Point to Point Weekly 13-5-2026

Wednesday,May 13,2026

CRYSTALCLEAR

Shan

‘It’s tight at the topbetween David Doyle and ne Cotter in the under-21 championship and it’s a battle that neither deservestolose’ Page 4

"I think Santiago is goingtobethe next big thing. He wasa very, very goodracehorse and Authorized is afantastic influence." Harold Kirk

First crop3YOs selling soon!

FERMANAGH AT NECARNE FRIDAY

Cotter overtakes Doyle in pursuit of under-21 title

SHANE COTTER’S quest to regain the under-21 title was boosted by a double to edge one winner clear of defending champion David Doyle Bonnie Gold was first to strike for the Wexford-based Cork rider when he took a big step forward from his last effort at Tattersalls to fend off Two Walking Sticks in a division of the Tattersalls Ireland May P2P & HI T Sa le five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

A one-length win continued the purple patch for Wexford handler Denis Murphy, who will now offer the grey Walk In The Park gelding for sale

“He’s a nice, big horse,” Bernice Murphy, daughter of the handler, said. “He’s done that well today and will improve further It’s up to Denis but I’d imagine he’ll now be sold.”

The under-21 champion of 2024 combined with in-form Robert Tector to complete his double when Ballinclay Court defied a long absence in the older mares’ maiden

Star performance

Lower De Couely cruised into contention and, with just a shake of the reins, won easily on her debut

Absent since May 2023 and having had a foal in the intervening three years, the nineyear-old showed a great attitude to force Craan Rose into the runner-up spot in this race for a second consecutive year

“She had a foal last year and then didn’t go in foal, so we thought we’d bring her back,” Tector said. “She might go to the track in the summer She’s handicapped over hurdles.”

Cotter was not the only rider to leave the Fermanagh course with a brace as Barry O’Neill matched that feat when West Of Idaho came out on top in a competitive winners-of-three

Twice a winner at Tyrella earlier in the campaign, the David Christie-trained sixyear-old had eyeballed the long-time leader Weespoof

approaching the second-last and after negotiating that obstacle with speed, he put the race to bed at the home bend to win by 28 lengths

“He’s the most underrated horse in the yard,” Christie said “You saw that at Downpatrick where he hadn’t a clue, but he got up the hill. He’s not bad at all and will be exciting in a maiden hunter chase again.”

The champion had ridden a first winner for his brother Jim when Tanga Mugi turned a promising Lisronagh debut into dominant victory in a division of the Goffs Spring Sale fouryear-old mares’ maiden.

The €8,000 daughter of Sea Moon held place prospects when falling two out on her debut and she made amends by accounting for Readyandwaiting by five lengths

There was further success for a Wexford stable when Rob James rode Moral Compass, who he also trains, in the second division of the fouryear-old mares’ maiden.

FERMANAGH AT NECARNE SATURDAY

Bought by his partner Emma Cousins for €30,000 at last year’s Goffs Arkle Sale, the bay stepped forward from a fourth at Loughanmore to become the fourth Goliath Du Berlaissired four-year-old winner of 2026 with her defeat of Cormac Doyle’s La Muleta

Do yl e’s older br other

West Of Idaho in double form

A SECOND double in 24 hours secured Barry O’Neill a seventh northern riders’ title, with David Christie again delivering the goods for the reigning champion.

The local handler turned out West Of Idaho for a second day and the six-year-old secured his fourth success of 2026 when he dominated the Killyhevlin Hotel adjacent winners’ race

The 26-length victory of the Idaho-sired bay was all the more notable for the 36-yearold as it saw him register his 900th point-to-point winner

“That was a great training performance, to reproduce that so qu ickl y after wi nning yesterday,” O’Neill said. “It’s not like he didn’t have a tough race yesterday, but he’s a nice horse who continues to improve and should keep progressing.”

Star performance

Certain Escape proved the class act on the card as he clocked the quickest time across the eight races

did put up a valiant effort as he was among the winners in the opening division of the fouryear-old auction maiden.

was making his first appearance for Cromwell as O’Connor guided him to a one-length defeat of Dooneen.

