Wednesday, October 8, 2025
DEREK O’CONNOR
‘We’re ashop window for horses destined for the track but we need to ensure there’s an incentive to treat point-to-pointing in the old-fashioned way, for the love of the sport’ Page 2
WALKIN STARTS THE SEASON WITH ASTROLL
Walkinthemournes and Declan Lavery get the new term under way with acomfortable success at Toomebridge Reports, pages 4-5
KISSMEHONEYHONEY,from his second crop, made awinning debut at Leicester on 22 September for William Haggas and owner/breeders Dash GrangeStud
IN FOCUS BRENDA ROSS
‘Jack High gave me thejourneyofa lifetime’ The Mid Antrim stalwart talks about the joy that racing has brought her Page 3
• First crop 4YOs include Listed-winning hurdler at Auteuil SAINT CRYSTAL
• £400,000 Tattersalls Cheltenham Festival Sale topper CRISTAL D’ESTRUVAL
• £205,000 Tattersalls Cheltenham April Sale topper CRYSTALISLAND
• £200,000 top-priced filly at the Goffs UK Aintree Sale SHE’S AFAIR MAID along with ahost of other point-to-point and bumper winners
DerekO’Connor Straight to thePoint
Oneofmymainwishesfor thenew season is to seefresh namesemerge
IT’Sgreat to be up and running again, and arelief that the first two fixturesofthe season went ahead on aweekend when high winds and heavyrain hit many parts of the country.
I’mpleased to startonapositive note by welcomingthe increased prize-moneythat hasbeenmade available for races in the older-horses category.Theseraces–maidens, winners’ races and opens –will now be worth€2,000, representingan eightper cent increasefromlast spring.
Themainfocus of oursport is on thefour-year-old and five-year-old maidens,ashopwindowfor horses destinedfor the track. At the same time,weneedtoensurethere’san incentivefor owners and trainers to continue to treatpoint-to-pointingin the old-fashionedway,for the love of the sport.
Therehas to be asuitable programme for horseswho would struggle to be competitiveonthe trackatatimewhen the overall standardofjumpracinginIreland is, thankfully, very high Winning, or runningwell, in a maiden for younger horses brings its reward in the sales ring. Forolder horses,weneedadecentlevel of prize-moneytoretain the variety that is partofthe attraction of atypical point-to-pointfixture.
Races for older horses arealso badly neededtoprovide opportunities for novice ridersand women riderswho arealways goingtostruggletoget chancesin the commercially oriented maidens
Lookingatthe programme for the autumn season, it’s good to see 14 events scheduledfor novice riders between nowand December. There arealsoraces for women riders at three fixtures.
It wasa slightly disappointing aspectofthe 2024-25 season that the under-21 champion David Doyle was the only rider in his category to reach adouble-figure total. That wasin contrasttothe previous season, when three youngriders hadten or morewinners.
Beinginvolved with the coaching of young riders,Ialwayshopetosee emergingtalentevery season. Riding winnersdoeswonders for confidence and one of my main wishes for the new campaign is to seenew names comingthrough
Quinn nets twicebut it could have been so much more Theseason kickedoff in the north, with asix-race Toomebridge card that endedwith doubles for twoof the region’sbest-knownhandlers, PatTurley andGer Quinn. Despitescoringtwice,Ger will look backatthis meetingwithmixed feelings; it could so easilyhavebeen much better.The stable’s strongly fanciedSky Blue Ribbon fell at the fourth-lastinthe openingfour-yearold mares’ maiden wonbythe Turley-trainedWalk In ThePark geldingWalkinthemournes,and Werweisswas travellingstrongly when fallingatthe same fence in the four-year-old geldings’ maiden. After completingadouble shared with rider Dara McGill,the partnership hadtosettle for second place in the final tworacesonthe card.Bothevents producedexciting finishes.The Cian Collins-trained Walk In TheCloudskept finding
enough for RobJames to winthe mares’ maiden by ahead,and the former Gordon Elliott-trained He’s Ultimatebattledw to complete the Turley
‘Josh Halford, whorode twowinners
Dylan Browne McMonagle and Oisin Orr, Luke rode his firstracecourse winner the season beforelastona bigoccasion, partneringAnnamix to winthe TetratemaCup at Gowran for Willie Mullins
Acoupleofussenior ridersalso managed to get goingfor the season at theWestmeath fixture. BarryO’Neill wasonYewtree Hill in thewinners-of-two, givingCian Collins asecondwinner of the weekend, and Imanaged to get Jaycee Reidy up to winthe fouryear-old maiden.
