By Dan Walsh at Monksgrange
Barry O’Neill achieved his 30th win of the season with a treble at the Bree Hunt point-to-point races in Monksgrange today (Sunday), putting him at the top of the National Point-to-Point Riders’ Championship table as he pursues his 10th title.
O’Neill was sporting the famous Dawn Run colours of Benjamin Hill, on whose lands the races were run, when bringing the Colin Bowe trained Royal Response home by eight and a half lengths in the second division of the maiden race for four-year-old mares.
O’Neill then went on to share a double with Colin Bowe when Heron Hill won the second division of the maiden race for four-year-old geldings by eight and a half lengths.
Barry O’Neill’s third victory of the day came in the ‘older maiden’ race on Heartbreak Weather in the colours of Robbie Ennis sand trained at Moone, Co. Kildare by Tara Lee Cogan.
The Matchmaker Syndicate and trainer/rider Rob James also enjoyed a double on their home patch. Treasure Valley came home two and a half lengths to the good in the maiden race for five-year-old geldings and half an hour later Gambling Echo clocked up a ‘head’ victory over Payslip (Luke Murphy) in the maiden race for five-year-old and upwards mares’ where only two of the nine runners finished.
Shane O’Rourke, (36), rode his 80th career winner on Garrett Murphy’s Kells Bay, the well backed favourite in division one of the maiden race for four-year-old mares’.
Sean Doyle paid tribute to rider Jamie Scallan who won the first division of the maiden race for four-year-old geldings on Wordfromhome. It was Scallan’s 100th career success.
Leon Cullen, (17), from Piercestown won his second race on Supreme Force for the Robert Tector stables at Coolbawn, Rathnure, in the Cooney Furlong Winners of Two Race confined to novice riders. Two lengths the verdict.
It was a great day’s racing. Two races divided making it an eight-race card and while the ground was testing the track rode very well. Bree Hunt have been holding its fixture here since 2008 – 18 years!
Colin Bowe made it a treble success on the day when saddling Goodbye Earl to win the geldings’ maiden race at Oldcastle, Co. Meath. First victory of the season for Oulart rider Bertie Finn.
There was also point-to-pointing at Liscarroll, Co. Cork today (Sunday) yielding two Wexford trained winners. Jonthan Fogarty, Gaynestown Stud, Clerariestown, won the maiden race for four-year-olds with newcomer Whereweallbelong by an impressive 35 lengths ridden by Finian Maguire.
Matthew Flynn O’Connor from Ballycrystal saddled Sir Topham Hatt, ridden by Brian Lawless, the nine lengths winner of the Winner of One race.
WexfordLocal.com 