By Dan Walsh
Neighbouring riders Barry O’Neill and Rob James are ‘neck and neck’ at the top of the national point-to-point riders’ championship, and they had a winner apiece at Castletown-Geoghegan, Co. Westmeath, today (Sunday) and are 27-26 at the top of the table with about six weekends to go until the end of the 2023-’24 season.
James drew level with champion O’Neill when he partnered newcomer Drop A Threat to a 12 lengths victory for the Monbeg Syndicate and Donnchadh Doyle in the maiden race for five-year-old geldings. But an hour later and Barry was back on top again with an 8 lengths victory on Deravarra Rose for local Mullingar handler Ciaran Murphy with Rob in the runner-up spot on Notnoweve for David Christie in the mares’ maiden contest.
Sean Doyle initiated the first leg of a double with newcomer On The Bayou, running in the Monbeg Partnership colours and ridden by Jack Hendrick, Mayglass, in division two of the maiden race for four-year-olds in which only two finished at the Westmeath track.
Doyle made it a double on the day at Dromahane, Co. Cork, when saddling Dawn Miss, the 12 lengths winner of the maiden race for five and six-year-old mares and ridden by Jamie Scallan, Tomhaggard,
Another Tomhaggard rider Tiernan Power Roche teamed up with Cleariestown handler Mark Scallan and the partnership enjoyed a double at the Cork venue. Newcomer Captains Speech in the colours of Denis Hayes scored by five and a half lengths in the second division of the geldings four-year-old maiden race and Laura Scallan’s Always A Reason made it a double for the rider/handler partnership by four lengths in the maiden race for five-year-old geldings.
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