Horse racing Six weekend winners for O’Connor

Tubber jockey Derek O’Connor made the perfect start to the 2010 segment of the point-to-point season when riding six winners in 48 hours over the weekend.
After a blank spell due to the recent bad weather, the first action of the New Year between the flags went ahead at Aghabullogue, Cork on Saturday afternoon where O’Connor posted a winner when guiding Rossbrin (5/2-3/1)), owned and trained in Tipperary by Roisin Hickey, to a facile success in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.
This son of Flemensfirth assumed command on the downhill run to the final fence before steadily drawing clear to beat Tomcoole Lad by a very easy 15 lengths.
On Sunday afternoon O’Connor was in action at the Scarteen Foxhounds session at Kilfeacle, Tipperary where he totally dominated proceedings when taking the first five races on the card. 
O’Connor struck first when guiding 6/4 favourite Society’s Best to an all-the-way success in the opening confined maiden.
This fellow was always travelling well within himself and, despite a slow jump at the final fence, he had way too much firepower when staying on resolutely on the run to the line to beat runner-up Itsonlyaloan by two-and-a-half-lengths.
The winner is trained in Castelyons, Cork, by Pat Verling and will now head for a hunter chase at Clonmel early next month.
Success number two at the Premier county venue for O’Connor came in the following five-year-old geldings’ maiden where the well-touted First Lieutenant (4/6F) made a hugely-impressive debut.
This Presenting-sired gelding was the talk of the parade ring before the race and he didn’t disappoint when never coming out of second gear to beat the Bon O’Neill-ridden O’Flahertys Man by six lengths.
Trained at nearby Fethard by Mouse Morris for Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud operation, the winner is one of the nicest horses to emerge so far this season and is definitely one for the notebook where the future is concerned.
Morris was also responsible for O’Connor’s third success when giving the 26-year-old the leg-up on his Bohemian Rock (1/2-5/4F), who showed great resolution to claim the following six-year-old geldings’ maiden.
This horse appeared to be under pressure in fourth place heading towards the final fence, but O’Connor galvanised his mount for a late effort with the pair finishing best of all to beat Colin Bowe’s King Of Rohan by a length-and-a-half.
Ex-track performer Dun Doire, who won the 2006 running of the Thyestes Chase when trained by Tony Martin, gave O’Connor his fourth success of the afternoon when coming with a well-timed run to claim the open lightweight.
A tricky customer who has to be produced late, O’Connor timed it to perfection aboard the now 11-year-old when jumping the 5/4 favourite to the front at the last en-route to a snug half-a-length success over On The Net.
Dun Doire’s long-term target is the Foxhunters’ Chase at Cheltenham in March according to his current trainer, Sam Curling.
O’Connor was in unstoppable form at this stage and rounded off his five-timer in fine style when bringing the game Nanos Witness (5/2), trained by his brother Paurick O’Connor for Gort garage proprietor John Howley, home in front in the winners of two event.
This was a big ask for Nanos Witness competing against geldings, but she was well equal to the task when powering clear on the uphill climb to the post to register a two-length victory over runner-up Wattstown Express.
“Nanos Witness is a very decent mare and I’m thrilled she’s won today as she had to do it the hard way. She’ll stick to point-to-pointing for the foreseeable future,” said the winning trainer, who has 25 horses under his wing at his Tubber stables.
While six-time champion O’Connor was in great form after the recent cold snap, so too was his main riders’ championship rival Jamie Codd, who rode four winners at Sunday’s fixture in Tinahely, Wicklow.
This pair’s battle for the 2009/10 jockeys’ crown looks set to dominate the remaining five months of the season which draws to a close at over the Whit weekend in June. The current state of the parties sees Codd leading the current champion by one winner (28-27). Both riders will be in action on Sunday when the two meetings down for decision are the Dungarvan session in Waterford and the Ormond Foxhounds fixture at Nenagh.

Hassett claims Thurles finale
Like his fellow trainers around the country, Quin handler, Donie Hassett, was also inconvenienced by the recent cold spell but that didn’t stop him producing Droim Toll (8/1-7/1) in tip-top shape to land the concluding Molony Cup Handicap Chase at Thurles last Monday.
A good winner of a similar event at Punchestown last October, Droim Toll, who carries the colours of well-known Gort owner, Johnny Kilroy, was given a supremely confident ride by emerging jockey talent Paul Townend.
Usually a front-runner, Droim Toll was dropped in on this occasion before taking closer order with five fences to jump. Heading of the home bend, the eight-year-old was running-on with real purpose and he forged clear in the closing stages for a decisive eight-length success over runner-up Inoma James.
Droim Toll, who two point-to-points – including a competitive winners’ race at Bellharbour – as a six-year-old, has taken some time to show his true form on the racecourse, but now that he has found his feet the shrewd Hassett, who has few equals when it comes to placing horses, will surely find another suitable opportunity for the Simply Great-sired winner in the not too distant future.
Meanwhile, the build-up to the upcoming Cheltenham Festival continues apace and Sunday’s Toshiba Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown should be a very informative affair.
This €110,000 Grade One two-mile contest has attracted 12 entries including Paul Nicholls’ Celestial Halo, who was supplemented at a cost of €11,000 at the final forfeit stage on Tuesday.
Last year’s Champion Hurdle runner-up will add a touch of class to the race and Andy Stewart’s runner will be ridden by regular partner Ruby Walsh.
Other leading contenders among the dozen listed for duty are Solwhit who looks set to renew rivalry with former Champion Hurdle winner Sublimity, whom he beat when the pair clashed in the Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas.
Nicky Henderson has last season’s Champion Hurdle hero Punjabi engaged but he is more likely to run in the Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock 24 hours earlier, while Noel Meade’s Donnas Palm is another intended runner in Sunday’s showpiece.
The MCR Hurdle (formerly run under the Pierse Hurdle banner) which was lost during the recent barren spell has been rescheduled for Saturday afternoon at the Foxrock track.
A total of 41 entries have stood their ground for what is the most valuable handicap of the season in this country with Carthalawn, trained in Limerick by Charles Byrnes who won his race back in 2004 with the well-backed Dromlease Express, installed as 8/1 ante-post favourite for this two-mile event.