Point to Point Weekly 29/04/2026

STAR

Star Affinity earns his place in tomorrow’s Punchestown sale after impressing at Dromahane Reports, pages 2-3 ‘He

QUA

1st IrishDerby-Gr.1 like successful Grange sire FAME AND GLORY

1st StLegerStakes-Gr.1 like Grange Champion Sire MILAN 1st GrandPrixdeParis-Gr.1 by 6 lengths

1st DanteStakes-Gr.2

STONEHALL

AT BALLYSTEEN SATURDAY

Night League in a different class to rivals

DEREK O’CONNOR registered a double at the 30th anniversary Stonehall Harriers fixture to consolidate his advantage in the riders’ championship

The Galwegian will seldom partner an easier winner than the Jonathan Fogarty-trained newcomer Night League in the four-year-old maiden

On a day in which 98 horses ran on a nine-race card, Night League moved through to dispute the running from the fifth fence and he edged into the lead four out.

He could be called the likely winner as he breezed along the top of the track three out and was clearly travelling best with a six-length advantage when his clos est pu rs uer, Su ns et Carousel, fell at the second-last

The Gaynestown Stud Partnership-owned bay, a €55,000 graduate of the 2025 Tattersalls Ireland July Sale, was left with a straightforward task to beat the only other finisher, Max Attack, by 31 lengths

“He’s a lovely horse who works well and he’ll head to the

Star performance Night League looks a class act as he obliterated the opposition on his debut

Goffs sale at Punchestown,” Fogarty’s younger brother Mikey said of the Order Of St George gelding, a May foal out of an unraced sister to Grade 2-placed hurdler Carriganog.

The multiple champion rider then joined forces with his brother Paurick O’Connor to collect a division of the older ma iden on Ra thc ann on runner-up Military Saint

The six-year-old shadowed the front-running Craan Rose from three out and took the measure of Mick Goff’s grey at the last to oblige by two and a half lengths in the colours of the Three Dudes Syndicate.

Pat Doyle’s Got The Honours benefited from a confident ride from John Gleeson to collect a division of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden Got The Honours – absent since finishing third on his debut in a vintage

Turtulla contest in November –moved through to shadow Minella Cyclone two out.

The son of Crystal Ocean, owned by Doyle’s wife, Mary, had gone past Minella Cyclone when the latter blundered at the last and then unseated. He returned with 15 lengths in hand over Wave Goodbye, who all but came to grief two out.

“He’s a lovely horse who got a cut in Turtulla and it took two months to come right,” Doyle said of his Got The Honours, a grandson of Tom Mullins’ three-time Grade 1-winning hurdler Asian Maze.

The Eamonn Doyle-trained newcomer Santa Wave booked his passage to the Punchestown sale by making a winning debut under Alan Harney in the first division of the same contest.

Santa Wave had just arrived to tackle Flamm De Kerbarh when that one fell at the final fence and the victorious son of Gentlewave, a €72,000 Derby Sale graduate owned by the Mossy Fen Stables Partnership, then came in with five lengths

TIPPERARY AT LISRONAGH SUNDAY

to spare over Keppols Poet

The Terence O’Brien-trained What’llido, a half-sister to ten-time track winner Sole Pretender, who represents the Coolglen Syndicate, fulfilled the promise of her Ballynoe third by making virtually all in the fi ve -y ea r- ol d ma re s’ maiden to dismiss newcomer

Fiercestone by six lengths under Darragh Allen.

Th er e wa s a dr am at ic conclusion to the second division of the four-year-old maiden as owner/trainer Tom Keating’s newcomer Town Agent recorded an unlikely success for Adam Feeney Town Agent jumped the last in fourth but, with the trio in front coming to grief with leader Mon Angevin holding all the aces, the son of Harzand beat the only other finisher, Tayant Blue, by 45 lengths Denis Murphy sent out five winners over the weekend and struck here with Kiwi De Cotte, who beat Theatrical Getaway by

Ilians Way puts Hendrick on path to treble

FOR the second time this season, and the fourth time in his career, Jack Hendrick was in hat-trick-winning form, as he was the star of the show on a marathon nine-race card

Denis Murphy supplied two winners for the Mayglass man, starting with Ilians Way, who made a big impression on her debut in a division of the fouryear-old mares’ maiden.

