By Dan Walsh
Barry O’Neill hit the point-to-point headlines at the two-day Necarne, Co. Fermanagh fixture on Friday and Saturday where he rode four winners and joined Derek O’Connor and Jamie Codd as only the third rider to accumulate 900 winners ‘between the flags’ in Ireland.
O’Neill’s millstone winner came aboard West of Idaho for David Christie in the Winners Race today (Saturday) coming home 26 lengths clear. Some 24-hours earlier West of Idaho and O’Neill took the Winner of Three race by 28 lengths over the same track.
Earlier on Friday, Barry joined forces with his brother, Jim O’Neill, and won division of the four-year-old mares race by five lengths with Tanga Magu.
And before leaving Fermanagh on Saturday O’Neill rode Hearts and Spades for Ian McCarthy winning the Open Race by three lengths and said ‘goodbye’ with a career total of 901!
Rob James also recorded a double as a rider and handler. He scored with Moral Compass in division two of the maiden race for four-year-old mares’ by three lengths on Friday and added division two of the maiden race for four-year-old geldings on Saturday with a five and a half lengths victory on Captain Escape.
Both divisions of the maiden race for five-year-old geldings ere won by Wexford raiders. Fox Walk won division one for Eamonn Doyle and Bertie Finn and division two was won by Bonnie Gold for the in-form Denis Murphy/Shane Cotter partnership.
Shane Cotter registered a double aboard Robert Tector’s Ballinclay Court and Ballindaggin rider Cormac Byrne won on City Chief for Cormac Abernathy.
And one other Wexford winner at Fermanagh today (Saturday), Matthew Flynn O’Connor, Ballycrystal, Kiltealy, saddled Frompillartopost in division one of the four-year-old geldings maiden race ridden by Adrian Kennedy.
WexfordLocal.com 