Twofinetrainingperformances were afeature of the day. Ellen Doyle producedthe six-year-old Escapefromrealitytowin under Brian Dunleavy on his firstouting since making his debutinApril 2023, and locally based trainer Mary Whelehan, havingher firstpoint-topointrunner in adozen years, took the older horsesmaidenwith Big Tom, for ahighlypopular win. Mary,who gave the six-year-old three runs on the trackearlier in the year,plans to keep him in points With prize-moneyboosted for those in this category,horses such as Big Tomcan givetheir ownerssome reward as well as alot of fun. That’s good for the sport.
It won’t be the same without MikeyO’Connor
Finally, on asad note,it’sveryhard to believeanew season hasbegun without MikeyO’Connor, acolleague in point-to-points for my entire career
last season and haspickedup valuable experience in bumpers,won the novice riders’event on theEndaBolgertrainedSolitaryMan’
Declan Lavery double Doyle began the defence of his under-21 title with awin on nRockfor Sam ling at Toomebridge wo other youngsters oinedhim on the scoreboard at CastletownGeoghegan. Josh Halford, who rode two winnerslast easonand has kedupvaluable rience in bumpers, wonthe novice riders’ event on the Enda Bolger-trainedSolitary Man. Josh hasastrongbackground inshowjumping, which is abig help Rebel Reba, trainedbyDusty Sheehy,gaveLukeTurner afirst point-to-pointwin with an eightlength defeatofthe BarryO’Neillridden Kano De Thaixinamares’ maiden.Fromthe same area of County Donegalastop Flat riders
Mikey’ssuddenpassinglast month,atthe ageof44, wasatragedy for his family and friends and for our whole community, who held him in such high regard.Hewas agreat horseman who gave his all as a competitor.Hewas alwaysahard mantobeatand we hadmanygreat battles
He wasanoutstandingjockeywho rode 429 point-to-pointwinners in a career that started in 1999. He was southern champion on three occasions andwas stillgoing strong last season.
It won’t be thesamewithout him, especiallyatthe Corkmeetings wherehewas alocal hero. IknowI speakfor all my fellowriders in sendingour heartfelt condolences to Mikey’swife, Mags,children Dylan, Sophie and Rachel, andthe wider family. Mayherestinpeace
HEALYRACING
Ownerand race caller Brenda Ross (below) talks aboutthe joys of herjourney throughthe sport
IWASN’T born into a horsey family butmy father,John, alwayshad afondnessfor horses and encouraged me from an early age.
As achild, Irodeponies, hunted regularly, and joined the pony club.Myparents, includingmymother,Martha, lovedfollowing the localhunt and theydrovemeall over the Ballymenaareatoponyclub competitions and hunt meetings.Ihavebeeninvolved with the MidAntrimHunt since waybackthen.
WhenIwenttouniversity I stopped riding for a number of year in my early thirties I returnedto the saddle
Once again, the MidAntrim wasatthe centreofit. Thehunthas beenaconstan thread running through my life
‘JackHightookmeto places Inever thoughtI wouldfindmyselfinracing’
enjoythe microphone,but 15 years on it’s arole I’ve grown to love
Iprepare carefully for every meeting. Iinheriteda script from aformer announcer and adapteditfor my ownuse
Seventeenyearsago I became moredeeplyinvolved when Ijoinedthe MidAntrim Hunt committee. Notlong after,Itookonthe role of announcer at ourpoint-topointmeetings.AtfirstI was hesitantand Iwasn’t sure I’d
NEWS AND VIEWS
THE new po in t- to-po in t season gotupand runningon an encouragingnote at the weekend with the opening fixturesofa26-strong autumn term takingplaceagainstthe backdropofnewsthat the sport hasreceiveda welcome prizemoneyboost Maiden races for horses aged sixorolder, alongside winners and open races,will nowbe worth€2,000, an increaseof €150 from the €1,850 racedfor in these contests during the 2025 spring season.