Just a second runner in an Irish point-to-point for the Grade 1-winning hurdler Moises Has, the €38,000 grey was engaged in a protracted battle with fellow first-timer Techno DJ when that rival departed at the last, leaving her six lengths clear of Miss Cooloff.

“She’s a proper yoke, a big shell of a lady,” Murphy said.

“You’ll hear a lot about her. She’ll head on to the sale at Punchestown now.”

Star performance

Walkonseas justified his favourite’s tag by defeating form horse Stay For One in good style

She will be offered alongside stablemate Walkonseas after he too made a winning debut in a division of the four-yearold geldings’ maiden. Coming from off the pace, the Walk In The Park gelding struck the front at the last and quickened four lengths clear of Lingstown third Stay For One. Hendrick later combined with Stay For One’s handler, Robert Tector, to complete his hat-trick on Lastbutnotleased in the second division of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

A casualty when sent off a we ll- backe d favou ri te at Curraghmore, supporters of

the Harzand gelding recouped their losses when the halfbrother to former leading open horse Marinero proved ten lengths too good for Ol Parson.

“He’s a big, raw horse and just needed plenty of time,” Tector said. “He’ll head to the sales now and someone will get a nice horse.”

Wexford yards took six of the nine races, with Benny Walsh enjoying a change of fortune with a double initiated by Sarahs Lawn in a division of the four-year-old mares’ maiden.

The former rider had been wi tho ut a wi nner sin ce November; a winless spell that the Yeats mare ended emphatically by quickening smartly under Walsh’s nephew Barry Stone to defeat No Hidden Agenda by four lengths

The margin of victory was even larger when Northern

Singer completed the Stone/ Walsh double in the five- and six-year-old mares’ maiden.

Absent since pulling up on her debut at Tattersalls Farm last October, the Choeur Du Nord mare proved in a league of her own as she made all the running to beat Krystal View by 16 lengths

“We don’t really know what happened the first day,” Jenny Walsh, wife of the winning trainer, said. “Our horses were sick and a lot of them pulled up last year for unknown reasons We just let them all off and they’ve come back better, stronger and healthier.”

Sean Doyle completed the Wexford success story at the venue courtesy of Beatonthestreet in a division of the fouryear-old geldings’ maiden.

The Getaway gelding was somewhat fortunate as Home

Preserves, trained by Doyle’s brother Donnchadh, held the advantage coming to the last only to part company with Alan Harney. That left the path clear for Darragh Higgins’ mount to secure the race by four lengths

Nicole Lockhead Anderson secured a crucial victory in her quest for the women riders’ crown, as she moved one clear of title rival Emily Costello with the success of Beau Walking in the ladies’ open.

Costello’s mount, Magic Sadler, had led the field for the opening two and a half miles but a confident Lockhead An der so n prod uce d Sa m Curling’s eight-year-old to challenge in the home straight and the pair went on to secure their fourth victory together this season by three lengths

“I just tracked her [Costello] and I got a great jump at the

third-last which kind of took him to the front,” Lockhead Anderson said. “I brought him back around the corner and came with a run up the home straight. He was very tough and stayed on well.”

The father and son team of John and Chris O’Donovan combined with Kateswayornoway in a division of fiveyear-old geldings’ maiden and they weren’t let down when the gelding made a winning debut, beating Barlogue by 12 lengths

Evan Nugent signed off on a successful weekend when Charles The Bold supplied the Ennis native with his second winner in 24 hours in the older geldings’ maiden. John Staunton’s six-year-old left 11 previous efforts firmly behind him as he defeated the perennial runner-up Pacheco by three lengths

KILLEADY AT DROMAHANE SUNDAY

a head under Jack Hendrick in the winners-of-two.

The Brian McMahon-trained Tullybeg, a nine-time track winner for Gordon Elliott who took the 2023 Mayo National at Ballinrobe, secured the faster jump at the last under Evan Nugent in the op en. The 11-year-old lasted home to beat

Routine Excellence by a neck Trainer Barry Murphy was on the mark when Three Tribes sprang a surprise under Ollie Gilligan in the second division of the older horses’ ma iden. Th e ex -tr ac k performer stayed on determinedly to deny Proud As Punch by a short head.

