O’Connor ends season on a 101-win high

DEREK O’Connor clinched his seventh point-to-point jockey’s championship in-a-row over the weekend with the stylish Tubber rider finishing off the season with a flurry that saw him bring his score for the 2009/10 campaign to 101 wins.

O’Connor, who it must be remembered is just 27 years of age (with hopefully a long and injury-free career ahead of him), has pushed out the boundaries of race-riding between the flags ever since he rode his first winner aboard his mother’s Jean’s Rossy Orchestra at Killaloe as a 17-year-old and it is fair to say, even at this early stage, the talented multiple champion, whose career total stands at 622 winners, is one of the all-time greats of this very demanding sport. Not alone did O’Connor again show a clean pair of heels to his rivals in this year’s title race – second placed Jamie Codd finished on the 57-winner mark – but he also managed to add the Northern, Western and Southern Regional titles to his impressive haul. 
The first success of the bank holiday weekend for O’Connor came at Kinsale on Saturday evening where he steered newcomer, Caravan Queen, to success for Waterford trainer Seán Aherne in the concluding five and six-year-old mares’ maiden.
Sent off at odds of 4/1, Caravan Queen came with a perfectly timed challenge to collar hot favourite Hollyville in the shadows of the post with a length separating the pair at the line.
On Sunday afternoon, O’Connor was in action at the opening session of the Ormond Hunt two-day meeting at Ballingarry, County Tipperary where he edged closer to a century of winners for the season by riding a treble.
Under The Stars (6/4-1/1F) started the ball rolling for the reigning champion when scoring for Cashel trainer, Willie Browne, in the first division of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden at the Premier County venue.
This son of Beneficial made every post a winning one and wasn’t extended when drawing further clear from two out to beat Hommage A Bach by four lengths.
Half an hour later, O’Connor was back in the number-one berth when guiding 4/1 shot Solaise, trained by his brother, Pauric, at his Tubber yard for The Local Syndicate, to victory in the second division.
Again O’Connor opted to make all the running on this Alflora gelding, who responded to his rider’s urgings to hold the persistent challenge of runner-up Sé Beag by a length. Third home in this contest was the Denis Quinn-trained Monior in the colours of his Newmarket-on-Fergus owners, Noreen and Michael McInerney. Incidentally, Sixmilebridge-based Quinn had been on the mark on the previous Wednesday when his well-backed Captain Coke (10/1-13/2), owned by Quinn’s New York-domiciled brother, Peter, made a success raid to the UK when landing a five-furlong sprint at Kempton.
O’Connor’s third success at Ballingarry on Sunday was achieved in the first division of the concluding seven-year-old maiden where 2/1 favourite Smoke Shelter, trained in Sixmilebridge by Niall Kelleher, was rewarded for his consistency with a fluent effort that saw him pass the post three lengths to the good over runner-up, Cloneyhurke Boy.
Facing into the final action of the season at Ballingarry on Bank Holiday Monday afternoon, O’Connor needed two winners to reach the 100-winner for the second year in-a-row and he quickly beat into the margin when guiding Pat Doyle’s 5/2 shot Foynes Island to success in the first division of the opening four-year-old maiden.
Heavy overnight rain at the south Tipp track resulted in a good bit of ease in the ground and this son of Presenting, who runs in the colours of Bryan Murphy of the Dunraven Arms in Adare, found good reserves in the closing stages to deny the Ross O’Sullivan-ridden The Baler by a length.
O’Connor posted his 100th winner of the season when landing a gamble aboard the well-backed Having Nightmares (4/1-1/1F) in the second division of the six-year-old geldings’ maiden.
Now under the wing of Meath trainer Tony Martin, this Willie Moffett-owned King’s Theatre gelding upped his effort from two and never looked in danger of defeat when crossing the line five lengths ahead of runner-up, Wildfield Witness.
Not content to have reached the century, O’Connor rounded off yet another memorable campaign when registering success number 101 of the season aboard northern raider, Streamtown, in the second division of the six-year-old mares’ maiden.
This 9/4 shot, who never managed to complete the course on any of her five previous attempts, put those failings behind her as the daughter of Bob Back, who is trained in Larne, County Antrim by Stewart Crawford, ran on best from the final fence to hold the effort of second-placed Whatareyousaying by a length.
The honour of landing the final winner of the season fell to Clarecastle jockey Gearóid O’Loughlin, who steered John Brassil’s 2/1 shot Sea Halo to victory in the third division of the closing eight-year-old and upwards maiden for novice riders.
While O’Loughlin’s uncle, Clare hurling manager Ger Sparrow O’Loughlin, was patrolling the sidelines at nearby Thurles where his team put up a spirited performance against Waterford, Gearóid was seen to great effect when bringing Sea Halo, whom Brassil trains for his wife, Kathleen, at his Lisduff, Newmarket-on-Fergus yard, home a clear-cut four-length winner from runner-up Fiddler’s View.
Quin trainer, Brian Hassett, has really finished the season with a bang and he will be well pleased with his day’s work at Sunday’s concluding session of the South Union two-day fixture at Kinsale where the former jockey saddled a long-priced double.
The Coogane handler struck first in the winners-of-two contest at the Leeside track where his Burren Storm (8/1) bounced back to his best form to score under Cork jockey Ciarán Fennessy.
Owned by Tom McNamara from North Clare, Burren Storm took full advantage when Shark Hanlon’s Swallow’s Delight ran out at the final fence leaving him clear to beat Gary Hassett’s Mac’s Lad by three lengths.
Later in the afternoon, Hassett completed his double when sending out 10/1 shot, Phantom Forest, to land the first division of the six-year-old an upwards mares’ maiden. Racing in the silks of her Ballindenisk, County Cork owner/breeder, John Ahern, Phantom Forest was given a forceful ride by Tipp pilot Pa King who galvanised his mount in the closing stages to see of the late effort of runner-up Sorcha Rua by two lengths.

