Four winners for O’Connor

TUBBER jockey Derek O’Connor proved the man to follow at last Sunday’s County Clare Hunt meeting at Quakerstown, Boston, where the local favourite thrilled his huge home following when riding four winners.

O’Connor was quickly on the score sheet at the inaugural fixture over the scenic left-handed track when taking the five-year-old geldings’ maiden aboard well-backed Tipperary raider Croan Rock (2/1-5/4f). Trained in Holycross by Pat Doyle for his wife Mary, Croan Rock was always travelling well and stayed on best from the final fence to beat runner-up Sir Mattie by two lengths.
Later in the afternoon, O’Connor teamed-up with his trainer brother, Paurick to claim the winners’ race with 4/5 favourite Tullymackan. Owned by the Seán Taaffe from Tubber-headed The Three Dudes Syndicate, Tullymackan looked a very nice prospect when pulling away in the closing stages to beat the Tommy Considine-ridden Manucho by six lengths. The winner has a two-and-a-half-mile point-to-point bumper at Tipperary as his primary target after this easy success.
Six-time champion O’Connor teamed-up with his neighbour, John Staunton, to land the first leg of the six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden with the well-backed 2/1 shot Lavally Legend.
Sent to the front from the drop of the flag, Lavally Legend, who carries the colours of Galway man Tom McNamara, did the business in good fashion when staying on strongly for a five-length win over Cork raider, King’s Lion.
Shortly after, 27-year-old O’Connor posted his fourth success of the day when bagging the second division of this event aboard the Tony Martin-trained newcomer Sensational Sema.
This even-money shot made his move after two out and had to dig deep to get the better of Kilmurry Kid, with a length separating the pair at the line.
Grand National-winning jockey Jason Titley tasted success when sending out Noel Glynn’s I’m So Lonely to land the concluding confined hunt maiden for novice riders. Off the track for nearly two years, the 2/1 shot benefitted from a terrific ride from lady rider Becky Smith, when coming home 12 lengths to the good over the Raymond Lee-trained Classic Gallery.
John Thomas McNamara is a very popular figure among Clare point-to-point fans and the Croom jockey kept his supporters happy when leaving the fixture with two winners.
Enda Bolger’s Zee Zee (2/1-7/2) gave McNamara his first success of the afternoon when taking the opening four-year-old maiden in good style. Second at Loughrea seven days earlier, Zee Zee showed the benefit of that outing when forging clear in the closing stages to beat the only other finisher, Henry Hurst, by two lengths.
McNamara went on to complete his double later in the afternoon as he claimed the first leg of the six-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden aboard Conor Magner’s Maire Bhridin. The 3/1 shot came with a telling challenge to collar second-placed Oscar’s Business on the run-in for a one-length victory.
The second division of the event ended in controversy as the John Daniel Moore-partnered Lough Donnell Mist (7/2f) scored for Miltown Malbay handler Danny Howard. Moore appeared to take a shortcut off the home bend when cutting inside a couple of markers en-route to a two-length victory over runner-up Against The Law but a subsequent stewards’ enquiry resulted in no alteration to the judge’s placings.
The winner, whom Howard trains at his Miltown yard for his neighbour Michael Callinan, will now be given a break until the autumn.

Results
Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association four-year-old maiden (three miles)
1. Enda Bolger’s Zee Zee b g (Milan-Bella With A Zee) 11-7 JT McNamara; 2. William Roynane’s Henry Hurse 11-7 C Fennessy.
7 ran. Dist: 2l. Only two finished. Winner trained in County Limerick by Enda Bolger.
McNamara Printers five-year-old geldings’ maiden (three miles)
1. Mary Doyle’s Croan Rock b g (Milan-Fiddlers Bar) 12-0 D O’Connor; 2. Eugene McCarthy’s Sir Mattie 12-0 S M Tierney; 3. F Lynch’s He’s A Magpie 12-0 P J O’Neill.
15 ran. Dist: 2L. 8L. 10L. Winner trained in County Tipperary by Pat Doyle.
Goffs Bloodstock Sales six-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden (three miles)
Division one
1. Miriam Magner’s Maire Bhridin b m (Supreme Leader-Rainproof) 12-0 J T McNamara; 2. Aidan Lomasney’s Oscars Business 12-0 D O’Connor; 3. James Hayes’ Snowdrop Lady 12-0 V Lyons.
10 ran. Dist: 1L. 15L. 1L. Winner trained in County Limerick by Conor Magner.
Division two
1. Michael Callinan’s Lough Donnell Mist b m (Presenting-Ardrom) 12-0 J D Moore; 2. Ten Grand Men Syndicate’s Against The Law 12-0 J T McNamara; 3. PJ Hassett’s Candyshop 12-0 C J Murray.
10 ran. Dist: 2L. 5L. 5L. Winner trained in Miltown Malbay by Danny Howard. After a stewards’ enquiry, the result remained unaltered.
O’Neill Bookmakers Winners Of One (three miles)
1. The Three Dudes Syndicate’s Tullymackan b g (Flemensfirth-Jessica’s Pet) 12-0 D O’Connor; 2. Rena McGrath’s Manucho 12-0 T J Considine; 3. Tom McNamara’s Burren Storm 12-0 C McSweeney.
6 ran. Dist: 6L. 5L. 1L. Winner trained in Tubber by Paurick O’Connor.
Hassett Considine Solicitors six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden (three miles)
Division one
1. T McNamara’s Lavally Legend b g (Rainwatch-Kacy’s Legend) 12-0 D O’Connor; 2. Edmond Cogan’s King’s Lion 12-0 C W Fennessy; 3. Patrick Power’s Fiddlers View 12-0 B J Foley.
12 ran. Dist:5l. 10L. 3L. Winner trained in Tubber by John Staunton.
Division two
1. J R Shaw’s Sensational Sema br g (Witness Box-Shuil An Spraoi) 12-0 D O’Connor; 2. John G Hayes’ Kilmurry Kid 12-0 J M O’Connor; 3. PJF Hassett’s Paddysparks 12-0 J D Moore.
12 ran. Dist: 1L. 8L. 1L. Winner trained in County Meath by Tony Martin.
Brian McCarthy Contractors Ltd five-year-old and upwards confined maiden for novice riders (three miles)
1. N F Glynn’s I’m So Lonely b g (Sir Harry Lewis-Saffron Delight) 12-0 R Smith; 2. Thomas J Considine’s Classic Gallery 12-0 T J Considine 3. Pat Callinan’s Riding The Storm 12-0 J M O’Connor.
10 ran. Dist: 12l. 8L. 2L. Winner trained in Spancilhill by Jason Titley.