 as he notched

his higheststrike-ratetodateof 32.8 percent.

That ensured the focuslast weekend wasonthe southern title,whichagain served up late drama. Afinal-day double at Ballingarryfor John Barrysaw the Connarider jump from thirdinthe table to takeashare

of the title with fellowCorkman Chris O’Donovan. It wasthe first time eitherhad wona regional crown.

Therewas asixth ladies’title for Maxine O’Sullivan as she stayedone winclear of Moira McElligott,whileDaraMcGill clinchedthe under-21 title with

his 16th success of the season

TheDerry rider is the first from Northern Ireland to win the title since it waschanged to an under-21 awardin1991.

Ayear before, IanBuchanan hadwon the title for athird consecutive timewhenitwas for 7lb claimers.Now it is a

strong guide to futuretop riders and McGilland his brother Oran look settoplay leadingroles

Bowe equals his record but misses Tyner’stotal

Colin Bowe fell one shortof matchingRob er tTyner ’s modern recordof47winsina season after one victoryateach of lastweekend’s threefixtures left him on the46-winner mark,but he matched his own best tally from lastseason.

In winningthe handlers’title foran11th time and ninth in a row, he won21 races more than anyother trainer

With Bowe,Donnchadh Doyle, SamCurling, David Christie andDeclan Queally, the season’sfive best handlers, the table hasaver yeven geographic spread

However, when you lookat the commercially lucrative four-year-old division,in which Bowe wasagain the leadingtrainerwith 15 wins, the impactofWexfordhandlers becomes evident.

They were responsible for winning85ofthe 129races, highlightingjusthow significant their impact hasbeen.

HEAL YR AC ING

Rocky’sHowya scoresatDromahaneinApril underChris O’Donovanfor thesixth of theeight victoriesthatgavehim histitle

SEASON’S FINAL STANDINGS

Three-way thriller enough to end Bold bid for title

THE Foremans open lived up to its billing as the day’s feature at Ballingarry, with racegoers at the Tipperary venue treated to the spectacle of three horses flashing across the line with little separating them.

Th e ju dg e ultim at el y awarded a dead-heat between the Timmy Hyde-trained Focus Po in t and Coli n Bo we ’s Stranger Danger, with that pair a neck clear of Bold Enough in third.

Bold Enough, winner of all previous eight starts this season, appeared set for a comfortable success – and the leading pointer title – when forging past longtime leader Focus Point on the run to the final fence, with Stranger Danger eight lengths adrift

However, Stranger Danger moved closer for Ross Berry approaching the last fence and

Star performance

Breaking Silence outbattled her stablemate Cant Touch This as the pair pulled 17 lengths clear of their rivals

Focus Point staged a determined rally on the flat under his trainer’s grandson Dan Hyde, before the pair surged past Bold Enough just before the line to share the spoils in thrilling style

This was most meritoriously Focus Point’s fifth success of the season and the recent Downpatrick hunter chase runnerup, owned by handler Hyde’s wife Trish, is likely to return for another point-to-point and hunter chase campaign.

Stranger Danger, a 2021 Downpatrick auction maiden hurdle winner when trained by Denise ‘Sneezy’ Foster, is also

likely to be back in action next se as on in the famili ar Milestone Bloodstock silks

The meeting was dominated by younger riders with 21-yearold Ross Sugrue partnering his first double, the Tralee native bringing up his brace on the Sean Doyle-trained Moves Like Monty in the second division of the Clifton Farm five-year-old geldings’ maiden. Moves Like Monty made amends for falling three out on his return at Ballindenisk the previous Sunday and picked up the running two out.

The son of Sageburg looked to be travelling best when his

ORMOND AT BALLINGARRY SUNDAY

pursuer I Masked Du Potier fell at the final fence, and duly returned with 14 lengths to spare over Sunny Light.

“He’s a grand horse who was a bit unlucky on his tw o previous runs and he’ll now go to Doncaster sales,” Doyle’s younger brother Gearoid said of the Monbeg Partnershipowned winner Sugrue, who works full time with another Doyle sibling Donnchadh, got off the mark on Diamond Jetaway in the Duggan Veterinary Supplies five-year-old mares’ maiden.

Diamond Jetaway, one of three runners in the race for

handler Ger Lawless, made all the running and maintained a relentless gallop to beat Game Colours by a length

“She’s a decent mare that wants proper nice ground and Ross gave her a copybook ride,” Lawless said.

