Double victory for O’Connor at Tuam

ONE of the highlights of the point-to-point season so far has been the battle between reigning champion Derek O’Connor and his closest pursuer Jamie Codd for this year’s leading rider award.
Both men were in action on Sunday with O’Connor just shading it when riding two winners at the North Galway session at Belclare. 
It was a bitterly cold afternoon at the Tuam venue but O’Connor wasted little time in opening his account when taking the opening four-year-old maiden aboard Pat Doyle’s debutante Don’t Back Down.
This Gigginstown House Stud newcomer opened up1/2 favourite before drifting out to 5/4 at the off. Settled in third place in the early stages, Don’t Back Down was sent to the front two out by O’Connor but had to withstand a strong challenge from runner-up Another Harbour who closed to within half a length at the line.
Doyle, who trains a strong draft of well-bred horses for Ryanair boss, Michael O’Leary at his Holycross, County Tipperary yard, outlined, “We think a lot of this horse. He is a half brother to Highland Valley, who runs in Cheltenham during the week and we’ll probably go for a bumper with him next.”
O’Connor completed his double in the first division of the concluding mares’ maiden where his mount, 6/4 favourite Knockiel Spirit, ran out a facile winner.
In the front two out, this daughter of Overbury showed no signs of stopping as she forged clear to beat Grangeclare Abbey by eight lengths.
This latest brace takes O’Connor’s tally for the season to 53, five clear of Codd who managed just one winner at his local Lingstown, County Wexford meeting.
Former champion, John Thomas McNamara, was also in double form at last Sunday’s Belclare meeting with the Croom jockey paying his first visit of the afternoon to the winners’ enclosure aboard the strongly-supported Cottage Flyer (5/2-5/4F) in the second heat of the confined maiden.
Having his first start for Craughwell trainer Paul Gilligan, Cottage Flyer made all under a perfectly judged front-running McNamara drive to beat Finish The Story by eight lengths.
Michael Hourigan’s Best Served Cold completed McNamara’s double when showed great resolution in the winners’ race.
This 4/1 shot, who also carries the Gigginstown House colours, got the better of odds on favourite Phar From A Friend (1/2F) when running on with real gusto to beat the market leader by a head.
It was a red-letter day for Abbeyknockmoy trainer Clodagh Beegan, who saddled her first winner as a trainer when taking the second section of the concluding mares’ maiden with Rhialass.
Jason McKeown did the steering on this 4/1 shot and the pair had this contest in the bag from a long way out, pulling away in the closing stages to see of only other finisher Anshan Bay by six lengths.

Nolan dominates at Limerick

Wexford trainer Paul Nolan has hit a real purple patch of late and that fact was underlined as the Enniscorthy handler registered a 140/1 treble at Limerick last Sunday.
Golden Sunbird (8/1) started the ball rolling for Nolan when running out a clear-cut winner of the Listed Kerry Group Novice Hurdle.
Racing in the silks of Jim Mernagh, Golden Sunbird was given a dashing ride by Michael Doran, who sent his mount to the head of affairs on the run to two out with the winner exerting control from there to see off runner-up Definite Class by 18 lengths.
Doran was also on board Nolan’s second winner, Aura About You, who gave owner Mernagh a double when claiming the Grade 3 Dawn Run Novice Chase.
This Supreme Leader filly hit the front at the final fence and wasn’t to be denied with the 6/1 shot forging clear on the run-in to hold the determined challenge of 4/11 favourite For Bill by three lengths.
This was something of a surprise result with the winner being rewarded with a very nice winner’s cheque of close to €28,000.
Nolan’s hat-trick was completed in the Beginners’ Chase where the Davy Russell-ridden Politeo justified 5/4 favouritism when beating Beckwith by nine lengths.
Odds-on punters suffered a reversal in the concluding winners’ bumper as Willie Mullins’ Lovethehigherlaw proved a costly failure.
Believed to be under consideration for the Cheltenham bumper at one stage, the1/2 shot got turned over here when well beaten by 8/1 outsider Mount Benbulben.
The winner, who is trained in County Meath by Gillian O’Callaghan, was sent to the front by Andrew Duff off the home bend and the Beneficial six-year-old showed scant regard for his more fancied rival when pulling away in the closing stages to score by eight lengths.
There was also racing at Navan on Sunday where the featured Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Chase went to 10/1 shot Wicklow Lad.
This Francis Flood-trained seven-year-old was ridden by promising claimer Adrian Heskin, who forged his mount clear on the uphill climb to the post to beat Pauline Gavin’s 3/1 favourite Ad Idem by seven lengths.
Dessie Hughes was on target in the opening maiden hurdle where his 11/4 favourite, Dun Masc, ran out a ridiculously easy winner under Paddy Kennedy. Clear after three out, Dun Masc quite simply toyed with the opposition as he strode a facile 23-length win over runner-up American Touch. The winner, who has come back from serious injury, will now head to Fairyhouse’s upcoming Easter festival.
John ‘Shark’ Hanlon is one of the most popular characters in racing and the Kilkenny trainer was on the mark as his Hidden Cyclone justified the cramped odds of 4/11 favourite in the two-mile, seven-furlong novice hurdle.
A high-class sort, Hidden Cyclone was ridden by Andrew McNamara who had the six-year-old in front early in the home straight and the Florence Mee-owned Stowaway gelding showed a clean pair of heels to his three rivals when powering up the final hill to beat Fists of Fury by 13 lengths.
The concluding bumper at the County Meath venue was a real family affair with Expresso Lady, ridden by Kate Harrington and trained by her mother Jessica for her husband John,  justifying 3/1 favouritism when storming clear from halfway for a very impressive success.