Eamonn fared better in the fiveyear-old geldings’ maiden, with the experienced Fox Walk turning front-running tactics into a two-and-a-half-length victory over Awayoutback under Bertie Finn.

Ballindaggin rider Cormac Byrne had guided City Chief to success in a novice riders’ open

at Kirkistown and the chance to get back on the Cormac Abernethy-trained nine-year-old in the novice riders’ open was one he took with both hands They finished strongly to defeat the favourite Yewtree Hill by six and a half lengths Paddy Turley took his strikerate for the season to 40 per cent

The seven-year-old had run up a string of six victories before his winning run came to an end with three defeats, the latest of which came at the Punchestown festival.

Back between the flags he showed his class by beating the Stuart Crawford pair Dorking Cock and Carnfunnock.

“It’s great to be getting on any of Ian’s horses as they’re always on their job He’ll be a nice horse for opens and hunter chasing,” O’Neill said.

That three-length victory was enough for O’Neill to beat Stephen Connor by one to the region’s title, although Connor

O’Neill doubled his tally when he teamed up with Kildare trainer Ian McCarthy for just the fourth time as Hearts And Spades moved level with The Great Unknown at the top of the champion horse standings with success in the open.

His mount, Ballywillin, picked up the pieces after the final-fence departure of Mon Missel to defeat Masterius by a length and a half

Derek O’Connor has another title on his mind, and his quest to secure a 12th national crown was boosted by a double, which began with his own Hollywood Nights who came from off the pace to land the second division of that contest. The Affinisea gelding was well produced to beat fellow first-timer Weafers Cross by a length.

The 11-time champion later partnered a rare point-to-point winner for Gavin Cromwell when Everest The Brave opened his account in the sixyear-old geldings’ maiden.

An eye-catching final-fence faller on his debut at Cragmore when under the care of Liam Phelan, the Shantaram gelding

“He’s a superb jumper I’d ri de him arou nd Ai nt re e tomorrow morning, he’s such a good jumper,” O’Connor said.

Rob James saddled and rode his second four-year-old winner at the Fermanagh venue within 24 hours when Certain Escape justified market support in a division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Th e £75,000 Do ncaster purchase had made an eyecatching debut prior to a thirdlast departure at Monksgrange, and he made amends by beating newcomer Iwanttobreakfree by five and a half lengths

“He fell at Monksgrange when I fully expected a big showing from him,” James said. “I didn’t expect any less than that from him today. He’s a classy sort who’ll now be sold.”

Iwanttobreakfree’s rider Andrew Kennedy enjoyed

better fortune in the opening division when he guided Frompillartopost to beat Divinator for Wexford handler

Cooleagh, his mount in the seven-year-old-and-upwards geldings’

The

UNITED AT BARTLEMY SUNDAY

when Lower De Couely made an impressive debut in the fiveyear-old mares’ maiden.

One of just two newcomers in the 12-strong line-up, Declan Lavery never had to ask the No Risk At All French-bred a serious question to defeat Loman Lady by four and a half lengths

only £2,500 at a ThoroughBid online auction in December 2024 and Ward’s perseverance wi th Mi nella Cr istal wa s rewarded when he registered a five-and-a-half-length win under Noel McParlan.

Star performance

Jasper Crystal lengthened clear on the run-in to win going away on his debut

DEREK O’CONNOR increased his advantage to six over Barry O’Neill at the head of the riders’ championship with a double that began with the John O’Donovan-trained newcomer

By The Order in a division of the Tattersalls Ireland May P2P & HIT Sale and Coolmore Stud four-year-old mares’ maiden.

By The Order took the eye in second place and jumped into the lead two out. The daughter of Order Of St George, a €9,000 graduate of last year’s Tattersalls Ireland July Sale, bounded clear on the flat to beat fellow debutante Purple Fountain by seven lengths

O’Donovan’s amateur rider son Chris owns By The Order, whose granddam is a sister to Grade 1-winning chaser Felix Yonger He said: “She’s a lovely filly who I was nearly going to ride myself, but we put Derek up as he’s going for the championship James O’Sullivan of Mallow Commercials owns her with me and she’ll now be sold.”

