Report | Ballingarry 3rd June 2019

The June Bank Holiday Monday saw a fine days racing on the second day of the Ballingarry's annual point fixture, marking the end of the point-to-point season with a number of point-to-point award titles playing out throughout the day. 

Maxine O'Sullivan had a tremendous weekend securing the Champion Ladies title when finding success in the final race of the season to go one winner clear of Susie Doyle.

Now a three time winner of the Ladies title, Maxine steered the Mic Winters-trained Clorinka to success in the Dr John Memorial Race eight-year-old and upwards maiden. Running out a four-length winner, this daughter of Presenting denied the Donncha Duggan-trained Honest To Goodness comprehensively at the line.

The winning handler Mick Winters said: “It was brilliant to win the last race of the year, especially for the O’Sullivan’s. In Duhallow we all work together and it was brilliant for Maxine (O’Sullivan) that she was able to get the title.

"Turlough O’Connor has been great to me all this year, and that was his ride for today and when Maxine (O'Sullivan) was in with the chance of the championship, he gave up the ride for her.”

The ITM and Liffey Mills Ladies Open was another Championship deciding race on the day. This five-runner contest went to Kruzhlinin placing him joined at the top of the Champion Pointer table alongside Longhouse Music with an unprecedented 13-winners each.

He took the contest by a comfortable four lengths in the end under the guidance of Lisa O'Neill, with the front running Sound Money filling the runner-up berth.

The winning son of Sholokhov certainly enjoyed tremendous success in point-to-points this season for Gordon Elliot and Camilla Sharples, running 15-times and finishing second on the two starts in which he did not pass the post in front. 

The Goffs four-year-old geldings’ maiden went to the Cormac Doyle-trained Begoodtoyourself who was getting off the mark at the fifth time of asking.

Having cost €32,000 as a store, this gelding fended off the challenge of Just A Dance by a length in a dramatic race which saw a number of horses exiting the race before the bend out of the back straight.

The winner provided breeder Ken Parkhill with an additional winner to secure the Champion Breeder title with five winners from four individual horses while it also provided Getaway, with this seasons Leading Sire award, as this was his 35th winner of the season.

Winning handler Cormac Doyle said: “We’ve finished the season well. His two heavy ground runs were the problem. Barry O’Neill rode him the last day and he fell at the third last. Barry said he needed the good ground.

"I bought him from Ken Parkhill at the Derby sale and I will probably keep him in training to go for a bumper.”

The Jimmy Neville Memorial Race six-year-old geldings' maiden went to The Secret One owned by Karen Costello for Darragh Allen and Donncha Duggan.

The son of Sakhee's Secret, previously fourth in two consecutive point-to-point bumpers, ran out a six-length winner to defeat the Vincent Halley-trained runner up Boro Melody.

The winning handler said: “That is my third horse for Karen (Costello), and they have all won. If we could sell him that would be great, if not, he would go for a track campaign as he rolls off that good ground."

Minimum Mix claimed the spoils in the Bike Park Ireland Fairymount Farm and Seymore Kenny winner of three contest for father and son duo John and James Walsh.

The winning son of Fair Mix recently impressed when asserting his dominance at Ballindenisk in May and followed up that form here with a five-length victory over Ihaventaclue.

The winning handler, John Walsh, said: “He is a right horse, but he was sick all year, I could never get him right. I have started training him out of the field and that has made him. I’m not sure what we’ll do now, he has almost become a pet at home.”

Light Bulb followed up her fourth place finish in a hunters chase Tramore last month with success in The Glue Pot six-year-old mares’ maiden for local handler/breeder/owner Jimmy Finn.

Under the guidance of James Hannon, this daughter of Court Cave made much of the running to deny the Mick Winters-trained Luscious Lilly who had to settle for a second runner up placing within 24 hours.

“Today was the plan and she deserved that. She was fourth the last day in Tramore after running over the banks. We ran her over the banks at Punchestown for the experience really. They got away from her that day and she pulled her up.

"She will probably go to the track now. I still have the dam, she had an Arctic Cosmos filly this year, who is a lovely looking filly,” said the winning handler.