AT 11.50pm last Saturday night 22 million Americans tuned in to watch American Pharoah win the Belmont Stakes to complete the Triple Crown. At that same time in the Hotel Minella in Clonmel however, he had to take second place to pointing champion Derek O’Connor.

Richard Pugh was also hitting the final furlong in the distribution of the awards and the champion point-to-point rider made his way to the stage to collect his 11th riders’ title.