A fine sunny day saw a huge crowd attend the County Roscommon Hunt point to point at Lisbride last Sunday and a lot of people were introduced to their first taste of the sport. This was the hunt’s first spring meeting having lost last year’s meeting to the weather. The meeting was held on the lands with the kind permission of the land owner Mr. Michael McSharry and the meeting was sponsored by Noel Carr & Co., Accountants, Roscommon. Of the 207 horses entered 79 ran in 7 races, the last race being divided. In the opening Abbey Hotel 4-Y-O Maiden there were 10 runners and the best of the lot was a horse called Rocky Ryan, bred out in Ballybride by the late Brian Neilan and his wife Catherine. He is out of a mare called The Dara Queen by Even Top and the mare is still based in Ballybride. Trained in Wexford by John Berry and was ridden by Mark Scallan he beat Bearneen Boy by a neck in a driving finish with Wartsnall back in 3 rd ridden by Chris Cully. A lot of the locals had the word and the winner was sent off favourite. In the second race the Bus Eireann 5 & 6 Y-O Geldings Maiden a large field of 16 runners went to post and this was won by a horse called Lots Of Shots who gave a young jockey Robert Geoghegan his first winner in point to point racing. The 6-Y-O by Presenting, 2 nd on his last 2 outings, was more at home on the good ground than the underfoot conditions that had prevailed to date and having led for the final circuit came home 3 lengths clear of Another Fusion with Silver Gun 3 lengths further back in 3 rd . In the Earley Property Partners Winners of One only 6 of the 20 horses entered went to post and the Jim Derwin trained Tupac Amaru, who won his maiden in 2004 in Castletowngeoghegan, came good in beating Indian Gun and Get Off The Table by 1½ lengths and 20 lengths respectively. Again in the Noel Carr & Co Open Lightweight Race only 6 ran and the evens favourite Ballintue Road from Dot Love’s yard outside Mullingar followed up his recent win at Durrow outside Kilbeggan when beating Fisher King by 4 lengths with Oaklawn 3 lengths back in 3 rd . The Black Monday 8-Y-O was ridden by Chris Cully for owner Willie Penrose, who will be hoping to complete the treble himself at the polls in May Eighteen horses, the largest field of the day, went to post in the Percy French Hotel 5 & 6 Y-O Mares Maiden and Chris Cully complete a quick double riding the slightly fancied Present Venture to victory for trainer Cecil Ross. The Presenting 5-Y-O mare had had 2 runs but definitely appreciated the improved ground winning by 3 lengths from the favourite She Might with Fair And Aisey in 3 rd . The last race the EasyFix Equine Range 7-Y-O + Maiden saw the largest declared field of 23 runners and was divided. This race was confined to riders that had not ridden more than 5 winners on the day and in the first division 12 went to post and the favourite Treybor in the hands of C. Hughes won by 8 lengths from My Bonnie Lass with Rucker Trucker in 3 rd . The second division saw 11 go to post and Muffin Top ridden by Andrew Kinirons beat Stracomer Prince and Dick Mack by 1 length and 2 lengths. A great day’s racing was had by all and the punters and bookmakers came out honours even.
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