Frankie Murphy, a 17-yearold from Skibbereen, rode his first winner on owner-handler Harley Dunne’s Breaking Silence in the Goffs UK Spring Sale & Murphy Contractors four-year-old mares’ maiden. Breaking Silence atoned for pulling up on her debut at Fair yhouse last month by surging past her front-running

More planned for old boy Fr Humphrey

NIAMH HENNESSY is already looking forward to the next campaign after her veteran pe rf or me r Fr Humphrey ended the season with his third victory of recent weeks in the Dr John Sazenski Memorial ladies’ open.

The 15-year-old came out of retirement to win at Dromahane and Stowlin last month and his Fermoy-based owner-trainer was again in the saddle to employ the same front-running tactics successful at the Galway venue three weeks earlier

Making all of the running, the Carlo Bank gelding proved two and a half lengths too good for Act In Time

“I knew from Stowlin that he likes getting his own way in front,” Hennessy said. “I’ll put him away for the season now and hopefully have him for

Star performance

Croi Corcra made light of her absence by winning as she pleased from the front

early autumn once the ground is good and for spring as well.”

Hennessy was not the only handler to steer her own horse to success, as Jack Sutton mat ch ed th at fea t when guiding Lanziano home in the Glue Pot older maiden.

Narrowly touched off at odds of 250-1 in a Kilbeggan maiden hurdle in 2021 when under the care of Dermot McLoughlin, the seven-year-old stepped forward from two fifth-placed runs since switching to Sutton’s Ballydunne yard by forcing Knockiel Synge to fill the runner-up spot for the seventh time in his career

“I was confident enough coming here as he’s never been as well,” Sutton said of his first winner as rider and handler “I try my best with him I look after him, so I didn’t really have many excuses today.”

It al so proved a day to remember for Sophie Carter as she was credited with her first success when Croi Corcra returned from an absence to claim the Fairymount Properties & Seymore Kenny mares’ winners-of-three

Not seen since pulling up over hurdles at Tramore nine months earlier, Colin Bowe’s six-year-old won twice in the pointing fields last season before progressing to the track, and the mare brought her tally to four with an eight-length defeat of Morning Star

“Colin has been very good to

Fr Humphrey continued in fine form for a third win this spring

stablemate Cant Touch This inside the final 50 yards to win by a neck.

It was also a red-letter day for 22-year-old Navan rider Luke Carberry, who had his first winner on No More Lockdown in the Liffey Mills winners-ofone for novice riders

No More Lockdown, owned and bred by the Ballon-based Raheenwood Syndicate, took command two out to beat Chitchat Sally by two and a half lengths.

It wa s ha ndler Wi llie Murphy’s 12th winner of his best season.

Beamish takes applause on home turf as Fox gives pursuers the slip

McGill combined with Gerald Quinn to win the first division of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden with Toomebridge third Aughafatten, and the Gary Murphy-trained Boys Will Be Boys booked his pa ssa ge to t his we ek ’s Doncaster sale by landing the Denis Hogan Racing four-yearold auction maiden under Shane O’Rourke

after third win

me this year because I hadn’t much experience and he kept putting me up,” Carter said.

“He gave me a horse to ride for the season and he’s given me loads of experience I started riding five-year-olds and had my first four-year-old spin too. I’m just hoping for a good start to next season now, especially after getting that first winner.”

The two-length success of The Kids Choice in the Fairymount Farm Adventures & Alan King Agri Sales six-yearold mares’ maiden opened a double for John Barry.

Eamonn Ga lla gher ’s daughter of Sholokhov justified her position at the top of the market by kicking clear of Neat Locality on the run-in.

Th e Conn a ri der then combined with William Treacy

to take the Jimmy Neville Memorial six-year-old maiden with Bennettshill.

Absent for 13 months since his Dromahane debut last year, the Mahler gelding proved four lengths too good for American Hero in a crucial success for his partner as it earned him a share of the southern riders’ title with Chris O’Donovan.

David O’Brien ensured all four of the weekend’s fouryear-old maiden races were won by Wexford stables when his Walkingoneggshells took a step up to land the Tattersalls NH & T Toohey & Sons fouryear-old geldings’ maiden.