Therehavelongbeencalls to boost prize-moneylevelsin thesecategories,which have remainedstagnantfor several years as the number of horses competingwithin them has fallen.
Encouragingly, the season hasbegun with positive signs in the hunter certificatefigures
Atotal of 689 horses were registered ahead of the season openinglastweekend,an11 percentincreasefromthe correspondingfigure in 2024. That translatedintoastrong entryfor lastSunday’sfixture at Castletown-Geoghegan, which attracted 112 entries,the largestfor the autumn fixture at that venuesince 2010, with the
Beforeeachfixture Igo through the entries on p2p.ie, notingany difficult names and familiarisingmyself with handlers and jockeys.Iliketo arrive at the courseatleast twoand ahalf hours the firstrace cansettlein dhave verything ready. On racedays I announce declarations, est-turnedtwinners, ts,and yngin between. I’ve beenthe regular announcerat Toomebridge,but I’ve also filledinfor the Killultagh and the Route Hunt on numerous occasions.
In 2019Isuffered aserious accidentduringa riding lesson. My horsetripped while
walking, andIwentoverhis head, landingonmyown head and breakingmyneck.
It wasterrifying. Iwas in hospital for sevenmonths and then spentanother tenin rehabilitation. It wasaround 17 months beforeIfinally got home
Professionally, Iworkedasa solicitor,but after my accident Idecided to retirein2020, which gave me moretime to focusonmyhorses. My ownership journey began longbeforethe accident. Ifirst hadaninterest inhorses through my neighbour,RobertBrown Kerr Hi Dixie gave me theperfect startwhen she wonatTyrella in1997. Shewas my first runner and my firstwinner. To have successstraight away waswonderful, though it alsospoils you alittlebecause you think it will alwaysbethat easy.
Ialsohad ashare in Pull The Leverwiththe Brown-Kerrs He wonafew races and those early successescementedmy enthusiasm
Notlongafter came Jack High,the horse who gave me the journeyofa lifetime.Itook
ashare in himwhen he wasa four-year-old, alongwith my friends David Montgomery, Billy Mooreand Michael McShane
Trainedinitiallybythe late Billy Rock and later by Ted Walsh,Jackgavemememories Iwillnever forget Fairyhousewas aspecial day whenhefinishedaclose second to Numbersixvalverde inthe 2005 Irish Grand National, and then at Sandown Park,wherehewon the Betfred Gold Cup. Theday at Sandownstands outabove all others. To be thereasanowner and to wina race of that calibrewas extraordinary. Places Inever thoughtIwould find myself in racing, Jack High carried me there.
He wasahorseofa lifetime, and he hadalong, happy retirement. Irodehim myself until he was17and he lived until the ageof29.
In his lateryearshewas caredfor by Paul Fergusonand Iwas delightedhegot the retirementhedeserved.
Alongside Jack, therewere plenty of others.Horseslike Sticky Toffee, Flemross,The
Secret Masonand ShortCross Stormgaveusmanyfun days between theflags Flemrossisstill with me in retirement. Ihuntedhim after his racingdaysand now
Rodneyand Diane Arthur look after him.Every horseleaves itsmark, whatever their level of success.
At presentIhaveashare in an unnamedOrder Of St George horseintrainingwith StuartCrawford.Heisn’t too far off arun and will be somethingtolookforward to Alongside being an owner, I’ve always lovedbeing involved in the workingsideof racing. WhenIwas younger I rode outthe quieter thoroughbredsfor BillyRock and RoyWilson and I’ve also served astint as hunt secretary.
Each role hasshown me a differentsideofthe sportand given me greater respectfor the people who make it all happen. I’ve beenattending point-topoints since Iwas fiveyears old, firstwith my father at Mid Antrim and later at meetings likethe Route andEastAntrim. Thebiggest change over those years hasbeenthe
Positive signsasprize-money andfield sizesreceive aboost
exception of the 2020 figure for the fixture, whichwas inflated due to the impactofprevious Covid restrictions Positively,onthe backofthat news of ap ri ze -m one y increasefor olderhorses,the card’s twolargest fields on Sunday came in theopenand older maiden.
