50th win of the season for Barry O’Neill

By Dan Walsh

Champion rider-elect for the sixth consecutive season Barry O’Neill enjoyed his 50^th victory of the 2021-’22 point-to-point season at Muskerry, near Blarney, Co. Cork this afternoon.

O’Neill was aboard newcomer Royal Defender for Colin Bowe in division one of the maiden race for four-year-old geldings and the partnership triumphed by ten lengths.

Donnchadh Doyle and the Monbeg Syndicate scored a double with Thermusa by four lengths in the maiden race for five-year-old mares and Heros De Moutiers by half a length in the maiden race for five-year-old geldings. Both were ridden by Brian Lawless. The also had a runner-up in Guntier missing out on a treble by three and a half lengths.

Newcomer Slade Steel carrying the colours of the Hook Head Syndicate from Pierce Power’s stables was a two lengths winner in division two of the maiden race for four-year-old geldings ridden by Sean Staples, Duncormick.