Hat-trick hero Barry off to a flyer with Crookhaven

JOHNNY BARRY dominated the Killeady Harriers fixture, the final Dromahane meeting of the season, by partnering three winners, two of them supplied by John Murphy.

Last month’s Ballycahane debut runner-up Crookhaven, who Murphy trains for Highfort Partnership 2, instigated the Conna native’s hat-trick in the second division of the fiveyear-old geldings’ maiden.

Crookhaven was switched off at the rear of the field and surged to the front on the inner at the second-last

It was then plain sailing as the son of Jack Hobbs, whose dam is a half-sister to Grade 2-placed hurdler and Troytown Chase second Ad Idem, quickened clear of Texan Outlaw.

“I was surprised he was beat in Ballycahane He wants good ground and he has loads of speed,” Murphy said of his £25,000 acquisition at the 2024 Doncaster Goffs UK Spring Sale Barr y employed similar tactics on the Murphy-trained, Highfort-owned Loopy Mag in the adjacent hunts maiden.

The five-year-old, who had

Star performance

A bright career lies ahead for Star Affinity who made much of the running en route to a winning debut

been pulled up on his only other start at Curraghmore, swept through to lead two out and beat Ballintemple King by two and a half lengths

Barry was also on the mark on the Tony Black-trained Scintillo in the five-year-oldand-upwards mares’ maiden.

The Walk In The Park bay, sent off favourite when pulling up on her debut at Lingstown, was bounced out smartly and made all the running.

She was almost joined by Cougarontheloose three out but asserted strongly to beat Paul Pierce’s charge by ten lengths in the colours of jointbreeder Eclipse Bloodstock

“I was expecting a performance like that in Lingstown but she may not have been right that day. She’ll probably be sold,” Black’s son Richard said of Scintillo, a sister to Henry de Bromhead’s Grade 2-placed

mare Birdie Or Bust

Sean Doyle is having a superb campaign and he combined with Jamie Scallan to post a double, the pair signing off with Lines Crossed in the first division of the five- and sixyear-old geldings’ maiden

The Malinas gelding, who had a winter break after his October debut third at Tinahely, eased to the front three out.

The €32,000 Goffs Arkle Sale graduate was clearly travelling best from two out and powered clear from the last to account for Dshipdatnevrsailed by eight and a half lengths

Th e new comer Pri me Contender, also representing the Monbeg Partnership, instigated the Doyle/Scallan pair in the second division of the fouryear-old maiden. He took a narrow advantage approaching the last and, with Magimax making a major blunder, the son of Nathaniel forged clear to beat Harley Dunne’s charge by two and a half lengths

“He loved the good ground and Jamie said he travelled and jumped. He’ll now go to the Punchestown sale,” Doyle said

MEATH AND TARA AT FAIRYHOUSE SUNDAY

of his €40,000 acquisition at the 2025 Goffs Arkle Sale Star Affinity also booked his Punchestown sale ticket when he recorded a clear-cut debut success under his handler, Rob James, in the first division of the same contest. The well-bred winner –whose granddam is a sister to Voler La Vedette, with Shishkin also featuring in his pedigree –made virtually all and stormed clear to beat L’Horizon by four lengths in the colours of the Matchmaker Syndicate Trainer ‘Trixie’ Barr y’s Bartlemy Boy may now go for next month’s Killarney hunter chase for the second consecutive year after his game success under Cal Shine in the open. The eight-year-old got on top 50 yards out to defeat Heroes Of Renown by half a length Eugene O’Sullivan kept his supporters happy by saddling Made U Look in the novice riders winners-of-one. The Alfie Lawless-owned sevenyear-old took it up for Tommy Aherne 100 yards out to beat Bartlemy Boy’s stablemate Tuff Days by one and a half lengths

Cotter closes on Doyle with double

Jack Hendrick’s

SHANE COTTER kept his hopes alive of regaining the under-21 title with a double that closed the gap on reigning champion David Doyle to two winners

The 2024 title holder teamed up wi th De nis Mu rph y’s Moltenblue to take a division of the Goffs Punchestown Sales four-year-old geldings’ maiden.

A €44,000 purchase from the sponsor’s Arkle Sale, the Blue Bresil gelding made amends for a fall at the second-last on his Tinahely debut by beating Toca Poca by two lengths

“We probably ran him too soon the first day but he’s come on leaps and bounds since,” Bernice Murphy, daughter of the winning handler, said.

