Following on from part one of our A - Z Review of the 2019/20 season, we now turn our attentions to the shortened spring 2020 campaign, which was brought to a premature end in mid-March.
30th December – Dromahane
30th December – Dromahane
Turlough O’Connor enjoyed a red-letter day when the rider-handler recorded his first career double in both roles, with the successes of Lady Shirocco in the four-year-old mares’ maiden and Well Chimed in the adjacent.
Macs Legend recorded his second success of the season with first-time partner Cal Shine aboard. Trained by Gerry Kelleher, who was one of the bookmakers on the day, the admirable veteran would also add a third career Hunter Chase success to his tally later in the season at Thurles.
5th January – Ballindenisk
Nada To Prada make a winning debut for the Richie Deegan-Aidan Fitzgerald combination in a race which would subsequently work out particularly well, with four of the five other finishers going on to win their maidens in the following weeks.
On Call, who had been placed four times over hurdles for Joseph O’Brien, belatedly opened his account when winning the older maiden under Rob James for his new handler Shay Slevin.
12th January – Aghabullogue
Pa King was the rider to follow on the afternoon riding one of two trebles that he would record during the season at the fixture. All three of theses successes came for the Sam Curling yard – Knockanora Damsel in the mares’ maiden, Lite Duties in the open, and Templebredin in the winner-of-one. The successes played a big part in King eventually being crowned Southern Champion by the season’s end with a 36% strike rate in the region.
Ballincollig native David O’Brien rode his first winner for new boss John Halley when Entre Deux got his head in front in the older geldings’ maiden. The 21-year-old was partnering his fourth career winner in all.
12th January – Tinahely
Colin McKeever and Wilson Dennison were successful in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden with the Stephen Connor-ridden Folcano. McKeever and Dennison had won the corresponding race six years earlier with the subsequent Grade 1 Cheltenham Festival winner Blaklion. Folcano was subsequently bought by Gordon Elliott for £110,000.
Mighty Stowaway won his third open, just days after being purchased by Cheltenham Festival winning owner Philip Reynolds ahead of a tilt at the Cheltenham Foxhunters. However it subsequently came to light that a controversial BHA rule left him ineligible for the year’s race.
19th January – Ballycrystal
Ballycrystal was a second new course to appear in Wexford during this season, with this proving to be a first ever point-to-point for the Ballinagore Hunt. Following a delay to racing owing to early morning frost, racing took place in front of a large crowd.
Denis Murphy, whose grandfather was the first huntsman of the hunt, fittingly enjoyed a treble on the day with the successes of Beatthebullet, Born In Borris and Breakeven, all of which were partnered by Jamie Codd.
That final success came at the expense of the Doyle brothers, Donnchadh, Sean and Cormac, who had saddled four of the five runners in the confined maiden.
19th January – Carrigarostig
Following a 35-year spell at their previous track in Knockane, Carrigarostig was a new venue for the Killeagh Harriers and Rewritetherules marked out his case for a tilt at the Cheltenham Foxhunters by springing an upset in the open, his victory coming at the expense of proven performers Wounded Warrior and Fenno’s Storm.
Derek O’Connor enjoyed an opening double aboard family horses, with Ballingers Corner winning the opener for his brother Paurick, with A Distant Place winning the second in the colours of his wife Carol O’Donnell.
25th January – Tyrella
Only The Bold ran out an easy nine-length winner of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden for Warren Ewing, before being sold to Evan Williams for £215,000. He was guided to success by the promising Jordan Gainford, who caught the attentions of a wide number of handlers, winning four races from 45 rides.
26th January – Dungarvan
Bushypark proved to be a very popular winner of the older geldings’ maiden after he returned victorious under Jerome Power for 26-year-old Kereen-based handler Shane O’Brien, providing the pair with their respective first successes. The Le Fou gelding was owned by the winning rider’s father Edmond, whilst his grandfather, Jerome Sheehan, was the one of the landowners of the course.
The confined maiden also brought a first success for 19-year-old rider Dylan Phelan, as the local rider was aboard Comeragh Lad, victorious for handler Pat Crowley.
The mares’ open saw Tom Shaw’s Chapter Two get her head in front between the flags for the first time since October 2017. She had previously put up a number of notable performances against geldings’ in the open division before a spell under rules, which she was returning to the pointing sphere from.