The Galwegian then teamed up with his neighbour John Staunton to collect the first division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden on newcomer Riptide, bringing his tally to 42.

Riptide, who is a son of Ga lile o Chr om e an d a grandson of Grade 2 hurdlewinning mare Shadow Eile, was purchased for €15,500 at last year’s Goffs Arkle Sale He surged past runner-up De Inovator after the final fence to score by two lengths

“He was a babyish horse all year but he has really started to come over the past month He’ll be a lovely horse after a summer’s grass,” owner/trainer Staunton said. Riptide is now likely to be sold.

O’Connor also sent out his wife Carol’s debutant Jasper

NEWS AND VIEWS

O’Connor surges clear with power of Riptide

Crystal to score under talented 5lb claimer Evan Nugent in the second division of this contest.

Jasper Crystal, a son of Crystal Ocean is out of an unraced halfsister to five black-type winners including Grade 1 World Hurdle winner More Of That, always travelled well. He picked up the running at the last to beat The Bloomsbury Boy by five and a half lengths

“Evan and the other lads who are with me have been working like trojans all winter It means

more to me to give the likes of Evan a winner than if I were to ride a winner myself,” said O’Connor He then added of Jasper Crystal: “He’s a lovely, floating mover with a nice bit of speed; a real spring horse.”

Adam Feeney was another to ride two winners, the 27-yearold opening his account on owner/trainer Tom Keating’s Common People in the first division of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

The Yeats-sired Common

People, runner-up on his last start at Durrow, was one and a half lengths adrift of the sweettravelling leader Back To Sea when Sam Curling’s charge overjumped and fell at the final fence Common People then returned with a length to spare over the patiently ridden newcomer Master Locksley Fe ene y com bine d wi th another Tipperar y-based owner/trainer in John Nallen to collect the second division of the race with Minella West

The last fence again played a role as Treasure Born had just moved to the front only to come to grief when holding a slight lead. Minella West, who is by Westerner, duly asserted to beat Shah by three lengths Cormac Doyle continued his fine run in the first division of the four-year-o ld ma re s’ maiden by sending out the Loughanmore debut third Cr yst al Be e to re cor d a clear-cut front-running success under Jack Hendrick at the expense of Bless Your Heart in the Monbeg Farm silks. Cormac’s elder brother Eamonn also struck with last month’s Ballysteen debut second Fiercestone in the fiveyear-old-and-upwards mares’ maiden. Fiercestone, owned by Michael Murphy from Bunclody and bred by his wife Annette, eased to the front with Alan Harney at the second-last to beat Mrs Glam by three lengths Jack Collins, 18, brought his career tally to six in the mares’ winners-of-two aboard his grandfather Pat Pyne’s Queen Of The Gales Th e Colin Mo ther wa ytrained mare mastered leader Time In A Bottle at the last to score by four lengths Fo rm er track ho rs e Mr McWhinny made his first start a winning one for breeder Paul To wn end ’s fa th er Ti m Townend with an emphatic front-running success on his po in t de bu t under Ol lie Gilligan in the five-year-oldand-upwards confined hunt maiden. The eight-year-old came home at his leisure by 38 lengths from Grand Sourcier

O’Neill shrugs off setbacks with two titles already in the bag

THIS campaign may have proven to be challenging for Barry O’Neill, with Colin Bowe, from whom he usually draws his greatest level of support, down on winners, yet he has still managed to secure the two regional titles that have been decided. Fresh from regaining the eastern title late last month, O’Neill managed to defend his championship in the north despite going into the region’s season-ending two-day fixture at Necarne in third position behind Stephen Connor and Noel McParlan.

Doubles on both days for the Wexford rider, helped by David Christie’s West Of Idaho

securing back-to-back wins, saw him leapfrog Connor and Mc Pa rla n to se cu re hi s seventh title in the region, a prize he first won in 2018. West Of Idaho’s second success at the Fermanagh venue proved particularly important for O’Neill as it made him just the third rider in the history of Irish point-topoint to reach the 900-winner mark This milestone comes two years on from his 800th winner, also on a Christietrained runner at Necarne Connor may have just come up short in his quest to secure a first regional title – missing out by a single winner – but it has still been a momentous

season for the Antrim-based Galwegian and his principal supporter, Stuart Crawford.

