Double delight for Connors with victories in Millstreet
The Waterford rider landed the prix on Merlin’s Magic when Shane Breen, riding Holmestead Saddlery World Cruise, failed to capitalise on a mistake by Connors.
“I went for a tight turn to the fence and I had no great stride and got too close, but I knew I had to do it as Shane would too,” said Connors after Breen also four faulted but in a slower time.
It was also a double for John Murphy. The man from Upton, Co Cork, is a former show jumper, but is now famed for his exploits as a horseracing trainer, notably putting a lot of money in the pockets of punters when Newmill won the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the 2006 Cheltenham Festival. Yesterday, he was celebrating as the owner of both of Connors’s winning mounts.
Connors, first to go in the grand prix, could have opted for a slow clear, but knew this would leave him vulnerable if he had faults. With this in mind, he upped the pace and, when his aberration came at the second last, at least his time of 46.76 was respectable enough to give Breen food for thought.
In hindsight, Breen took the wrong decision in putting all his money on a clear, though, with Vinnie Duffy’s superb World Cruise, he could be forgiven his confidence.
However, when the Cruising gelding left the third fence on the ground after a slow start, every effort by Breen to make up the time proved fruitless. He crossed the finish line in 47.95, meaning there would be no repeat of the pairing’s 2004 win.
“Sure, I thought I’d left the door open, but I have been in the same predicament as Shane before,” said Connors afterwards.
“It is difficult in such a situation, whether to go for a slow clear or take a chance. He went for a clear and could not make up the time,” said the Kill rider, whose only previous win in the competition came in 2001 with Cruiseway.
Third went to fastest of the first-round four faulters, Neal Fearon on Beowulf.
The competition was the final round of the Atec Premier Series, with the title going to Clem McMahon.
Connors gave a master class when winning the Boomerang Final.
One of 14 to make the jump-off, he was sublime when combining with Heracross to notch up his hat-trick in the prestigious competition for six and seven-year-old horses.
However, he had to be at his best to deprive fellow Déice Tholm Keane, who, when first to go attacked the course with Warrenstown Well Aware to deadly effect, coming home in 42.90 seconds.
The penultimate rider to take on the testing track, he demonstrated a determination and style that was matched in kind by Heracross.
Always a crowd favourite, Connors gave the large attendance something to remember. Drawing a mixture of gasps and roars of encouragement, he shaved off milliseconds from the outset, before throwing caution to the wind when galloping to third last and last to cross the finish line in 41.08 seconds.
He confessed afterwards that, while he had not seen Keane jump, he knew he needed to produce something special to win after seeing Shane Breen finish two seconds off the target with Camena Z, a performance that put him third.