26th January – Kilfeacle
Mullingar rider Thomas Geoghegan was back in the winner’s enclosure for the first time since April 2011 when Time Leader gained a deserved success in the older geldings’ maiden. The six-year-old was trained by James Kiernan, and it was on Kiernan-trained horses that Geoghegan has long held an association with.
Lite Duties won the second of what would be three successes in the open division for him during the season, as he thrived for the switch between the flags for Sam Curling having previously been campaigned on the track by Charles Byrnes.
2nd February – Ballyvodock
Brian Dunleavy, the son of the Dungourney point-to-point secretary Liam Dunleavy, enjoyed his first success in the saddle, when Here Comes Johnny won the confined maiden for the Alan Ahern yard. The 17-year-old is another rider to have progressed to pointing from the pony racing sphere.
At the age of just 24, David Murphy was one of the youngest handlers to get on the scoreboard during the season, the initial success for the Fermoy native in that role, who previously rode in points, came when Etoile Du Matin won the older maiden on his first start for the yard. The seven-year-old would double his tally the following month at Bandon.
2nd February – Bellharbour
The Pat Smullen Legends Charity race in aid of Cancer Trials Ireland saw a top-quality field of 18 well-known faces, including Paul Carberry, Adrian Maguire and Willy Twiston-Davies, come out of retirement for this two-mile flat race, which proved the undoubted highlight of the day as Tom Costello came out on top. With the nine-times champion jockey in attendance, the fundraising efforts generated €21,687 for the worthwhile cause.
Eddie Power claimed the winner-of-one contest on the card for the second year running as The Blind Piper followed in the footsteps of Perpignan from a year earlier. Both horses were partnered to success by rider John Barry.
2nd February – Knockmullen House
Brooksway Fair, one of just two finishers in the opening four-year-old maiden of the year, won a race that was run in testing conditions. The winning Mahler gelding was ridden by Jamie Codd and trained by Denis Murphy.
For the second time of the season, Moira McElligott and Vinnies Nephue were successful at Knockmullen House. In the autumn the pair had combined successfully to land the winner-of-one and three months later returned 20 lengths clear in the winner-of-three event at the Wexford venue. That was a third victory of the season for McElligott, a former champion boxer, and it would see her win a first leading lady rider award, a title she would share with Maxine O’Sullivan and Liz Lalor.
8th February – Kirkistown
Warren Ewing continued the good run of form for his yard with a double on the card, following the successes of Tango Theatre and Will Carver, ridden by Stephen Connor and Jordan Gainford respectively. Ending the season with six winners, it proved to be Ewing's most successful to date.
Mt Leinster Gold brought her hat-trick with her second success of the season in the mares’ winner-of-two contest. The Colin Bowe-trained mare has some well-known connections as she is bred by Ronan Tynan and owned by Anthony Kearns, two members of the Irish Tenors group.
9th February – Tallow
As Storm Ciara battered the country, Tallow was the only fixture of the three scheduled that went ahead after both Cragmore and Oldtown had to be postponed by six days due to the weather conditions. Heavy rain ensured those at Tallow did not escape lightly as the River Bride began to overflow onto the course for the final two races.
Glenglass continued a good start to the curtailed 2020 four-year-old season for first-season sires when he won the opener for Barry O’Neill and Colin Bowe to provide Ocovango with his first success in the pointing sphere. It was a particularly apt success given that he stands at the local Beeches Stud.
15th February – Cragmore
One of two meetings have been carried over to the following weekend owing to Storm Ciara, Brandy Love put up one of the more notable performances by a mare when she defeated geldings’ by a wide margin to win the four-year-old maiden. In doing so she completed a notable hour for stallion Jet Away, as his first two point-to-point runners both ended up winning four-year-old maidens, following the earlier Oldtown success of Supreme Jet.
Awesome Lady gained a deserved success following three runners-up placings, as she won the older mares’ maiden at the age of 11 for rider-handler Paul Power. The success was a first of the season for Waterford-based Power, who had ridden his first winner in the sphere at Ballydarragh in the same month 12 years earlier. The pair would go on to quickly follow up at Turtulla the following month.
15th February – Oldtown
Atrocious weather conditions hit the rescheduled Oldtown fixture resulting in small fields throughout the card, with 32 runners across the six races making it the smallest fixture of the season.
Largy Debut came into the spotlight as his trainer Stuart Crawford declared that he “was the best horse I have ever had,” following his 13-length success in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden. The Shirocco gelding was subsequently sold privately to Chris Jones, and was well-backed when making his rules debut swiftly afterwards, finishing third at Navan in a Bumper the following month.