Connor’s move to Crawford’s Larne stable has been rewarding. Eleven winners last season was more than double his previous best and he took another step forward this season with 17 successes.

Crawford has been notably more active between the flags, with 40 horses – his largest since 2010 – representing him this seas on. The greater quantity has been matched by quality, as 18 winners represents his best haul.

Although Simon Munir and Isaac Souede’s Jet Bloodstock venture has played its part in

that, a sizeable chunk of the Crawford winners have come courtesy of horses sporting the green and purple silks of Raymond Scullion and Martin McGrogan’s Largy Bloodstock

Eight of his 18 winners have come from that operation, which has reinvigorated his team, and it will be interesting to see if that increases again.

It is proving a busy end to the season, with multiple divisions the norm for the last four weekends

In that period, all but two fixtures have featured a divide, with nine of them boasting multiple divisions, including several nine-race cards.

Last weekend there were

eight races on each day at Necarne, before Sunday’s card in Bartlemy stretched to nine races to accommodate 89 runners at the Cork venue. Last year there were 837 runners across this four-week period, but that has jumped to 1,016 this season, with a late rush to run young horses before the term ends That is now just 11 days away and it will feature an additional fixture on Sunday, May 24 at Tattersalls, which ha s bee n adde d to the ca len da r to re pl ace th e cancelled Inchydoney fixture that had been scheduled for the same day. Eoghain Ward

DerekO’Connor Straight to thePoint

CertainEscapeeludesrivalsto endnorthernseasononahigh

TWO days of excellent racingatNecarne in County Fermanagh concludedanother successful season in the northern region. Thereweresome notable performances on the track, and the localcommitteedeserves greatcredit forproducingsafe ground.

Their hard work wasrewarded with agood turnout for the maidens, with four races dividedtogiveusan eight-race card on both days Lookingtothe future, the RobJamestrainedCertain Escapestood outasa high-classprospectwith astylish performance in Saturday’sfour-yearold geldings’maiden, compensating for amishap on his debutat Monksgrange on the last Sundayin March. At Monksgrange,hehad just moveduptodispute the lead with the eventual wide-margin winner HeronHilland seemedtobewell within his comfortzone when falling three out. On Saturday,Rob puthim in achallengingposition around the same stageofthe race and he accelerated after the second-lastto settle the issue.

Friday’smares’races produced three winnerswho look capable of making an impact on the track.Pat Turley’s five-year-old No Risk At All mare LowerDeCouely wasasmooth winner under Declan Lavery,not seriously challenged aftercoasting clear on the approachtotwo out.

RobJames took the second division of the four-year-old mares’ race with MoralCompass,who showed the benefit of lastmonth’s introduction at Loughanmore. She’s ahalf-sisterbyGoliath Du Berlais to DaylightKatie,asmart mare in bumpers and aGrade 3winner over hurdles for Gordon Elliott.

Thefirstdivision waswon by a youngmarewith asimilar profile to Certain Escape.

TheJim O’Neill-trainedTanga Mugi, who wasincontention when fallingtwo outatLisronagh, quickenedwell off the final bend to winreadily.

It wasanimportantwin for his brother,Barry,who startedthe weekend behind Stephen Connor and Noel McParlaninthe race for the northern title.Bythe end of the twodayshehad ridden four winners to edge aheadofConnor and winthe

‘Pat

Doyleis an absolute legend; oneofthe finest judges of young jumping talent inthe game, an exceptional trainer, incredibly dedicatedand hardworking; oneofthe all-time greats of our sportinevery respect’

by onewinner(15-14) thanks to a Fridaydouble at Necarnefor Wexfordhandlers Denis Murphyand RobTector.

