Point-to-pointing is back and this is my main wish for the new campaign
Top rider Derek O'Connor with the latest from the pointing sphere
It's great to be up and running again, and a relief that the first two fixtures of the season went ahead on a weekend when high winds and heavy rain hit many parts of the country.
I'm pleased to start on a positive note by welcoming the increased prize-money that has been made available for races in the older-horses category. These races – maidens, winners' races and opens– will now be worth €2,000, representing an eight per cent increase from last spring.
The main focus of our sport is on the four-year-old and five-year-old maidens, a shop window for horses destined for the track. At the same time, we need to ensure there's an incentive for owners and trainers to continue to treat point-to-pointing in the old-fashioned way, for the love of the sport.
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Published on inDerek O'Connor
Last updated
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- Sam Curling fires in double to stretch lead over champion Colin Bowe in trainers' title tussle - but now the race hots up
- Even the weather can't stop pointers making their mark at the highest level
- All eyes will be on expensive pointing sales recruits in the new year to see if they become stars of the future
- Pointers everywhere as Gordon Elliott enjoys a weekend winning spree at Navan and Cork
- I rode in Romeo Coolio's maiden point - he looked top-class then and it's fascinating to see how the form has worked out