Rob James bags three at Ballycrystal

By Dan Walsh at Ballycrystal

The national point-to-point riders’ championship is really hotting up following today’s Island Hunt fixture at Ballycrystal where Rob James rode a treble and is now only one winner (26-25) behind the reigning champion Barry O’Neill in the 2023-’24 championship race. There were also doubles for local handlers Donnchadh Doyle and Matthew Flynn O’Connor who saddled his 25^th career point-to-point winner.

The four-year-old mares maiden race was divided and the 16 lengths success of Fruit De Mer was the first leg of a double for the Donnchadh Doyle/Rob James team. Only two of the eight starters finished with Colin Bowe’s Paul Collins (Barry O’Neill up) filling the runner-up position.

The sale race was also divided and division one went to Committee Meeting for the father and son team of John and Luke Murphy from Inch, Gorey. Division two was the first leg of a double for local handler Matthew Flynn O’Connor when Rucker Road ridden by Brian Lawless took advantage by four lengths.

Flynn O’Connor and Lawless were in the winners’ enclosure half an hour later with Je Viens Du Large who had an amazing 56 lengths success as only two finished in the Winners of One race.

Peggy’s Rock (Michael Goff/Mikey Sweeney) led throughout the Open Lightweight Race confined to mares but made a mistake at the final obstacle and was caught at the finish by Millie Supreme – half a length in it – to complete a double for Donnchadh Doyle and Rob James.

The largest field of the day -15 – turned out in the maiden race for five and six-year-old maidens and victory for Cloonainra for handler David O’Brien from Piltown, Co. Kilkenny, and third winner of the afternoon for Rob James.

Derek O’Connor, who won the Foxhunters at Aintree on Thursday, scored on Kara Sacre for the Tipperary handler Sam Curling in division two of the maiden race for four-year-old mares. Six lengths the verdict.

Mickthesoldier was an eight lengths winner of the maiden race for six-year-olds for Denis Ahern of Dungourney, Co. Cork. This was a second point-to-point victory for Michael Kenneally, who had a spell as a flat jockey in the United Kingdom.

It was a good day’s racing, two divides, an 8-race card, the going was ‘soft to heavy’, a nice Saturday crowd and the Aintree Grand National was screened and enjoyed thanks to the Island Hunt team.