By Dan Walsh at Fairwood, Tinahely
Champion handler Colin Bowe and leading trainer on the track Gordon Elliott each saddled three winners and champion rider Barry O’Neill added a treble to his tally over the weekend with racing at three tracks.
Elliott dominated at the Wicklow Hunt races at Fairwood, Tinahely, today (Sunday) with three winners; Kisk Bank (Harry Swan) won division one of the maiden race for four year olds by 30 lengths, Barry O’Neill was given the leg up on Big Stage who did the business by three and a half lengths in the maiden race for five and six year olds, while the popular Samcrow (Tom Hamilton), a winner of the Open Race by 35 lengths last year at Fairwood, settled for a front running all the way easy success by two and a half lengths this time.
The second division of the ‘divided’ maiden race for four-year-olds was won by Hawthorn Street for the Bowe/O’Neill partnership. Three and a half lengths the verdict.
Luke Murphy from Inch, Gorey, saddled his first winner as a handler with Neat Locality, running in the colours of his parents, John and Miriam Murphy, who also bred the winner, who had four lengths to spare in the mares’ maiden race. The winning rider was Frankie Murphy (no relation) from Skibbereen, Co. Cork, aboard his second career victory.
Ferns rider James Murray rode his third career winner on Freemans Bay for Sean Byrne, Castledermot, by six lengths in the maiden race for six-year-olds confined to novice riders. Runner-up was Haggard from Colin Bowe’s stables ridden by Sophie Carter.
Also racing today (Sunday) at Turtulla, Co. Tipperary, where Colin Bowe saddled newcomer Star Walking who scored by ten lengths in the maiden race for four-year-old mares to give Oulart rider Bertie Finn his 20th career winner.
Yesterday’s point-to-point at Quakerstown, Co. Clare produced one Wexford winner in an all-Wexford finish to the maiden race for four-year-old geldings where Colin Bowe’s newcomer, Country Park with Barry O’Neill up, got home by ‘a head’ to defeat Donnchadh Doyle’s newcomer Maximum Offers ridden by Rob James.
Next Sunday’s point-to-point is the Killinick Harriers fixture at Lingstown, Tomhaggard, where there is a six-race card including a race over the Banks Course. The action begins at 12.30pm.
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