O'Connor 'at his very best' on Punchestown winner

Derek O'Connor is in his 21st year as a jockey and the experience gained in riding in no less than 4,842 point-to-points helped gain him victory in the Total Event Rental (Q.R.) Handicap Chase at Punchestown today on the James Dullea trained Rocky's Silver

O'Connor held up Rocky's Silver in rear for much of the 3m1f trip and following the running of the race, admitted he had eyes for leader Biddy The Boss tendency to jump to her left, thus leaving potential for racing room on the inside.

Eventual runner-up Final List and jockey Luke McGuinness failed to take over the inside route as Biddy The Boss' dropped away and O'Connor duly dashed Rocky's Silver through to lead, on the ground-saving inner, before the second last fence.

At the line Rocky's Silver beat Final List by a length and a half and afterwards trainer Dullea acknowledged “Derek was at his very best there. We felt the trip and the ground would suit. Obviously he went up (11lbs) for winning here before but we were hopeful.

“He made a mistake early on but Derek got us out of trouble and gave him a fantastic ride. Any day a small yard like ours has a winner at Punchestown it’s great.

“He could come back here for the National Trial. We’ve no long-term plans but we could look at something like that.”

Irish Gold Cup winning jockey O'Connor, an 11 times Champion Point-to-Point Rider, was today riding in his 288th racecourse chase, having earlier steered City Island to second place in the Grade 3 Killiney Novice Chase on a day off from point-to-pointing.

Quotes from Alan Magee