One of four winners to take full advantage of pacesetting tactics, the bay son of Affinisea comfortably dismissed the challenge of Driveondonn by four lengths

THE biggest cheer of the day at In ch yd one y ca me when Imperial Fox, owned and bred by the fixture’s landowner, Leslie Beamish, landed the Fe rn hill Ho us e Ho te l & Gardens winners-of-one

Th e fiv e-y ear -old, a Dromahane adjacent hunt maiden winner on her previous start last month for handler Padraig Butler, moved through to pick up the running under James Hannon on the inner before two out and held off the staying-on Romeo Magico to win by half a length in the day’s cl os est finish Th e pair returned one and a half lengths clear of third-placed Tuff Days

“She improved a lot from her first run and she’ll be left off now with a view to coming back for a bumper at Listowel in September,” said Timoleague native Butler, who reported that his Punchestown festival runner-up Da Capo Glory would run over the summer Da Capo Glory’s regular partner, Darragh Allen, kept his supporters happy by teaming up with Con McSweeney to

Star performance

Marcus Furius left his rivals trailing as he sprinted clear for an impressive debut win

collect the Clonakilty Food Company five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden on the ultra-consistent Rebel Treaty

Runner-up on two out of her thr ee pr evi ou s ou ti ng s, including when chasing home Gain Mares’ Final heroine Majestic Design on her return at Castlelands in March, Rebel Treaty disputed the running until going for home three out.

She duly returned with four lengths to spare over Lucky Ma hl er, tr ai ne d by the meeting’s starter Ray Hurley.

“She had the form in the book and relished the good ground. If she’s not sold, she’ll go for a maiden hurdle at Listowel in a few weeks,” the Waterfall-based McSweeney said.

The winner is owned by the four-member Rebel Treaty Syndicate that comprises McSweeney’s wife Niamh,

Derry O’Hanlon, Liam Power and Eimear Cremin.

Seventeen-year-old James Cousins, a fifth-year student at St Peter’s College, Wexford, rode his first winner on the Rob James-trained Chief Lady in the Dunmore House Hotel four-year-old mares’ maiden.

In a race in which the frontrunning pair of Minimongous and Rory’s Story departed four out, the once-raced Chief Lady came through to lead after the second-last to beat Kieran Roche’s Stopwouldya by three lengths in the colours of the Matchmaker Syndicate.

Cousins was getting off the mark on only his third attempt, while Chief Lady was bred by his sister Grace, who stayed at home on the family farm outside Kilmore to milk the cows that evening.

Owner-trainer Harley Dunne continued his terrific end to the season by sending out Marcus Furius to post a stunning debut su ccess in the Mc Ca rt hy GreenBuild Construction Co Ltd & Tattersalls NH four-yearold geldings’ maiden.

Th e so n of Ce nt au ri an arrived from mid-division to pick up the running with Tiernan Power approaching three out and bounded clear to beat Kilkee Bay 14 lengths.

“He was pre-trained by Luke Murphy and had only one school on grass, but his work has always been very good,” Dunne said.

Th e Mi ck Go ff -tr aine d Georgie Burgess returned to the form of his Aghabullogue second on testing ground in January by taking the Clogheen Homes Developments Ltd fiveyear-old geldings’ maiden under Mikey Sweeney.

Ge or gie Bu rg es s to ok command from the last to beat long-time leader Validation by a length in the silks of Goff’s wife Catriona.

The Colin Bowe-trained Seattle Seahawk , re prese nt in g br eed er Ma ri a Kavanagh, led from three out under Ross Berry to see off Banditboi by nine lengths in the Springmount Stud sixye ar -old and up wa rd s geldings’ maiden.

Pictures HEALY RACING

Runners in the four-year-old mares’ maiden won by 17-yearold Frankie Murphy on board Breaking Silence (orange)

Champion novice rider Dara

Imperial Fox and James Hannon land a popular success for landowner Leslie Beamish to the delight of the Inchydoney crowd

Byleadingsire ADLERFLUG, out ofaGermanOaks-Gr.1winner and an own-brotherto another Group 1winner and German Champion

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.

Colt ex Henry’s Girl from the family of BLACK QUEEN and BOLD SIR BRIAN Owned by Calluna House Stud.

Colt ex La Bella Roma, half-sister to VEGAS BLUE and out of a half-sister to BELLSHILL, whose second foal by Walk In The Park sold for €100,000 last November. Owned by Frank & Paul Motherway

Colt ex Urca de Lima, winner of a bumper and over hurdles. Owned by Ronan Ely

Filly ex Transsylvania, whose first two foals both won Classics in Denmark! Owned by Dean P. Olsen.

Colt ex Miss Ginsburg, from the immediate family of STRONG FLOW and CARRIG MILLIE Owned by Miss Jane Mangan.

GermanDerby-Gr.1winner, defeating ‘Arc’winner TorquatorTasso, and a neck second inthefollowingyear’s ‘Arc’