Thetwo youngstershavehad the same number of rides (89), and it’s a battle that neither deservestolose. And what aboutusolder lads? Well, despite Barryridingfour winners at Necarne, Istill hold a six-winner lead goingintothe penultimateweekend. Ihad adouble at NecarneonSaturday: onefor Gavin Cromwell in an older horses’ maiden, the other on Hollywood Nights,afour-year-old newcomer from my yard.Iadded another twoat BartlemyonSunday, teamingup with By TheOrder,afour-year-old filly trainedbyJohn O’Donovan, and the John Staunton-trainedfour-yearold geldingRiptide

Iregional championship for the seventhtime.

Twoyearsago,Barry rode the 800th winner of his career at this meeting, on ahorse trainedby the leadinglocal trainer,David Christie.On Saturday, he reachedthe 900 mark on West Of Idaho for the same stable,recordinganeasy successinthe hunt race,having landedFriday’smorecompetitive winners-of-three eventina similar style.

ConnorstartedSaturdayby winningthe firstdivision of the fouryear-old maiden on Ballywillin for StuartCrawford after Barry’smount MonMisselhad fallen when holding aslightlead. With three races remaining, the tworidersweretied.

Barrygot the crucial winonHearts And Spades in the open. No doubt Connorwas disappointedtohave beenpipped at the post buthecan lookbackonafine season. He has partnered 17 winners at a23per cent strike-rateand reachedthe firstthree in 42 of the 73 races in which he has competed.

With Hearts And Spades making up for his defeat when favourite for the BishopscourtCup at the Punchestown festival, the Ian McCarthy-trainedgeldingisnow tied with SamCurling’smareThe Great Unknown in therace to be crowned the season’sleadingpoint-to-pointer. Things arealsotight at the top in the battle for the under-21 riders’ championship.For much of the season, it looked as if the 2024-25 champion, David Doyle, wason course to defend his title.However, Shane Cotter, who waschampion twoseasons agobeforeaserious injury stalledhis progress, nowleads

WOULD never have beenin this positionwithout Sam Curling’sbacking, andI’m very fortunatetohavesupport from awiderange of trainers at this late stageinthe season. It also helped that Evan Nugent gave my newcomer Jasper Crystal alovely ride to winthe second division of the four-year-old geldings’maiden, beating Barry’smount, The Bloomsbury Boy. Thewinner is by Crystal Ocean outofahalf-sister to high-classhorses More Of That, Santenay andEastlake. He jumped well for Evan and Ilikehim alot As for the title,Iwon’t take anythingfor grantedwhile Barrystill hasamathematical chance.Iknow very well that he is capable of dominatingacardonany given day if he hasthe rightammunition. Finally, Iwanttomention that one eraisendingand another beginning with the news that Jack Doyleisset to takeoverthe licence from his father, Pat, at the family’sSuirview Stables in Holycross. I’mone of many involved in pointto-pointwho owePat agreat deal. He’s nota manwho likes much fuss, so I’ll keep the tribute short. He’s an absolute legend; one of the finest judges of jumpingtalentinthe game, an exceptional trainer,incredibly dedicated andhard-working; one of the all-time greats of oursport in everyrespect. With 19 wins this season at anear-50per cent strikerate,hehands over athrivingyardto Jack. Hisrecordspeaksfor itself

“We have a three-year-old from the first crop of In Swoop and have absolutely adored him since the day we bought him.He has a brilliant temperament,is extremely athletic and looks to have all the makings of a high-class racehorse.We’ve bought two more foals by In Swoop and having now dealt with three of them,it comes as no surprise to us that his first four runners are all winners. He’s definitely a stallion going places.”

RICHARD & SARAH ROHAN, BALLYTRASNA FARM

“He’s just a real athlete - you could see it from a very early stage He has a great attitude and looks a real stylish horse.I’ve gone on to use In Swoop every year on the strength of him.I'm a big fan.”

D

AVY RUSSELL, ON HIS 3YO GOING TO THE DERBY SALE

“I bought one foal from his first crop and when I loose schooled him as a yearling I was very struck by his natural ability to jump.Another day out in the field,amongst a batch of 12, he produced a serious turn of foot to shoot by the others and showed a real willingness to gallop so I was very keen to get another one by him which I did.”

IALL BLEAHEN, LISS HOUSE STUD