O’Connor wins eighth point-to-point championship

Derek O’Connor was crowned champion point-to-point rider in Ireland for a record-breaking eighth consecutive year when the 2010/11 season came to a close at Ballingarry, Tipperary on Bank Holiday Monday.
Award-winning O’Connor has been a talismanic figure in racing between the flags over the past decade and the 28-year-old from Tubber came out the right side of a season-long battle with Wexford jockey Jamie Codd to claim the crown with an impressive haul of 110 winners.
Heading into last Monday’s final day fixture at the Premier County venue, O’Connor was apprehensive knowing that if Codd had a good day he could wrestle the title from his grasp. Like the true champion that he is, however, O’Connor closed out the deal when riding four winners.
His first trip of the afternoon to the winner’s enclosure came in the first division of the six-year-old geldings’ maiden where he steered 2/1 shot, Inamalabulusaloon, to victory.
Trained in Tubber by Esther Wright for her finance Declan O’Connor, this son of Luso hit the front before the home turn en-route to a very impressive three-and-a-half-length success over Frank Lynch’s He’s A Magpie. The winner will now contest a handicap hurdle inside the rails. 
O’Connor’s second success came in the third division of the six-year-old geldings’ maiden where he scored aboard the Liam Burke-trained Gate Please. Owned by Ennis businessman Sean Moran, this son of Rashar was rewarded for his consistency when passing the line two lengths to the good over runner-up, Bill The Yank, who is trained in Sixmilebridge by Denis Quinn.
“This horse fully deserved to win as he’s been knocking on the door all season,” said his Cork-based trainer.
The open lightweight was next up for O’Connor and he again delivered the goods when steering hot favourite Simonsberg (4/5F) to a bloodless win.
Patiently ridden in the early stages, Simonsberg took closer order early on the final circuit and he won in the style of a good horse when pulling away in the home straight to beat Mr Domination by eight lengths. The winner is trained in Ballymena by Ian Ferguson for UK owner Simon Tindall. 
O’Connor’s four-timer was completed in the first section of the six-year-old mares’ maiden as Nicholl’s Justice (4/5F), trained in Cork by Paul Moloney, made amends for a lapse at Kinsale the previous afternoon when beating Frisco Girl by a length.
Speaking in the parade ring shortly after being receiving a presentation from the Ormond Hunt to mark his wonderful achievement, a delighted O’Connor outlined, “It has been a wonderful season for me. I didn’t miss one race through injury; that is remarkable. I’d like to thank all the owners and trainers that helped me throughout the season, as without them I would not be champion. My entire family have been as a huge support along my girlfriend Carol and I also owe them a huge thank you.”
While admitting to being ‘tired’ after a long campaign, O’Connor was quick to praise his championship rival and good friend Jamie Codd, saying, “Jamie is a fantastic jockey and he really put it up to me this season. He rode 104 winners which is a phenomenal number and, no doubt, he’ll be pushing me all the way again next season.” 
There was joy for Milltown Malbay trainer Danny Howard at last Sunday’s Kinsale meeting where his well-backed 5/2 chance, Archie Meade, ran out a good winner of the six-year-old geldings’ maiden.
The Beneficial-sired gelding led his 11 rivals on a merry dance when making all the running under Cork jockey Ciaran Fennessy to beat Two Euros by 15 lengths.
The winner carries the silks of Spanish Point owner Ted O’Sullivan and looks a nice horse in the making. 

Fallon grounded as French score

Kieren Fallon’s bid for a fourth Epsom Derby success came to a halt even before the race started as the Ballinruan jockey was forced to sit out Saturday’s race following a sensational turn of events.
Seemingly Fallon has signed a contract to ride Ed Dunlop’s Native Khan in the race, but when he opted to partner Aidan O’Brien’s Recital instead, Native Khan’s Turkish owner took a High Court case seeking an injunction to stop the six-time champion jockey riding any other horse against Native Khan in the Derby.
The first hearing was held last Friday where the judge refused to grant the order, but, crucially, he did give Native Khan’s owner leave to appeal. This he did and in a dramatic judgement, which was delivered at 9am last Saturday morning, the appeal judge found against Fallon forcing him to give up the ride on Recital.
While the fact that Fallon was prevented from riding Recital was the major pre-race topic, on-track all the action was reserved for the final furlong where French raider, Pour Moi, came late and fast under an inspired ride from French teenager Mickael Barzalona.
For some, his seeming premature celebration as he stood up in his irons a stride before the line – for which he picked-up a one-day ban – seemed heart attack stuff, but the cocky 19-year-old knew he’d won as his Andre Fabre-trained 4/1 shot pounced late and fast to beat Ballydoyle outsider Treasure Beach by a head.
A mighty roar went up when Ryan Moore produced 5/2 favourite, Carlton House, in the colours of the Queen with a promising challenge early in the home straight but he could not raise his game and never got to the front-running Treasure Beach even before Pour Moi came from the next parish to mug him right on the line.
For Andre Fabre, who has been champion trainer in his native France for the past 20 years, this was a first-ever success in the race. He made no secret of his fancy for Pour Moi, stating last week that he felt this horse would give him his best chance ever of winning the race.
Once again it was a case of so near, but yet so far for Aidan O’Brien. His 25/1 runner-up Treasure Beach ran a blinder under Colm O’Donoghue while his son Joseph had a great spin when fourth on Memphis Tennessee.
For the record, Johnny Murtagh filled fifth on Native Khan, while Recital, on whom Pat Smullen deputised for the sidelined Fallon, came home one place further back in sixth.