Eleven months after becoming the first rider to ever record 1,100 winners in the Irish point-to-point fields, Derek O’Connor reached yet another new milestone in his record-breaking career, when he reached the 1,200-winner mark.
The Galway native, who had teamed up with Edwulf in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown just 48 hours earlier, returned to point-to-point action at Dromahane on Sunday, with his winner count sitting on the 1,199 mark.
A third aboard Martin Cullinane’s Witness Protection had been his best result in the opening four races at the Duhallow Foxhounds fixture, however the big winner followed in division one of the five and six-year-old mares’ maiden, when he teamed-up with his long-term supporter Robert Tyner.
The Kinsale handler’s newcomer, Nelly’s Money, a daughter of Beneficial, got the better of West Vintage to record a three-length victory in the colours of Riverstick native Anthony McCarthy.
That all-important 1,200th winner follows over 18 years after O’Connor recorded his first success between the flags in 2000 aboard Rossy Orchestra at Killaloe point-to-point.
O’Connor has partnered some top-class individuals within that period, including the likes of Never Compromise, First Down Jets, Missed That, Scotsirish, Wishfull Thinking, Simonsig, Brinidisi Breeze, Rule The World, Footy Facts, Briar Hill, Yorkhill, Ball D’Arc and Death Duty, whilst earlier this month he was named as the inaugural winner of the Ride of the Year award at the Horse Racing Ireland Awards following his Irish Gold Cup success in February.
Here is a list of Derek’s milestone winners to date.
100th Winner Regal Son
200th Winner Royal Ranger
300th Winner The Box Player
400th Winner Kaitlins Fancy
500th Winner Isle Of Celts
600th Winner Carrigerry
700th Winner Vintage Krug
800th Winner Regal Son
900th Winner Fiddlers Way
1000th Winner Death Duty
1100th Winner Staker Wallace
1200th Winner Nelly’s Money
— corkwaterfordp2p (@corkwaterp2p) December 30, 2018
