ON the weekend that Derek O’Connor called time on his record-breaking career in the saddle, a number of point-to-pointing’s younger riders came to the fore.
Alex O’Keeffe led the way by recording the first double of his career at Quakerstown on Saturday. The 18-year-old partnered four- and five-year-old maiden winners for Jonathan Fogarty, whose team have placed considerable faith in the Timolin native.
A cousin of Grade 1-winning jockey Sean O’Keeffe, who was crowned under-21 champion in this sphere in 2018, having also started his career in the pointing fields, the sixth-year student only rode his first winner aboard the Fogarty-trained Our Peggy in a four-year-old mares’ maiden at Tattersalls last October. That success came on just his seventh ride.
The association has strengthened further this season, with O’Keeffe, who still has to balance race-riding with his schoolwork, entrusted with all eight of the Fogarty stable’s runners.
That represents a notable vote of confidence in a young rider from a team which has become a leading force in four- and five-year-old maidens in recent seasons.
With age very much on his side, O’Keeffe could be set to make further headlines with that backing behind him.
Off the mark
Alongside his memorable afternoon at Quakerstown, three other riders registered their first point-to-point winners over the weekend.
Wexford jockeys Eoin Cloke and Adam Malone both opened their accounts at Knockmullen House on Sunday. Cloke struck aboard Conflict Lady in the five-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden, before Elusive Gale provided Malone with his breakthrough success in the concluding contest.
Eighteen-year-old Malone was introduced to racehorses through one of his teachers at Selskar College, while Cloke is the latest member of his family to take out a licence, a family with longstanding connections to racing in Wexford
Lelia Byrne completed the trio of first-time point-to-point winners. The Ratoath native, who had already ridden winners in a bumper and over hurdles, added a first success in the pointing realm aboard her own Matter Of Opinion.
It was a weekend which marked the end of one outstanding riding career, but also offered an encouraging glimpse of the riders now beginning to make their own way in the sport.
Brothers Eamonn, Gearoid, Cormac, Sean and Donnchadh Doyle with their colours worn by Bertie Finn, Jack Hendrick, Jamie Scallan and Alan Harney \ Healy Racing
THERE was a notable show of strength from the Doyle brothers last weekend, as Sean, Donnchadh and Cormac each saddled a winner in the ultra-competitive four-year-old maiden division.
The siblings were represented in the winner’s enclosure at both fixtures, but their dominance was particularly evident closer to home at Knockmullen House.
Sean Doyle took the opening division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden with On The Playlist, who is owned by another of the brothers, Gearoid. Horses trained by Eamonn and Cormac followed him home, completing a clean sweep of the placings for the Monbeg yards.
The second division produced an almost identical outcome. This time it was Cormac Doyle who came out on top, as Casino Chip made all of the running to score.
Bowe v Doyle
Eamonn, who had saddled a four-year-old winner of his own at Lisronagh the previous weekend, again had to settle for the runner-up spot, with a Colin Bowe-trained runner denying the Doyle brothers a second clean sweep of the first three places.
That followed 24 hours after Donnchadh Doyle had saddled his second four-year-old winner in the space of seven days when Hero Of Demacia, a €140,000 Arkle Sale purchase, made a winning debut in Quakerstown.
The strength of the Monbeg operation is often measured by the Doyle’s activity in the sales ring.
Collectively, the brothers have been the leading purchasers at the Derby Sale for each of the past nine years, retaining that title earlier this year when buying 37 horses under the Monbeg Stables banner for a combined €1.6 million.
Last weekend provided an illustration of the depth behind those figures.
Sean, Cormac and Donnchadh each saddled a four-year-old winner; Eamonn supplied two runners-up at Knockmullen House, while Gearoid owned On The Playlist.
It was certainly a weekend when almost every branch of the Monbeg operation made its presence felt.
UNRELENTING dense fog resulted in the cancellation of last Sunday’s point-to-point in Dromahane, but the fixture has been rescheduled for tomorrow.
The original entries have been carried over for the fixture, which will get underway at 12.30pm.
Point-to-point ratings
DONNCHADH Doyle has previously selected Co Clare venues to introduce several smart prospects, and he did so once again with the British-bred Hero Of Demacia (91++).
Always travelling within his comfort zone, it was notable just how easily he made ground to challenge on the downhill run to two-out, with Rob James able to take a long look around for dangers, as he only had to be pushed out hands and heels to win by five lengths, with that margin of victory likely doing little to illustrate his superiority.
The second division was a more closely run affair, as Marveleast (89+) only jumped the second-last fence in seventh position, but stayed on to best effect to win narrowly, with staying trips likely to bring out his best in the years to come.
In the four-year-old mares’ maiden that kickstarted the Quakerstown card, Sereine D’Annain (78+) initially couldn’t quicken with the principals from two-out, but she showed a great attitude to outstay them on the run-in.
At Knockmullen House, they got racing early in the four-year-old mares’ maiden, which saw several of the principals get tired in the stiff home straight, but Superior Strength (80+) answered every question to back up her promising second in a stronger Umma House maiden.
On The Playlist (88+) benefited from a fine waiting ride to come from the rear of the field and win going away in the first division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden, whilst a return to front-running tactics paid off for Casino Chip (87+) in the second division.
He prevailed in a bunched finish where less than five lengths separated the first six home.