THERE’S no denying that this has been a season to remember for Barry Stone. A personal-best tally of winners, a first success at the Cheltenham Festival, and now to cap it all off, he has a first title to his name, having wrapped up the eastern rider’s title last weekend.

That region was the first to reach its conclusion this season, following the cards at Fairyhouse and Tullaherin last Sunday, and it was at the Meath venue where the title protagonists were all in action to decide the title’s destination.

The Cleariestown native had entered the weekend two winners clear of Barry O’Neill, with Rob James, who had shared the title honours with Jack Hendrick 12 months earlier, a further two winners adrift.

The reigning joint-champion certainly gave the defence of his crown a serious crack on the final-day showdown, as he rode four winners, his first four-timer since Bellharbour in 2023, and that would have left him tied at the top of the table had Stone not ridden an all-important winner aboard Smoke Trail in the first division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden, a victory that sealed a first regional rider’s title for the 25-year-old.

In doing so, he becomes just the sixth rider within the past 20 years to secure this particular title, following on from Robbie Moran, Jamie Codd, Barry O’Neill, Rob James and Jack Hendrick, and it is a fitting end to the campaign for him. That crucial Fairyhouse victory took his overall campaign tally to 25 winners, which could double his best-ever total of 14 winners by the time the season comes to an end in three weeks’ time.

Seasonal success stories

Much of that success has come from his association with what have undoubtedly been two of the success stories of the season, with the personal-best campaigns that both Jonathan Fogarty and Gary Murphy have enjoyed.

It was Fogarty’s Gaynestown Stud operation that supplied the latest of Stone’s winners in Fairyhouse, a victory that took the Wexford handler’s own tally of winners for the campaign to 15, six clear of his season-ending total of nine 12 months ago, and a notable strike rate of 38%.That is a strike rate only bettered by David Christie, from those handlers in the top 20.

Fogarty has been responsible for nine of Stone’s winners this season, with Gary Murphy contributing a further five, all of which have come in four-year-old maiden races this spring.

Heading into the final month of the season, the western title has all but been secured by Derek O’Connor for a 14th time, courtesy of his recent Quakerstown six-timer, but it is still all to play for in the other two regions, which both feature Barry O’Neill at the top of the standings.

In the north, he sits two winners clear of Noel McParlan, but it is even closer in the southern region where O’Neill, Jamie Scallan and Darragh Allen are separated by just one winner, in one regional title race that is sure to go right to the wire.

ALL 13 of the remaining fixtures that will bring the 2024/25 campaign to a close this month, beginning at Toomebridge this afternoon, feature a four-year-old maiden, and the opening day of the Punchestown Festival proved to be a significant endorsement of the continuing high quality of horses competing within the division, which on the early evidence, remains as strong as ever.

This boost came courtesy of Bud Fox, who ran out an impressive winner of a 24-runner bumper at the Kildare venue on Tuesday.

The Walk In The Park gelding had made his debut at Bellharbour back in early February on the opening day of the new term of four-year-old maiden races.

Then under the care of Derek O’Connor, he had defeated four rivals before being purchased privately by Bloodstock agent Tom Malone to join Meath trainer Gavin Cromwell.

The 11-time champion rider retained his position in the saddle aboard the bay as the pair went on to record their second success together in that extended two-mile bumper.

The form of that Bellharbour contest, which has produced subsequent Grade 2 winner Ball D’Arc in the past, was already advertised when the runner-up, Pierrot, looked booked for victory at Ballyknock last month, only to fall at the penultimate fence.

High hopes

That all should bode well for the hopes of John Staunton’s Rumi Rock, who had finished a close third at the Clare course and is entered at Stowlin tomorrow afternoon.

Recent four-year-old maiden form featured heavily in the pair of bumpers on the opening day of the Punchestown Festival, as a pair of point winners also contested the Goffs Defender Bumper earlier on the card.

Green Hint and Green Style, two Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned geldings, had both won their point-to-points on debut for Ross Crawford, before transferring to his brother Stuart for their Punchestown outing.

Green Hint, who was the first-ever winner at the Longford Hunt’s new course of Daramona House in mid-March, progressed from that four-year-old maiden success to finish second in the valuable sales bumper, beaten just under two lengths by the Willie Mullins-trained Wonderful Everyday.

His stablemate, Green Style, a four-year-old maiden winner at Oldcastle on March 30, was not far behind, finishing a promising sixth.

These early examples are certainly an encouraging sign of what is to come from the future graduates of the spring 2025 term of four-year-old maiden races.

Point-to-point ratings

THE strong-travelling Wyoming Line (93+) marked himself out as an exciting prospect after he made an impressive winning debut performance at Dromahane. Kicking on from his prominent position, he clocked the quickest time on the card when winning under a largely hands-and-heels ride. He looks to have definite blacktype aspirations.

At Ballysteen, Midtown Manhattan (91+) excelled around the sharp track, with his fencing proving to be a notable asset. He has all the pace to drop back in trip on the track.

Coq Noir (89+) overcame a notable error on the final circuit to win in a bunched finish, where four lengths covered the first five finishers.

That was also the case in the Tullaherin opener, with four lengths covering the first four home in the four-year-old mares’ maiden. Cheers To You (82+) travelled best into the race and, having brushed off the attentions of her chief rival at the last, she had built up enough of an advantage to hold off the fast-finishing runner-up.

Double The Dance (90+) showed a great attitude in the geldings’ equivalent. Having been headed after the last, he fought back to get his head in front right on the line.

Both four-year-old races in Fairyhouse were divided. Princess Day (84+) won a strongly-run opener and should be another blacktype prospect to come out of the weekend.

Her stablemate, Royale Navy (81+), had the form in the book and finished out a steadily-run second division strongly.

Smoke Trail (91+) took a similar step forward from his debut in the geldings’ maiden, whilst Ballyfad (91+) was always up with the strong pace in the second division, yet still had plenty left in the tank to pull four lengths clear on the run-in.