Fourteen horseslined up for theopenrace, with 15 horses participatinginthe six-yearolds-and-upwardsmaiden. It is ho ped th at thes e numbers canberepeatedin the weeks to come to guarantee competitiveaction that will act as astrongdrawfor crowds through the autumn campaign
Collins signals new direction
Cian Collins (pictured) has quickly become an emerging force withinthe trainingranks on the trackand it looks as though he could be just as
impactful between the flags this season.
After injurycut shortCollins’ career in the saddle,itwas the point-to-pointarena that gave him his successinhis n ro le whe nW Will Sort It was victorious in a Punchestown five-year-old maiden under Jamie Codd in February2020. Since then hasbeenhis tr career in particular whichhas gone from strength to strength with his best campaigncoming last season, including abreakthrough CheltenhamFestivalvictory in the Grand Annual Chasewith JazzyMatty
season-openingpoint-topointfixtures.
Walk In TheClouds made a winningdebutfor Collins’ Robinstown Stables in the fives-and-upwards es’maiden at omebridge on aturdayand,24 ho ur sl at er, YewtreeHill ju sti fie d ma rk et supportwitha ommanding ct or yi nt he ne rs -o f- tw o contestatCastletownGeoghegan.
Both were relativelynew additions to Collins’team,with Walk In TheCloudssecured by the trainer for just €9,000 at the Goffs UK sales in May, having runfourtimes without success lastseason
TheMeath-based handler wasthe onlytrainertosaddle winnersatboth last weekend’s
YewtreeHillcould attempt to backuphis latest victory
swiftlyasheisamong the entries at Portrush on Saturday.
With Collins having taken outhunter certificates for a number of unracedfour-yearolds,itsuggests he could be poised to make his presence felt,not just with formhorses sourcedfromother yards, but alsowith unracedyoungsters
Track runners deploy fitness edge
Theopeningweeks of thenew season canoften see those horses with race fitnessholding an edge over ring-rusty rivals and that trendwas again on showlastweekend.
Ca stletown-G eoghe ga n playedhost to the firstopenof the newseason anditwas won in good style by the Enda Bolger-trainedSolitary Man, who washavinghis firststart between the flags butarrived at the Westmeathvenue having runthree times over the
professionalism of the training. Point-to-pointingwas once farmers runningtheir own horses; nowitishighly competitive. Standards have risenand thesport hasmoved on, buttherehas alsobeena steady declineinfixturesinthe north
Today, the northern racing calendar is far thinner,and if I could wave amagic wand it would be to see more fixtures return to the region. Despite thosechanges, point-to-pointingstill hasthe same magic.Itreallydoestake avillage to runameeting: the volunteers,the secretaries,the trainers,the jockeys,the ownersand thesupporters all playingtheir part. My role as announcer is just onepiece of that puzzle butit’ssomething I’mproud of Racinghas given me some unforgettable days andhorses have carriedmethrough highs and lows.Fromthe thrill of Sandown Park to callinga winner at Toomebridge on a Saturdayafternoon it’s been a fabulous journey. and I’m not finishedyet
BRENDAROSS WASTALKING TO DEBBIE McCRELLIS
summer,mostrecentlywhen thirdina Listedhandicapchase at KillarneyonAugust 23. Theseven-year-old wasable to usethat fitnessedgetofend off the progressivepoint-topointregular Magic Sadler, who hadnot seencompetitive action since chasing home the mighty Winged Leader at Necarne in mid-May It wasasimilarsituation in the winners’ contest on the same card in whichYewtree Hill enteredthe race having runfourtimes on the track through the summer,withhis latest effortunder rules coming at WexfordonAugust29. He wasalsochasedhome by apoint-to-pointregular in Fralimonti Bilbery, who had beenabsentsince late April. This is likely to be repeated inthe immediate future, with nextweekend’s programme offeringfurther opportunities for trackhorses to exploit their fitnessedge.
