TITLE contenders Rocky’s Howya and Bold Enough both feature among the entries for this weekend’s two open races which take place on either day of the two-day Ormond fixture in Ballingarry as the pair go in search of the champion point-to-point horse’s title.

They were both among the winners last weekend, Bold Enough becoming the first horse this season to move onto the eight-winner mark courtesy of his walkover in Taylorstown, with Rocky’s Howya having to overcome the much stiffer task of taking on the Punchestown Champion Hunter Chase winner Its On The Line in Ballindenisk.

The net result of which is the pair remain on the same number of winners heading into the final weekend of the season.

However, as was the case six years ago with Ourmanmassini, the countback favours Rocky’s Howya, who would win the title as a result of his second at Dromahane last month, should the pair remain on the same number of winners.

For the first time in many years, the final day of the season features two fixtures, and that will add a new dimension to the many other title battles that are still yet to be decided.

Riders’ titles

This year those riders in contention for titles may end the season at different fixtures and could be waiting for results to come in from either Ballingarry or Inchydoney in order to know the fate of their title aspirations.

Just one win separates Maxine O’Sullivan and Moira McElligott in the ladies’ race after both riders had to settle for runner-up placings last weekend.

The latter has only ridden exclusively for her husband Willie Murphy this season and will be hoping that one of his four entries for races in Ballingarry that she is able to ride in, will bring her level with O’Sullivan who is herself going in search of what would be her sixth ladies’ title.

It is a similar one-win advantage that Chris O’Donovan holds over Derek O’Connor in the southern region, with John Barry just one further winner adrift in third.

O’Donovan is a former under-21 title winner, and following a Ballindenisk double last Sunday, the 27-year-old now sits on 99 career point-to-point wins. Given his association with the similarly title chasing Rocky’s Howya this season, he could be in store for a momentous weekend on many fronts.

The under-21 title also has an open look to it heading into this weekend’s point-to-point action, despite being a title that Dara McGill had looked to be getting a tighter and tighter grip on at the end of last month.

Late surge

However, a late surge from Bertie Finn, which has coincided with a change in fortunes for the Colin Bowe stable, has seen him put himself right in contention.

A first career treble at Ballindenisk last Sunday has formed part of the seven winners that he has notched up over the past three weekends of racing, and it has left the Wexford-based rider just two winners shy of McGill.

Success aboard Tuff Days in the Stradbally finale for Cal Shine has seen him move to the top of the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee novice rider series, and he now has a nine-point lead with the winners’ of one race at the end of today’s card in Ballingarry the last opportunity for riders to add to their scores in that particular title. Best of luck to all chasing titles this weekend.

THE season has not quite yet reached its conclusion, but handlers have already turned their attention to the process of restocking their stables as the countdown to the new four-year-old maidens in February 2024 got under way on Tuesday with the first of the year’s store sales.

It is fair to say that the point-to-point fraternity dominated the day’s proceedings, accounting for the majority share of the sales purchases to reinforce the position that they have grown to populate within that particular market.

It would also seem that recent results in the pointing fields also proved to be key indicators in the lots that these purchasers gravitated to, as Kingston Hill amassed the largest spend for a single stallion at the sale with buyers parting with €189,500 to purchase 11 of his off-spring, the majority of whom are destined for the point-to-point fields.

That interest in the 2014 Doncaster St Leger winner has undoubtedly come from his four four-year-old maiden winners this spring.

The 12-year-old is one of just four stallions alongside Doyen, Soldier Of Fortune and Walk In The Park, that can lay claim to such an achievement this year, thanks to the victories of Butcher Hollow (Con McSweeney), Ben Solo (Colin Bowe), Kingston Pride (Tom Keating) and the mare Realta Liath (Rob James).

Doyen still delivers

Ellen Doyle and Denis Murphy were each responsible for two of Doyen’s quartet of four-year-old winners this spring. The Baltimore Stables team sending out Doyen Magic and I Play County, while Murphy enjoyed success with Queensbury Boy and Break My Soul.

The Coolmore stallions Soldier Of Fortune and Walk In The Park complete the quartet of stallions with four individual four-year-old winners this spring.

De Tellers Fortune (Ellen Doyle), Oak Grove (Rob James), Fortunate Man (Mick Goff) and Chauffeur Driven (Harley Dunne) all won for the 2007 Irish Derby winner Soldier Of Fortune, while the Walk In The Park flag has been flown by Mossy Fen Park (Sean Doyle), Histrionic (Denis Murphy) in addition to the Colin Bowe pair of Mayor’s Walk and Practice Run.

A further six stallions Champs Elysees, Getaway, Great Pretender, Jack Hobbs, Jukebox Jury and Milan were each responsible for three four-year-old maiden winners, with no fewer than 44 different stallions siring at least one of the 75 four-year-old maiden winners this spring, highlighting the diverse offering at present.

The outcome of who will be crowned the overall point-to-point champion sire may still yet change over this weekend’s racing, but irrespective of those results it is most certainly going to be a stallion from the Coolmore National Hunt operation that scoops the top prize, as they are responsible for this season’s top three most successful stallions.

The 2021 champion Mahler is currently top of the charts to repeat that feat, as his 27 winners leaves him two clear of Getaway, with a further two winners back to Walk In The Park who has unsurprisingly shot up the table this year.

AT Taylorstown, Wendigo (90+) had the form in the book having looked set to finish a promising second at Lingstown in March only to jink on the run-in and unship his rider.

He did not make things easy for himself last Saturday when running right off the home bend. That saw him surrender lengths and positions in the process.

However, his class ultimately saw him through as he swiftly recouped that lost ground and was well on top again by the line.

The second division did not have the same obvious form line, but it was the always-prominent Roadlesstravelled (89+) who made up for a luckless debut in Loughanmore to win comfortably.

He may have been left clear at the last to add to his winning margin, but he was in control in any case.

Twenty-four hours later, Western Harmony (89+) finished very strongly as the two pace setters began to thread water in the dying strides of division one at Ballindenisk, while division two saw Castle Ivers (90+) run out an eye-catching all-the way winner for the time of the year.