O’Connor narrows gap to one

The epic battle between Derek O’Connor and Jamie Codd for the 2013/14 point-to-point riders’ championship moved to yesterday’s Dawstown fixture, run under the auspices of the Muskerry Foxhounds at Birch Hill outside Grenagh.

Whilst O’Connor partnered two winners as opposed to Codd’s one, it’s still the south Wexford amateur that leads the title-race by a mere winner. At the end of yesterday’s action, Codd is now positioned on the 78 winner mark, as opposed to O’Connor’s 77.

Having sustained two falls from his six mounts, O’Connor instigated his two-timer in terrific fashion aboard the Robert Tyner-trained Killimordaly in the confined hunts maiden. The well-supported Killimordaly (3/1 – 7/4), whilst having to be called for an effort in fifth spot after the fourth last of the 15 obstacles, readily rose his effort to lead before two out. With runner-up The Black Dog closing approaching the final fence, it was Killimordaly that landed the faster here and the winning five-year-old asserted in the closing stages to dismiss Gerry Mangan’s mount by four lengths in the colours of absent Galwegian Patrick Hardiman.