At present, horses areeligible to runinthe autumn point-topointseasoniftheyhavenot wonarace underrules, with the exception of ahunter chase, on or after March1, 2025, or have rununder rules on or after September 1, 2025.
WEEKEND REPORTS
MID ANTRIM AT TOOMEBRIDGE SATURDAY
Quinn conjures success out of Clouds
GER QUINN demonstrated he is a handler to follow on the point-to-point circuit when he took the title of leading handler in the northern region for the first time last term and the Antrim trainer picked up where he left off at this seasonopening fixture.
Clough Clouds was the first to strike for Quinn and rider Dara McGill in the Raymart five-year-old geldings’ maiden, in which the Mervyn Adamsowned grey was being strongly pursued by chief challenger West Of Idaho when Barry O’ Ne ill ’s mo un t ca me a cropper at the final fence
That paved the way for Clough Clouds to defeat the staying-on Karma De Cotte by three- quarters of a length.
“We probably ran him too many times last year,” Quinn said. “His run at Armagh probably took a lot out of him and running him back here in Toome was probably too soon after that, but sure the form was solid enough there today. He’ll probably go for a winners’ race now.”
It was McGill who was again in the saddle to bring up the Quinn double on Weespoof in the J&R Fuels winners-of-one
Philip McBurney’s son of Di amo nd Bo y ha d gone through last season without getting his head in front but he put that right at the first attempt of the campaign as the six-year-old proved the class act in the field, dismissing Robert Tector’s Necarne victor Bee’s Kiss comfortably by nine lengths
The Quinn-McGill double was matched by the longstanding partnership of the Downpatrick pair Declan Lavery and Paddy Turley. They started proceedings with the newcomer Walkinthemournes dominating the fourrunner Noel C Kelly Racing four-year-old mares’ maiden.
A €20,000 Goffs Arkle Sale purchase, the Walk In The Park mare had her task simplified when the Quinn-trained, McGill-ridden favourite Sky Blue Ribbon departed four fences out and from there she returned unchallenged to
Star performance
Walkinthemournes returned unchallenged to make a perfect start to her career in the season’s opening race
defeat the only other finisher, Lady Blackmore, by six lengths.
“We thought she might be a bit green but this turned into just a piece of work for her,” Lavery said. “She won easily and she’s a good jumper; she’s very slick.”
He’s Ultimate completed the double for the pair when digging deep in the James Kernohan and Sons older geldings’ maiden.
Returned to Turley’s care having started his career finishing second for the Kingsfield St ab les te am in a Loughanmore four-year-old maiden in 2022, the sevenyear-old had failed to open his account in five outings under rules for Gordon Elliott.
The return to the pointing fiel ds wa s im me dia tel y rewarded as he got the better of a protr acte d ba ttl e wi th Dunaird, denying Quinn and McGill a hat-tr ick in the process.
“I didn’t think I’d be riding him in an older maiden when he was first with us as we thought he was a proper horse,” Lavery said. “He’s only 60 per cen t fit ther e to da y, so hopefully he’ll step up and land some winners’ races.” Walk In The Clouds was another to benefit from a change in scener y as she stepped forward from a placed finish at Rathcannon in the spring to land the Caherty Stables five-year-old-andupwards mares’ maiden on her first start for Cian Collins Racing from the front, Rob James’s mount was headed by Crazy Nancy on the run-in before showing great tenacity to battle back and regain the initiative by a head at the line
“She’s a real galloper,” Collins said. “It’s great to get her head in front and we’ll go for a winners’ race now with her She jumps well and keeps going.”
Having saddled a double at Clonmel 48 hours earlier, Sam Curling added the Dennison Commercials four-year-old maiden to his recent haul when Eastern Rock put a noncompletion on his debut behind him by decisively defeating Fortis Et Liber by ten lengths under the reigning under-21 champion David Doyle.
