RECORDS are there to be broken. However, those that remain unmatched by the test of time carry with them a greater degree of respect. Throughout much of the 59 years since the last of Still William’s 33 recorded victories in the Bunratty Plate in April 1966, his record tally has remained unmatched.

That was until another point-to-point great, Winged Leader, emulated his record, with his 11th victory of the season at Necarne last Saturday.

Since making his debut in 2018, the Winged Love gelding has been campaigned exclusively in both the point-to-point fields and hunter chase division, developing into one of the sport’s all-time greats, a status that was further confirmed with his latest record-equalling success.

It was a record that his handler, David Christie, had hoped the John Hegarty and Jennifer O’Kane-owned 11-year-old would one day reach, but the speed at which he has achieved it has undoubtedly taken him by surprise.

“I remember sitting out in the foyer at last year’s point-to-point awards, and Richard Pugh had come over for a chat,” he recalls.

“Richard told me that we were 11 winners away from the record.

Impossible

“At that stage, it hadn’t been on my radar, but I did think that it could be done when I heard it. Although I did think it would be impossible to do in a season.

“It wasn’t until Christmas that I began to think this could be on for this season. I knew there would be setbacks along the way and, sure as hell, there were a lot of them.”

A 15-race winning run came to an end with consecutive defeats at Turtulla and Oldtown earlier in the year, whilst there was a dramatic second-last fence departure in a novice riders’ race at Kirkistown, before Caroline McCaldin’s Ballyphilip, one of his regular rivals this season, got the better of him at Loughbrickland.

“There was a point when you thought, ‘Are we ever going to make it?’ I have never seen a season where a horse like him was taken on so much. You had Milan Forth and all those different horses, who challenged him throughout the season. But he stood up to them all. We didn’t shirk any rival, he didn’t get soft races, and I am proud of him for that.

“If he had been a horse just winning everything and couldn’t be beaten, what would there be in that?

True point-to-pointers

“It is more special because he has hit some adversity and has come back, and battled his way to it. I think he gets more appreciation because of that. He is one of the true point-to-pointers.”

For his handler, who has been associated with five other horses with career tallies of 15 winners or more in the sphere, producing a horse that goes that step further and emulates Still William is a career-defining moment.

“As a yard that would have some track horses, we are mostly known as a hunter chase and point-to-point outfit at the end of the day, so we are just unbelievably proud that a horse from our yard has come out and done that to go down in history,” he admits.

“It’s a hugely proud moment for me, David, the girls, the family – it’s a very proud time.

“Also, to have that association with Barry O’Neill, too. I know other riders have won on him, but it was very fitting that Barry rode him at Necarne.

“Barry has had a soft spot for him, especially since Cheltenham when he just got nabbed on the line. This feels a little bit like redemption for that.”

New ground

His connections can bask in that accomplishment for now, as it seems that time has run out for them to break new ground, with his next outing now likely to come in the autumn.

“After Necarne, he was bouncing on Sunday; he looks tremendous, but just with the way that the weather forecast is looking.

“I had toyed with the idea of running him on the Friday and Saturday in Necarne. But when Maxine [O’Sullivan] got hurt, that meant that I was going to have to put a new rider on him for the ladies’ open on the Friday.

“The way it has ended up, I am more than likely going to leave it for this season and then come back for the autumn.”

It would be fitting if Winged Leader could return to take that next step into the history books at Portrush in October, the home venue of his owners.

However, that is for another day, because he has been immortalised into point-to-point history. Winged Leader, 33 winners and counting.

Factfile

Winged Leader (IRE)

Age: 11

Breeder: M. Coughlan

Owners: John Hegarty and Jennifer O’Kane

Handlers: David Christie (31 P2P wins), Donnchadh Doyle (2 P2P wins)

Debut: April 8th, 2018, third in a 4YO Maiden at Dromahane (Donnchadh Doyle)

Point-to-Point Runs: 46

Point-to-Point Wins: 33

Hunter Chase Runs: 16

Hunter Chase Wins: 4

Point-to-Point Winning Riders: Barry O’Neill (21), Maxine O’Sullivan (4), Rob James (3), Shane Cotter (2), Josh Williamson (2), Susie Doyle (1).

Point-to-Point Winning Courses: Necarne (5), Portrush (5), Farmacaffley (4), Tattersalls (3), Ballinaboola (2), Loughbrickland (2), Quakerstown (2), Ballycrystal, Belclare, Castletown-Geoghegan, Cragmore, Kirkistown, Loughanmore, Moig South, Taylorstown, Tinahely, Toomebridge.

DEREK O’Connor and Barry O’Neill secured further regional title successes last weekend, with the sport’s all-time winning-most rider wrapping up a record-extending 14th title in his home province of the west.

O’Connor all but had that particular championship in the bag ahead of last Sunday’s fixture in Loughrea and, with the senior title also likely to fall his way, it will bring his title haul to an incredible 47 by the season’s end.

O’Neill faced a stiffer challenge in the north, as Noel McParlan was left ruing a suspension which prevented him from riding a double at Necarne on Friday.

That was costly after a Saturday hat-trick at the Fermanagh course saw him finish up just one winner shy of O’Neill, who is champion in that region for a sixth time.

Eastern title

Bizarrely, there are now still two regional titles up for grabs.

Barry Stone had wrapped up a first eastern title at the end of last month; however, following the cancellation of the Tralee fixture originally scheduled for tomorrow, the decision to replace it with a fixture at Tattersalls in Co Meath has had the rather unprecedented knock-on effect of re-opening the eastern championship.

Stone is just one winner ahead of Rob James, with O’Neill a further two winners adrift.

Tomorrow’s card in Ballindenisk, is the first of four remaining fixtures that will decide the destination of the southern title, with Jamie Scallan chasing a first title. The Wexford rider is two winners in front of fellow county man Barry O’Neill.