Johnjoes Lad was a fifth winner of the weekend for Murphy’s Ballyboy Stables when he justified his position as favourite in a division of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

The progressive Libertarian gelding brought the strongest form into the race after his second at Tyrella and he returned five lengths clear of Lam a De s Ba mb ou s as Wexford-trained horses filled the first three places

Star performance

Tumuch made a significant impact on his first start in open lightweight company, dominating from the front

Tyrella form also proved influential in the five-year-oldand-upwards mares’ maiden as Princess Aveen – who had finished second at the Down venue on her debut – ran out a dominant winner

With Brian Lawless deputising for the sidelined Eoin Mahon, the Wicklow rider was full of confidence on Ian McCarthy’s five-year-old, who was value for more than the two-and-a-halflength winning margin.

That was one of two visits to the winner’s enclosure for the 2020 joint-champion under-21 ri der, as he ha d earlie r combined with Mark Fahey to land a division of the five-yearold geldings’ maiden aboard Two Grand Sweeney Coming from off the pace, the Ga ry Ha nnon-own ed Crystal Ocean gelding swept to the front around the home bend and found generously for pressure to defeat Staple Flight

by a length and a half

“He did it brilliantly,” Fahey said. “Brian gave him a super ride. He wants better ground; it’s what we were waiting for.”

Sue O’Gorman’s team are in form and she secured a second winner in a fortnight when homebred Uptoyourselves beat the boys under Sophie Carter in the unplaced maiden.

Benefiting from a midseason break, the five-year-old reeled in the long-time leader Mr Caulfield at the last “She has plenty of ability,” Patrick O’Sullivan, husband of the winning handler, said.

“I’d say we ran her back too quickly last year as a four-yearold She had a run early in the year and almost got brought down and was sore, so we gave her time and hoped she’d run a good race here.”

O’ Go rm an’s Cl ear Th e Clouds was no match for Tumuch in the open for novice riders, with the winner dominating from the front in the hands of Tadhg Stafford.

Impressive when landing a winners-of-one on his first start for Jamie Dwyer at Turtulla in January, the seven-year-old

had failed to repeat that in two starts before returning with this 20-length rout

“He bounced out and loved it from the get-go; that was the plan. We knew he’d love the ground and we’d been waiting on it,” Dwyer said.

Several members of the Day Dreamers Syndicate previously enjoyed Grade 1 success with Put The Kettle On and they look to have unearthed another smart mare after Paul Power sent out Whenthesunshines to make a winning debut in the four-year-old mares’ maiden. Harry Swan’s mount outbattled Beau Sumbal by half a length

“She came recommended from Gerr y Hogan to the owners There’s a good chance she could go into training with Henr y de Bromhead next season,” Power said.

Warren Ewing’s frustrating wait to get on the scoreboard for the season came to an end when Power On Demand stepped up from his Kirkistown debut to land a division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden under Dara McGill. The Jet Away gelding proved two lengths too strong for Malbeck.

DerekO’Connor Straight to thePoint

APunchestown winner is special andIhavehopes forBoycetown

FROMthe startofmycareer I’ve always looked forward to thePunchestown festival as ahighlight of the year.Itmeansalot to my amateur rider colleagues and to me to be involved in aweekthat never fails to provide afittingend to theIrish jumpsseason.

In anygiven year,manystars of the showare horseswe’ve partnered in points-to-points or in bumpers.It’s satisfyingknowing youplayedapart alongthe way, howeverbig or small.

More importantly, Punchestown continues to provideplentyof opportunities for amateur riders.The bumpers at the meetingare almost alwayswellsupportedand many amateursare calleduptoride in the cross-countryracesthat developed from the old-stylePunchestown banksraces

TheLadies’ Cuponthe opening dayand Friday’sBishopscourtCup over the regularcourseare confined to amateurs, amarkofrespectfor the venue’stradition and history