Workforce gives Stoute fifth Derby win
SIR Michael Stoute’s 6/1 chance Workforce decimated his rivals with a power-packed display to land last Saturday’s Investec Epsom Derby under a fine ride from champion jockey Ryan Moore.
The sweltering Epsom Downs was packed to capacity as a dozen colts went to post in what is the most famous flat race in history and the huge crowd weren’t let down as Workforce produced a wonderful display in a record-breaking time. As expected, Ballydoyle’s 100/1 outsider, At First Sight, set out to make the running for his more illustrious stable companions, Jan Vermeer and Midas Touch and Seamie Heffernan’s mount did just that when setting a scorching pace.
Having rounded Tattenham Corner into the home straight still with a healthy 10-length advantage, it looked for a few strides as if we were in for the shock of all shocks as At First Sight appeared to have stolen a march on his more fancied rivals. Ryan Moore, however, was alive to the danger and he stoked up Workforce to close on the leader. When he eventually headed the pacemaker at the furlong pole, there was only going to be on one result as Workforce surged clear to beat At First Sight by seven lengths.
This victory was rounding off an amazing 48 hours for Moore, who had taken Friday’s Investec Oaks aboard Ed Dunlop’s Snow Fairy, and proof, if any was needed, that the 26-year-old is up there with the best.
For Stoute, who was claiming his fifth Derby, this was also redemption as a few had questioned the credentials of Workforce coming into this race but the doubters were very firmly put in their place by a horse who posted the fastest time ever recorded in this 12-furlong Classic.
Frankie Dettori’s mount, Rewilding fared best of the rest in third, with Aidan O’Brien’s disappointing 9/4 favourite, Jan Vermeer, fourth a head in front of his stable companion Midas Touch. Kieren Fallon, who was the subject of late drama having been held up in traffic on the way to the track, enjoyed a good spin when filling sixth with the Godolphin runner Al Zir.