Image © Healy Racing
For the first time in his career, Sam Curling was has been crowned champion handler, as he ended the season on a record-breaking 49 winners.
For the first time in his career, Sam Curling was has been crowned champion handler, as he ended the season on a record-breaking 49 winners.
Colin Bowe has been the dominant force in the division, holding a tight stranglehold on the title since its inception in 2008, winning it a total of 13 times, including in each of the last 11 seasons.
However, that came to an end this term, with Curling moving to the top of the standings after a bumper haul of five wins on the first weekend in November, and it was a lead that grew and grew as the season continued.
A Lisronagh hat-trick on that early November weekend was the standout card, with three mares, Jury Time, Ellens Pride and The Great Unknown, all visiting the winner’s enclosure, with doubles following at Rathcannon, Carrigarostig, Bellharbour, Ballycahane, Ballyragget, Ballyknock, Dromahane and Toomebrige.
That all left him on the cusp of emulating Robert Tyner’s 17-year record of 47 winners in a season, dating back to 2009, and whilst the winners did dry up somewhat in May, with two rare weekends where his Tipperary stable drew a blank in mid-May, Curling was not short of ammunition on the final weekend of the season to get him across the line.
Running eight horses across the three fixtures at Ballingarry and Tattersalls, he first moved alongside Tyner’s record on 47 winners when Derek O’Connor steered Back To Sea to victory in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden on the opening day of the two-fixture at the Tipperary venue.
The pair were back in the Ballingarry winner’s enclosure 24 hours later when Time In A Bottle secured him that all-important 48th winner in the mares’ winners-of-three.
For good measure, Curling added winner number 49 of the season when Routine Excellence claimed the ladies open under Nicole Lockhead Anderson.
In all, Curling ran 63 individual horses, with 31 of them winning as The Great Unknown proved to be his winning-most horse, as she contributed seven victories, whilst seven individual riders partnered winners for him – David Doyle, Dan Hyde, Derek O’Connor, Harry Swan, Hannah Phillips, Nicole Lockhead Anderson and Rob James.
O’Connor was chief amongst them with 24, followed by Nicole Lockhead Anderson (11), and David Doyle (9).
49 winners is Curling’s best haul to date, 15 more than his 34 winners 12 months ago.
Sam will be presented with his trophy at the 45th annual point-to-point awards, hosted by the QR Association, which takes place at Whites Hotel, Wexford, on Saturday, June 13th. Tickets can be purchased here.