Having returned to race-riding at Dowth Hall following an extended absence where he worked as a huntsman, Ian Donoghue recorded his first double, the first leg of which was also his first winner since that return from retirement. The brother of Cheltenham Festival winning jockey Keith Donoghue, had been forced to cut his weight from 15 and a half stone in a bid to return to the saddle.
16th February – Knockanard
Just three races were staged before the meeting had to be abandoned in the interests of safety as rising high winds brought the weigh-tent to the ground. The card had started promisingly for local connections, when the Matt Collins-trained Tallow For Coal won the four-year-old maiden. Ridden by James Hannon, it was his parents, James Senior and Marian that bred the son of Artic Cosmos, with the stallion standing with them at the Old Road Stud in Tallow.
That success formed part of a double for the rider, who later teamed up with Harry Kelly to win the open aboard Oscar Contender. The nine-year-old was winning his first race in just over 12 months having won at the nearby Tallow in the same month a year earlier.
16th February – Nenagh
A number of young riders came to the fore on a relatively small card with just 33 runners, with Tim Hyde and Eoin Shaw both enjoying their first successes. The former, who comes from a well-known racing family, opened his account aboard his families Saint Benedict in the winners’ race, whilst 21-year-old Eoin Shaw for Killenuale, got off the mark when teaming up with Eoin McDonagh’s Makeshift in the finale. Earlier on the card, Peter Kavanagh had won his first four-year-old maiden, and the second race of his career, when Velvit Elvis won the auction maiden for Colin Bowe.
The lightly raced Staker Wallace won just his second career race, and first in over three years, as he followed up his very promising return run in a Naas Hunter Chase to easily account for Lite Duties in the Ladies open. Enda Bolger’s charge would go on to finish fourth in the Cheltenham Foxhunters the following month.
16th February - Punchestown
Local rider Sorcha Woods was one of two jockeys on the day to open their accounts when she partnered Horendus Hulabaloo to success in the open for David Christie. Woods, a student at Enniskillen’s CAFRE College, rides out for the Fermanagh handler alongside her studies. Raheny native Lee Byrne matched her first success when getting off the mark on what was his first ever ride in a point-to-point. That initial success came courtesy of Gordon Elliott’s Evalabrune D’Or in the older maiden, a horse having his first outing for Elliott.
The five-year-old geldings’ maiden which typically draws a large turnout, was run as a match race this year when only two horses were declared. We Will Sort It ultimately ran out an easy winner to provide former National Hunt jockey Cian Collins with his first winner as a handler.
22nd February - Farmacaffley
Barry O’Neill was the only rider to record a four-timer during the season, and for added measure he rode two of them, with his Armagh four-timer repeating a similar feat that he achieved on the opening weekend at Castletown-Geoghegan. Two of those successes came for the David Christie yard that was in red-hot form all the way through the season, as 13 winners for the campaign gave him a remarkable 46% strike rate that stood at an even more notable 75% in the northern region during the season.
The success of Ringneill in the mares’ maiden, a first of the year for Mark O’Hare, saw him achieve the very rare feat of riding a winner in each of four different decades, having recorded his first success at Comber back in 1999, some 21 years earlier.
Ranieri got the better of his shorter priced stable companion to win the five-year-old geldings’ maiden at provide 18-year-old Galway native Conor Rabbitt with his first success in the saddle.
23rd February – Kildorrery
Rochestown sprung a 10/1 shock victory in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden to provide William Cronin with his opening winner of the season. Cronin had made his debut in the sport at Dromahane some 12 years earlier.
23rd February – Tinahely
Having ridden trebles at two of the earlier Tinahely fixtures, Jamie Codd was once again the main to follow at the Wicklow venue with the opening success of Bring The Action in the four-year-old maiden seeing him record his 950th winner between the flags, and 75th at Fairwood Park alone. He went on to double his tally for the day in the following race.
Eighteen-year-old Kilkenny native Dan Nevin opened his account when Tom Power’s Lawlor’s Choice won the mares’ maiden.
2nd March – Borris House
The Carlow Farmers fixtures was the only meeting to take place on the afternoon, with both Bandon and Ballycahane, which had been scheduled to take place, being put back six days due to the courses being waterlogged. Wexford handlers dominated the four-year-old maiden with Amarillo Sky (Colin Bowe) and Gars De Sceaux (Denis Murphy) both running out impressive winners.