(Above) Under-21 champion David Doyle cruises to a ten-length victory on Eastern Rock for handler Sam Curling; (right) Weespoof completes a fine double for Ger Quinn and Dara McGill with a nine-length success in the winners-of-one
Close call as Bolger’s Solitary Man scores on points debut
RACE-FI TN ES S prov ed a notable asset as Solitary Man fended off a near-capacity field to make a winning debut between the flags under Josh Halford in the Midland Sport Surfaces open for novice riders
Placed in a listed handicap chase at Killarney in August when last seen in competitive action, Enda Bolger’s sevenyear-old was able to repel the challenge of the progressive Magic Sadler by the narrowest of margins
“We we re comin g here summer-fit off the track,” Bolger said. “He likes good underfoot conditions so I want to line up another open before the ground turns to proper winter going.”
“He’ll then be put away and brought back for a spring campaign with hunter chases in mind.”
Star performance
Solitary Man made a winning debut between the flags in a race likely to produce plenty of open winners
Whelehan announced her return to the pointing sphere in emphatic fashion when Big Tom, her first runner between the flags in 12 years, triumphed in the Shorthall International Transport older maiden.
The trainer had saddled the six-year-old in three outings in maiden hurdles and, having failed to make an impact in those, the grey son of Sageburg proved an altogether more competitive force with the switch to point-to-pointing as Brian Barry guided him to a five-length defe at of the six-time track-placed Roman Parish
“My husband and I went up to Fairyhouse sales with no intention of buying and my husband ended up coming home with him,” Whelehan said.
“We’ll stick to point-topoints with him and go for a winners’ contest. I have to say a huge thank you to Brian Barry, who’s given him a brilliant ride.”
Ellen Doyle’s patience with Es cap efr omr ea li ty w as rewarded when the six-yearold son of Soldier Of Fortune proved the class act in the Edgemount Farm Racing fiveand six-year-old geldings’ maiden.
Absent for 18 months since finishing sixth at Dromahane on his debut in April 2023, the €75,000 Derby Sale purchase tu rne d the ei gh t- ru nner contest into a one-horse affair to such an extent that Brian
Dunleavy was able to ease him down to record a 17-length victory over All Night Revival.
There was no shortage of drama at the business end of the four-year-old maiden but Jaycee Reidy, under riderhandler Derek O’Connor, was able to avoid it
Jurassic Bob and Be My Fortune held a share of the lead, only for the latter to fall and the former to blunder his chance away, with jockey Kevin Healy fortunate to remain in the saddle
That opened the way for Jaycee Reidy to come through and prevail by a length and a half
“I rode him really cold as he has so much speed it’s unbelievable,” O’Connor said.
“He would frighten you in his work at home, he’s so fast. It’s a complete credit to him that he even got three miles today.”
The reigning champion rider Barr y O’Neill opened his account for the season when Yewtree Hill became a second winner of the weekend for handler Cian Collins.
Twice a winner last season when with Brian Hamilton, the eight-year-old proved eight lengths too good for Fralimonti Bilbery in the Charlestown Racing winners-of-two.
Eight lengths was also the winning margin for Rebel Reba as she took a big step forward to claim the Murphy’s Pub Dysart five- and six-yearold mares’ maiden.
Well beaten in two outings last spring, the Dusty Sheehytrained bay proved a much stronger force after her summer break as she took advantage of racing prominently under Luke Turner to defeat Kano De Thaix in the colours of Cavan owner Noel O’Reilly.
Pictures: HEALY RACING
Solitary Man (right) holds off Magic Sadler’s challenge to take the open for novice riders
ACE BRANNIGAN ran out a 6½ lengthwinner of his maiden hurdle at Tipperary for trainer HenryDe Bromhead, owner AnthonyHead and breeder Corrib Racing on Monday!
making his hurdling debut, asserted from the second last to win well. A half-brother to a Challow winner and a Grand Annual winner, he’s a nice type who should progress to better things
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RacingPost7.10.25
EASTERN ROCK, bred by Mrs Olivia Hegarty, was an easy 10-lengthwinner of his 4YO maiden at Toomebridge for trainer SamCurling on Saturday!
Grade 2 bumper winner at Aintree SEO LINN was an 8½ length winner ofthe 1m3f maiden at Killarney for trainer PaddyTwomey, owner Mrs A Phelan & Mrs Bridget Beckett and breeder Glashare House Stud on Monday!