Injury deals severe blow to O’Connor’s ten-in-a-row hopes

Tubber jockey Derek O’Connor’s bid to land his tenth point-to-point riders’ championship in-a-row was dealt a severe blow when he suffered a broken leg in a horror fall while riding in a point-to-point at Dawstown, Cork on Bank Holiday Monday.
O’Connor was partnering Massinis Adventure for Kinsale trainer Robert Tyner in the confined maiden when his mount, who was in the lead at the time, crashed out at the first fence. He was taken to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick where he was found to have broken his left ankle. Currently in a cast, it means the popular rider is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines.  
The full extent of his injury, which is similar to the one he suffered two years ago, will not be known until O’Connor visits his surgeon this Friday, when it will be determined whether or not the 29-year-old will need surgery.
While O’Connor currently leads his nearest rival Jamie Codd by 18 wins (70-52) at the head of the 2012/13 riders’ table, Codd, who ironically has spent the last five weeks on the sidelines with a broken wrist, is due to have pins removed from his hand this week and there is speculation that the Wexford jockey may return to race-riding this weekend should he get the green light to resume.
It was a profitable weekend for Quin trainer Brian Hassett, who registered an across-the-card point-to-point double on Sunday when sending out winners at both the Laurencetown and Dromahane fixtures.
At Laurencetown, Hassett’s even-money favourite Bravehearted Harry turned the second division of the concluding six-year-old and upwards maiden into a procession.
Ridden by Derek O’Connor, who was completing a double, having earlier landed a division of the mares’ maiden aboard Shantou Shine, Bravehearted Harry assumed command five out and was never in the slightest danger of defeat as he eased to a 12-length win over Master Mariner.
The winner, who is owned by Glanmire, County Cork dairy farmer John Ahern, will now head to the upcoming sales at Doncaster.
Hassett was also on the mark at Dromahane where his 7/4 shot Bendala Bleu scored under a strong ride from Liscarroll amateur Mikey O’Connor.  Sent to the head of affairs two out, this son of Beneficial, who was unlucky when disqualified at Quakerstown, didn’t help his cause when hanging right on the run-in, but he still had enough in reserve to beat Tick Tock Tom by a length. Like his stable companion Bravehearted Harry, Bendala Bleu may also now be Doncaster bound.
Quin-born, Ennis-based accountant Pat Clune has an interest in quite a few horses in partnership with Windgap, County Kilkenny trainer Kieran Purcell and the pair were on the mark with 3/1 favourite Kingswood Bar in the first division of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden at the Tipperary Foxhounds meeting at Lisronagh near Clonmel last Saturday evening.
Purcell, who won two All-Ireland hurling medals with the Cats back in the ’70s, deserves great credit for this success as Kingswood Bar, who hadn’t raced since the corresponding fixture 12 months earlier, stripped fit and well as he battled to a two and a half-length victory over runner-up Harlem Cross under a good ride from James ‘Corky’ Carroll.
Meanwhile, Kilmaley owner Eugene McMahon was also celebrating following the success of his Seskinane in the opening maiden hurdle at Kilbeggan last Friday evening.
A points winner at Killeagh back in January, Seskinane is trained in County Sligo by Mark McNiff and the six-year-old, who went off 2/1 favourite for this two-mile, three-furlong contest having filled second place at Fairyhouse on his previous start, made no mistake when quickening up impressively under jockey Derek Fox in the final stages to beat runner-up Aktara by half a dozen lengths.

Hughes opens his Classic account
Top jockey Richard Hughes has won many accolades over the years including last season’s championship in England but the Kildare rider fulfilled a long-held ambition on Sunday when picking up his first UK Classic aboard 9/1 shot Sky Lantern in the Qipco 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket.
Hughes, son of top National Hunt trainer Dessie Hughes, whose stable jockey Bryan Cooper broke his leg in a fall at Down Royal on Monday, is a son-in-law of leading English trainer Richard Hannon. It was the Newmarket maestro who supplied Hughes with his breakthrough winner as Sky Lantern burst through late and fast to deny runner-up Just The Judge by half a length.
For Hughes, it was very much a case of relief as he outlined, “I’ve won Classics everywhere else, and I was pretty sure one day I’d get the horse to do it here, but it’s a monkey off my back to be honest.
“It’s been very hard as Aidan O’Brien has been dominating for the last ten years, but Richard (Hannon) has been stepping up in quality and I delighted to ride a Classic winner for him.”
The Hughes/Hannon combo had hoped to hit the jackpot with Tornado (finished fourth) in Saturday’s 2,000 Guineas but it was Jim Bolger’s Dawn Approach, a son of New Approach, who stole the show
Sent off 11/8 favourite, Dawn Approach carries the silks of the beleaguered Godolphin group, who are fighting a rearguard action following the doping scandal that has erupted around their disgraced former trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni, and he handed the Sheikh Mohammed-led operation a timely boost when keeping his unbeaten record intact.
Expertly prepared by Bolger at his luxurious Coolcullen, County Carlow base, Dawn Approach scorched home under Kevin Manning to beat the Kevin Ryan-trained, Jamie Spencer-ridden 150/1 outsider Glory Awaits by five lengths.
Playing his cards close to his chest as regards the Epsom Derby, Bolger outlined, “What I said beforehand was that if he ran up to his best form I thought he’d win and he excelled in that area. It was his best performance to date.”
“Kevin (Manning) wound him up a bit sooner as he wanted to hit the top of the hill in full flight. That’s exactly what he did and it worked out very well. Sheikh Mohammed and I have agreed that we’ll sleep on it, ponder the situation and maybe talk in 48 hours.
“On his breeding you would expect that he would not get it (the Derby trip), but because he’s so relaxed and he has so much class, there is a reasonable chance that he will get it. For that reason, it probably will be decided that he’ll go there. It will more than likely be Epsom. He wouldn’t have the stamina influence New Approach had in his pedigree, but that doesn’t mean he will not stay,” added Bolger.