MANY congratulations to event rider Joanne Corish who recorded her first point-to-point success at last Sunday’s Wexford Foxhounds’ meeting in Ballinaboola.

The 24-year-old works for Cormac Doyle but it was the latter’s brother, Sean ‘Farmer’ Doyle, who gave Joanne the leg-up on Old Style Humor in the concluding winners of three race which was sponsored by the Allen family’s Ballywalter Farms.

Joanne, who had her first rides of the 2022/’23 season on Sunday, made all on the Monbeg Partnership’s six-year-old Aizavoski gelding who kept on to beat the long-absent northern raider Dento Des Obeaux by a length. Cheering the rider home were her father, Thomas, and her very nervous mother, Margaret.

“I was delighted to get that first winner on the board,” said Joanne. “I had my first ride in late November 2021 and have had a good few placings since then. I work for Cormac from 8am to 1pm each day then go home as my father has a few horses in training himself. I also ride out at times for Darragh Berry.

“I still have Lates Caralier, the Harlequin du Carel mare I rode as a seven-year-old at Le Lion in 2021. She only got out three times last season as she suffered a perforated ulcer and had to undergo surgery in Fethard. We’ve had to treat her for ulcers since we got her and were very lucky not to lose her. I’m looking forward to getting her out again and I have a couple of nice young horses coming along as well.”

The White Horse Stud five-year-old geldings’ maiden at the same Co Wexford meeting was won by Woodie Flash who is trained by renowned sport horse rider, producer and judge, Rosemary Connors. Having just his second start, this Leading Light bay will probably head to the sales.

Costello jumping for joy

Across the country, at the Co Clare Harriers’ point-to-point in Bellharbour, former pony show jumper Thomas Costello recorded his first success between the flags in the concluding six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden.

The Co Clare amateur jockey, who made his pointing debut at the same meeting in 2020, won Sunday’s nine-runner race by three lengths on the 2017 Shirocco gelding Asian Master who is trained by the rider’s father Tony for his mother Marie. This was just a third career start for the bay who, under Thomas, had finished second in the five-year-old geldings’ here last season on his first outing.

Thomas hasn’t competed competitively over poles since bidding farewell to the show jumping scene at Millstreet in October 2017. While he campaigned many ponies from 2009 to that point, the now 21-year-old had little hesitation in nominating the 138cms gelding Send Him Down as the best of the bunch.

As he stands well over 6ft, Tony is tall for a jockey but he keeps himself trim and fit by riding out each morning before he heads into Limerick where he is studying Business at TUS (Technological University of the Shannon). See pages 54 and 55 for race reports.