Fifty-four of the 98 entries faced the starter at Fairwood, Tinahely, for the annual Shillelagh & District Hunt point-to-point where the ground was soft, as anticipated, and a double for Barry O’Neill left the champion rider six clear of Jamie Codd with 19 winners this season.
O’Neill got a winning start when Kopolov in the striped colours of Ciaran Jones of Kildare ran out the five lengths winner of the mares’ maiden race. Third at Lingstown last November, Kopolov is trained by Wexford town native Conor O’Dwyer, who was one of the finest jump jockeys of his generation and twice won both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle.
In a similar maiden race for geldings O’Neill notched up a double aboard Handy Headon, owned and trained by Paddy Quinlan from Ballymore Eustace, who outclassed the opposition by six lengths. The plans for the seven year old are to get a run at Punchestown.
Nelsons Rock, a winner for Mick Goff, Clondaw, Monageer, over the Tinahely track in October resulted in two on the bounce when taking the Winner of One Race in fine style with eight lengths to spare. It was the seventh career winner for Blackwater rider Kevin Corrigan. Afterwards the delighted handler described Nelsons Rock as “a good-looking horse, jumps well, travels well, stays well and has a high cruising speed.”
Robin Des Theatre went from 4/1 to evens favourite and the Donnchadh Doyle trained mare obliged with front running tactics in the mares’ maiden race that resulted in a one and a half lengths victory in testing conditions. Local rider James Walsh, from nearby Preban, was in the saddle. Afterwards Andy Pierce, who owns the five-year-old mare with Donnchadh Doyle, confirmed that she is for sale.
Twelve runners lined up for the maiden race for five and six-year-old geldings and the winners’ prize went northwards to Colin McKeever’s Antrim stables with a fine display from Folcano who accounted for the Colin Bowe trained Kilbeg King (Barry O’Neill) by one and a half lengths. Galway rider Stephen Connor was the winning rider.
It was a pleasant day’s racing. Soft ground called for the hard surface at Tinahely to accommodate race traffic and the crowd was satisfactory in cold winter sunshine high in the south Wickow hills.
Next Sunday’s action takes place over a new track at Ballycrystal, Kiltealy, run under the auspices of Ballinagore Harriers, six races with entries closing on Tuesday at 12 noon. The first race is at 12.30 pm.
POINT-TO-POINT FIXTURE LIST 2020.
February 2nd; Wexford Hunt at Knockmullen House, New Ross.
February 23rd; Bray Harriers at Fairwood, Tinahely.
March 1st, Carlow Farmers Hunt at Borris House.
March 8th; Killinick Harriers at Lingstown, Tomhaggard.
March 29th; Bree Hunt at Monksgrange, Rathnure.
April 5th; The Island Hunt at Ounavarra, Courtown.
April 19th; Bree Hunt at Monksgrange, Rathnure.
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