Bellurgan park and Dundalk stadium clash

RACING fans in Dundalk will be spoiled for choice on Sunday April 14th when there is quite a peculiar fixture clash.

On the same afternoon, Dundalk will host a flat card on the all-weather, at the same time that the Louth Foxhounds host their annual point-to-point, just a stone’s throw away in Bellurgan Park.

Advertised as Dundalk Stadium’s Ladies Day, it will feature big prizes for the best dressed lady and gentleman, kids’ activities and live music after racing, in what is one of the marquee fixtures on the busy course’s racing calendar.

Just under four miles away and almost directly opposite Dundalk Stadium on the other side of the estuary, the fourth ever point-to-point at Bellurgan Park will take place.

CLASH

The previous three fixtures have been well attended, with bouncing castles and pony rides among the additional activities that the hunt committee have laid on alongside the racing, having helped the fixture to draw a good crowd of families from the local area.

It is disappointing for all concerned that such a notable clash, given their extreme proximity, has come about.

The Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Regulations for point-to-point racing does refer to potential clashes between racing under rules and between the flags when it states: “No Point-to-Point Meeting shall be held…on the same day as a race meeting which is holding National Hunt racing within a distance of forty miles, except in very exceptional circumstances and only by special permission of the Stewards of the I.N.H.S. Committee.”

That rule may specifically refer to National Hunt racing, which is obviously not the case at Dundalk. However it does call into question the rationale behind the obvious clash, with a more high profile raceday at Dundalk Stadium, given that of the 36 fixtures they are due to stage in 2019, it is the only Sunday in the entire year they are due to race on.

Stephen Connor is all set for the FEGENTRI series challenge. Photo Helay Racing

Connor ready for League FEGENTRI series

SEASON three of the Gentlemen’s League FEGENTRI series in association with Osarus and Dynavena got under way at its now traditional season opener at the Cork Students’ Raceday last week, and point-to-point regular Stephen Connor is Ireland’s representative.

Back from an injury lay-off, when a broken tibia and fibula forced him to the side lines for much of the current campaign, the 26-year-old, who rode five winners between the flags last season, is looking forward to representing his country in the series having been encouraged to get involved by last year’s representative Ray Barron.

“Ray (Barron) put me through to the lads to see if I wanted to do it. I jumped at the opportunity – I thought it would be great to be involved in with a good bit of travelling.

“Ray told me that he felt it benefitted his riding an awful lot and opened a few doors for him. He won the round at the point-to-point in France last year and he said it opened some doors for him over in France and he ended up going back three or four times for different trainers afterwards. If something like that could happen for me it would be great.

“Things would be quieter during the summer once the point-to-point season finishes up so it is nice to be getting trips like that away and keeping the race-riding up.”

MAXIMUM POINTS

An eighth-place finish for Connor at the sold out Red FM Student’s Day, saw him finish behind the British representative Dave Prichard, who claimed the maximum points on Irish soil, with the series’ other competitors, Tracy Menuet from France, Sweden’s Elliot Öhgren, and Mark Galligan from America, also in action.

The nine-round series, which was won in 2017 by Ireland’s Dean Sinnott, moves to Cheateau-Gontrier for the French point-to-point at the beginning of May, in the first of three French-based rounds during the month of May.

Riders from the five nations will also visit Auteuil for the Grade 1 French Gold Cup card, and the revered Le Lion D’Angers cross country course to coincide with the Crystal Cup European Cross Country series later that month.

The final five rounds will take place in Waregem in Belgium, Merano in Italy, Pardubice in the Czech Republic, Compiegne in France, before the final leg at Barbury point-to-point in England.

The prospect of riding across Europe, and in particular in the two cross country race in France, is unsurprisingly an opportunity that the Galway native is particularly looking forward to.

“I have never ridden in any races aboard, so that was one of the big appeals with the series. It’s a great opportunity and one or two of the races are to be cross country races and I have actually never ridden in a cross country race before.

“I go hunting two or three times a week, so I’ve jumped plenty of banks and ditches, but it will be great to ride in a race over the different jumps.

“It’s a great experience to be going to all these countries and getting to ride at different tracks. The lads that are involved in running it have been brilliant.”