The late William Fitzgerald was very much on the mid of Thurles trainer Stephen Ryan as Gallowglass won the rated novice hurdle at Cork on Saturday. “William passed away a few weeks ago and nearly lifted him home today,” said Ryan after the Kevin Brouder-ridden eight-year-old scored by four lengths from the Dusty Sheehy-trained Joeswayornoway at odds of 9/2.
Jack Kennedy and Denise Foster were winners at Killarney on Sunday where Off Your Rocco won the older-horse maiden hurdle. Owned by Pioneer Racing, the 15/2 chance beat Joseph O'Brien’s 13/8 favourite Desir Du Large by a length and half.
Jamie Codd brought the curtain down on a terrific point-to-point career with a winner at Tattersalls Farm on Sunday. Codd called it a day after winning the four-year-old maiden on the Denis Murphy-trained Supreme Gift, his 972nd point-to-point winner in a 22-year career. The 39-year-old said, “I’m retiring from point-to-points, but I’ll continue to ride on the track as long as Denise Foster and Gordon Elliott want me! It’s been a brilliant journey. Point-to-points have given me my career and I’ve met a lot of great people. This has been on my mind since Christmas and if my local track Lingstown had been on in March, I probably would have done it there. I wanted to go out on a winner for Denis and it worked out great. I work for Tattersalls as well so it was lovely to do it here.” Only Derek O'Connor has ridden more point-to-point winners than the Wexford man.