Aaron Sinnott won his first race at an Irish Point fixture since the December 2018 meeting at the same course when Hidden Commander won the five-year-old geldings’ maiden for Ellen Doyle. Sinnott had spent the intervening time riding in America, including victory in the 2019 $50,000 Margaret Currey Henley, and was back in pointing action on a short return to Ireland.
7th March – Ballycahane
Held six days later than had been intended due to a waterlogged course, Killer Kane was a notable winner of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden, as Donnchadh Doyle’s tenth winner of the season would go on to be sold for £300,000 to Bloodstock Agents Peter and Ross Doyle for trainer Colin Tizzard.
7th March - Bandon
Another fixture to have been rescheduled by six days owing to a waterlogged course, Drawn N Drank became the oldest horse to win during the season when he picked up the tenth success of his career between the flags when winning the open. It was also a notable winner for 23-year-old rider John Mulvihill, as the former conditional jockey, who had ridden a winner under rules for Charles Byrnes, enjoyed his first success in the pointing fields.
Timoleague handler Padraig Butler won the adjacent maiden for the second year running when Cailin Dearg won the 2020 renewal under Darragh Allen, following in the footsteps of her former stablemate Delight Of Dubai from a year earlier.
7th March – Tyrella
Double Smart won the second race of her season when she got the better of fellow Kirkistown winner Dento Des Obeaux by four lengths in the adjacent winners’ race. The success was all the more notable as the daughter of Flemensfirth was in foal to the Ascot Gold Cup and dual Irish St Leger winner Order Of St George.
Fourteen of the 16 riders that took part in the five and six-year-old geldings’ maiden were hit with a two-day suspension following a number of false starts to the race.
8th March – Lingstown
Synonymous with cross country races, Enda Bolger surprisingly was only recording his first success over the Lingstown banks course when Stand Up And Fight won the feature race on the card, with the Killinick committee once again having their efforts to promote the race well rewarded, with a quality line up competing for the boosted €3,050 pot.
Gerri Colombe was one of the more expensive four-year-old’s to win during the season, having come into his competitive debut with a price tag of €85,000 from the Derby Sale nine months earlier. That initial investment by Colin Bowe paid dividends, as after his narrow success he was bought by Mags O’Toole for £240,000, and filling the opening leg of a treble on the day of Barry O’Neill. The success of Sunset West his 15th of the season, ensuring that he shared the Eastern title with Jamie Codd.
8th March – Lismore
This was a particularly notable fixture for the Lismore committee, as after over 100 years of racing on the Lismore estate, it was the last fixture for them at that particular course. The popular track has played host to many top quality prospects, chief amongst them the nine-time Grade 1 winner Florida Pearl, who was a four-year-old maiden winner there in 1996. From 2021 the point-to-point will move to a new course on the outskirts of Lismore.
Pa King was unfortunate to not match Barry O’Neill and ride a four-timer during the season, as he did pass the post in front on four occasions on the card, only to be disqualified from the opening four-year-old maiden when his mount, Petibonome, was adjudged to have taken the wrong course.
8th March – Turtulla
Hollow Games became one of the top-priced pointers of the season when he was bought by Mouse O’Ryan and Gordon Elliott for £255,000 after his winning debut which saw him land the four-year-old geldings’ maiden by a distance. The success was a ninth of the season for handler Ellen Doyle, whilst the notable strike rate of 35% was a best ever for the Baltimore Stables team.
15th March - Ballyarthur
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, this would prove to be the final day’s racing of the 2019/20 season, with the fixture staged behind closed doors and without public admittance. Jockeys were asked to get changed in their cars, and all those entering the fixture had to use hand sanitiser upon entering.
Multiple champions Barry O’Neill and Derek O’Connor shared riding honours on the day, with the former once again teaming up with Colin Bowe to win both four-year-old races, whilst O’Connor enjoyed his two successes aboard five-year-old’s – Richard Harding’s Karlie and Kilandra from the Ellmarie Holden yard.
15th March – Ballyragget
The ultra-consistent Reigning Supreme, who finished in the first four in each of his nine outings during the season, rounded of the foreshortened season by winning his second race on the bounce under Susie Doyle, as the pair followed up their Cragmore successes from exactly a month earlier.
Roger Quinlan made a very welcome return to the winner’s enclosure at this fixture which was also held behind closed doors, as the 12-year-old Smokin Vinne won the finale, as one of the older horses to have broken his maiden during the campaign. Quinlan only made his return to pointing action in mid-February, and this latest success brings him to the 193-winner mark between the flags.