APunchestown festival winner is alwaysspecial. Iwas lucky enough to ride abig winner at the meeting when Iwas still a7lb claimer.John Kiely, who wasafabulous mentor, putmeuponReine DesReines,a mare he fanciedinavaluable fillies’ race at the 2003 festival. We were sent off 2-1 favourite in afield of 29. After goingacouple of furlongs only 18 were still standing. It was absolute chaos.Kevin Power’s mount, On TheHour, clipped heels and slipped up,bringingdownten of the runners.Turning into thestraight Istill hadmorethanhalf the remainingrunners in frontofme. Reine DesReines pickedupwell when Iswitchedher to the outside. Sheflew home and beat afilly trainedbyGer Lyons,riddenby another 7lb claimer,NinaCarberry. Twenty-threeyears later,Ninaisa Member of the European Parliament; I’mstill riding;Ger is atop Flat trainer and John Kiely is goingstronginhis late eighties. Idon’t think anyofus canhaveany complaints

Fairlyearly in my career Ialsowon the valuable Goffs Landrover Bumper at the meeting. That wason Gonebeyondrecall for owner/trainer Noel Glynn from Spancillhill in County Clare, one of Irish racing’s greatcharacters. Nina Carberry also rode the runner-up that day, the

‘Twenty-three

yearson, Nina Carberry is a member of theEuropean Parliament; I’mstill riding; GerLyons is atop Flat trainerand John Kiely(right) is going strong in hislate eighties’

even the best horses and it will be fascinatingtosee howthe Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cupworks outon that score. Gaelic Warrior wasa brilliantwinnerofthe Cheltenham Gold Cup. Icould hardly believehow strongly he travelledwhen Paul Townend took him into the lead beforethe second-last. He wasn’t quite as keen as is sometimes the case and, as aresult, he seemedto have anyamountinreserve. And yet, Fact To File supporters shouldn’t giveuphope. After all, he ranGaelic Warrior closeinthe John Durkan at the trackinNovember and beat him by fivelengths in the Irish Gold CupatLeopardstown. It could be that missingthe Ryanair will proveablessingindisguisefor JP McManus’sgelding.

FNoel Meade-trainedLifes Star That brings usright up to date because tomorrowNoel saddles The Mourne Rambler, likely favourite for the Champion Bumper,bidding to add to asuperb Cheltenham successachieved with the help of top Flat jockeyColin Keane We’rebackinamateursonly territory, andNoelhas booked Declan Lavery to renew his partnership with the Well Chosen gelding. Declan rode him to finish second for PatTurleyina maiden at Portrush in October

Five of the ten runners in the Grade 1race startedinpoints, includingmymount, Boycetown,a Gavin Cromwell-trainedgelding who wassecond at Quakerstown last April. He wassecond-bestofthe Irish runnerswhen fourth at Cheltenham,runningonwellfor Keith Donoghue and finishingjusta shortheadand ahead behind the runner-up

Obviously, he hastofind abit with TheMourne Rambler.Still,a turnaround in formisnot outofthe question. Ican takeencouragement from my experience of this race in 2021 when Irodethe Willie MullinstrainedKilcruit to victory, reversing Cheltenham formwith his stablemateSir Gerhard. Cheltenham canleave amarkon

ACTTOFILE, who started his career with a Bellharbour winfor Donnchadh Doyle,isthe mosthigh-profile former point-to-pointer in action on the second dayofthe meeting. Another of Donnchadh’s graduates,Fruit De Mer, nowwith HenrydeBromhead and runner-up in the AlbertBartlett, is one of severalex-pointersamong the rising stars in the Grade 1 Channor Real Estate Novice Hurdle Gavin Cromwell’s runner The PassingWife, only aheadbehind Fruit De MeratCheltenham,was ridden by the late MikeyO’Connorto winaBallynoe maiden for Brian Linehan three seasonsago.Albert Bartlettfifth Spinningayarn wonat Ballyknock twoyears ago. Harry Derham’sLeFrimeur wonatNenagh lastseason for PatDoyle

In almost everyrace this week, you arelikelytofindahorse with apointto-pointbackground, testamentto the wide rangeoftypes that oursport produces.Competition is stiff on the trackand thecontinuingsuccess of the products of oursystem should help create alivelytrading atmospherewhen Goffs stagetheir annual Punchestown sale tomorrow after racing.

This time last year,Boycetownwas one of thosewho went through the ring andit’sgreat that he hasfound his waybacktoPunchestown to contesta Grade 1event. I’mreally lookingforward to findingout how he matches up againstThe Mourne Rambler and the others

Group 1 winner at 2, 3, 4 and 5 years by CAMELOT