O’Connor reaps reward on Reader

Ground conditions were extremely demanding at yesterday’s Pigeon Hill & Carrigtwohill point-to-point fixture, but Croom-based civil engineer Fergus O’Connor was still the happiest individual at the Clyduff venue as he recorded his fourth career success by guiding his wife Irene Walsh’s Pocket Reader (10/1) to a popular success in the Winners’ Of One.

The Eugene O’Sullivan-trained Pocket Reader, whom connections only purchased six weeks ago, moved ever closer from the penultimate of the 15 obstacles as Arctic Tale went for home under Derek O’Connor. The winner, who collected a Ballingarry maiden point in June 2010 for former handler Enda Bolger, stormed to the front on the flat to beat Arctic Tale by two lengths with Coursey Rover a further half-length adrift in third spot.

The Liam Burke-trained Lord Fox (3/1 – 5/2) stepped up from his fifth-placed Aghabullogue debut effort earlier this month to oblige in the Five-Year-Old Geldings’ Maiden, a race that was won by Paul Nicholl’s recent Doncaster Grade 2 novice hurdle winner Rocky Top 12 months ago.