AFTER more than 30 years working in racing and over a decade as the sport’s senior medical officer, Dr Adrian McGoldrick will retire later this year and he can expect to receive a mantlepiece full of awards between now and then.
The first of many well-deserved honours bestowed upon ‘the Doc’ came at last Saturday’s The Irish Field Point-to-Point Awards in Wexford, where he received the Anglesey Lodge Personality of the Year Award.
Duped into attending the event in the belief that he was to present an award to a colleague, Adrian was getting over the shock of hearing his name called out when his family made a surprise entrance to the room and joined him on stage.
Visibly moved by the occasion, thankfully he had a moment to compose himself as he watched video tributes from top riders Derek O’Connor and Lisa O’Neill plus colleague Dr Jennifer Pugh.
When appointed senior medical officer in 2007, Adrian prepared a bucket list of things he wanted to improve in terms of jockey welfare and medical care. Improving the standard of helmets and back protectors used was important, and since last year there is an appropriately qualified medical officer at every point-to-point, paid for by Horse Racing Ireland, to support the local medics.
An even bigger accomplishment was providing a suitable medical treatment area at point-to-point fixtures. Adrian recalled: “At the time point-to-point riders were routinely attended to in the back of a horsebox. That was clearly unacceptable and we now have four mobile medical units on the road. We need a fifth one by the end of the year, so if anyone has €80,000 please get in touch!”
Described as ‘selfless’ by MC Richard Pugh, Adrian protested that he is actually paid to do his job, unlike the many volunteers who keep point-to-points on the road. Pugh countered: “If you added up all the hours you have put in, I’d say you are being paid well below the minimum wage.”
TITLE DEFENCE
The final award of the night is always the presentation to the season’s leading rider. After a decade of Derek O’Connor wins, we had two Jamie Codd titles on either side of Derek’s 11th, but we are now in the Barry O’Neill era.
Barry lifted The Irish Field Cup for the first time a year ago and he comfortably defended his title this season, his 58 winners leaving him eight ahead of Derek at the finishing line.
Accepting the trophy and €1,500 cheque, ‘Bon’ modestly acknowledged that Jamie (injury) and Derek (racecourse commitments) made things a little easier for him this time around. Richard ‘Google’ Pugh told us that Barry had a 22% strike-rate from 263 rides and that 25 of his winners were supplied by champion handler Colin Bowe. Barry’s commitment to the sport is evident by the fact that he was the only rider to ride on all 60 point-to-point racedays this season.
“It all fell into place,” Barry explained. “Jamie got a bad fall, and I had great support from Colin, David Christie and others. Without that support I wouldn’t be here. This is where I want to be and I hope to win it as many years as I can.”
Barry also collected the northern and eastern titles. Only Tony Martin and Jamie Codd have achieved that double in the past. Jamie Codd has won the eastern division for the past 11 years and Barry’s total of 27 winners “would surely have been a record but for fixture cancellations,” according to Richard Pugh.
DEREK’S DOUBLE
Famously quiet when champion himself, Derek O’Connor is relatively full of chat these days and appears to be enjoying the game more than ever. This season he won both the fiercely competitive southern title and the western section (his 10th consecutive one), along with the senior category, to bring his trophy tally to 39.
He will remember 2018 for his Irish Gold Cup win aboard Edwulf but revealed that his Aintree Fox Hunters success with Balnaslow possibly meant even more to him. He described Balnaslow’s late owner Peggy Hagan as “a beautiful woman who only gave you one instruction – bring yourself and the horse home safe.”
Derek is loving his new role as jockey coach at RACE. “The standard of young riders coming through is very high, the future is bright,” he said, while attempting to conceal his own competitive instincts when confirming that he plans to “keep tipping away” himself in points next season.
Featured in The Irish Field last weekend, champion lady rider Liz Lalor certainly intends to continue next season as she is closing in on a couple of notable milestones. Top of the ladies’ list for a seventh time this season, Liz has 99 career wins between the flags. The all-time record is 106.
SHARED TITLE
A year ago Shane Fitzgerald from Buttevant, Co Cork, picked up the novice rider title having edged out Liam Quinlan by a single winner. A few weeks later it emerged that one of Shane’s winners faced disqualification on a technicality and therefore the title was restrospectively shared with Liam Quinlan.
This year Shane is again involved in a dead-heat as he shares the novice championship with Sean O’Keeffe from Harveystown in Wexford.
The Award Winners
The Irish Field Champion Rider: BARRY O’NEILL
Anglesey Lodge Personality of the Year: DR ADRIAN McGOLDRICK
Racing Post Senior Champion Rider: DEREK O’CONNOR
P2P.ie Ladies Champion Rider: LIZ LALOR
Racing Post Champion Novice Rider: SEAN O’KEEFFE & SHANE FITZGERALD
Horse Racing Ireland Eastern Champion Rider: BARRY O’NEILL
Horse Racing Ireland Northern Champion Rider: BARRY O’NEILL
Horse Racing Ireland Southern Champion Rider: DEREK O’CONNOR
Horse Racing Ireland Western Champion Rider: DEREK O’CONNOR
EasyFix Champion Handler: COLIN BOWE
Weatherbys Ireland Leading Breeder: NOEL DOYLE
Connolly’s Red Mills Champion Point-to-Pointer: SYDNEY PAGET
ITBA Champion Mare: WILCOSDIANA
Tattersalls Ireland Champion Hunter Chaser: GILGAMBOA
Goffs Leading Sire: FLEMENSFIRTH