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O'Connor the King at Fairyhouse


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Kimberlite King jumps the last at Fairyhouse, enroute to providing Matt O'Connor with his comeback winner
Healy Racing PhotosJockey Matt O'Connor provided Irish racing with the cheerful winner it needed at Fairyhouse today, with the jockey, who cheated death in a fall at Thurles less than a year ago, partnering his first winner since his return to the saddle, on Kimberlite King in the 20% Online Discount Beginners Chase. Kimberlite King (4/5f) tracked the leaders and moved to the front at the second last fence, eventually staying on for a comfortable five lengths win over Errit Lake.

Racing braced itself for the worst news following O'Connor's fall from Walkin Aisy at Thurles on March 26 but the 21yo jockey, who suffered serious head injuries in the fall, overcome all odds when making his return to the saddle last September.

Following Kimberlite King's win, a delighted O'Connor stated “I'm 110% relieved to have finally had a winner again - I must have had ten seconds since my return and I came here today wondering which horse would beat us!”

He added “it was very tough getting back into the swing of race-riding again when I returned and it was only after Christmas that I began to feel right within myself. I have to thank my family, the people who helped my recovery in Cork hospital and Dunlaoighaire Rehabilitation Centre, Colm Murphy (trainer of Kimberlite King) and the horse's owners who have stayed very loyal to me. I'm just so glad to have had this winner!”
Regarding Kimberlite King, winning trainer Colm Murphy added “heavy ground is the key to him and, while we'll have to wait and see what the handicapper does with him, he probably isn't good enough to run in the better novice chases and may go handicapping now.”
 
A lovely article, one for Matt's scrap book and the first of many more wins for him, I hope, since his brave climb back into the saddle.
 
well done Cantoris :) Hopefully my new recruit Wavertree Princess can make a pleasing debut in the 5.10 at Wolves on Friday. She is very well at home but may just need it after 114 days off the track and may be better over 5f. She is however working very well and is absolutely thrown in off 49. Catch me if you can tactics will be employed and if they give her too much rope she won't come back to them.
 
Flame said:
well done Cantoris :) Hopefully my new recruit Wavertree Princess can make a pleasing debut in the 5.10 at Wolves on Friday. She is very well at home but may just need it after 114 days off the track and may be better over 5f. She is however working very well and is absolutely thrown in off 49. Catch me if you can tactics will be employed and if they give her too much rope she won't come back to them.
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Good luck on Friday
 
Good luck Chris. She's a filly I had my eye on most of last season and I thought after her eye-catching reappearance at Nottingham it was a case of when rather than if she got back on track. But for some reason she kept disappointing. Did anything come to light when you got hold of her?
 
I hope you and Alastair can build back her earlier promise, Chris, and that she wasn't a young flash-in-the-pan. She likes Lingfield and the Poly, so let's hope she enjoys her refresher run at Wolves, which isn't as nasty a surface as Southwell's. Wish you all the best with her, but do bring her back to Lingfield again.
 
davidjohnson said:
Good luck Chris. She's a filly I had my eye on most of last season and I thought after her eye-catching reappearance at Nottingham it was a case of when rather than if she got back on track. But for some reason she kept disappointing. Did anything come to light when you got hold of her?
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Very buzzy filly, doesn't settle well so no surprise to me she ran well fresh. Not sure Newmarket would be the ideal place for her. I take her out on my own most mornings and that seems to keep her a bit more relaxed but she gets on her toes.

I think the problem has been her form dipped on turf and most of it on easy ground. She has a soft ground action but for me all her best form is on quicker ground and all her good figures come on the aw.

I'm hoping a change of scenery and more one to one training will be the trick with her. I have had Amy Scott over to ride her when I've been away but done most of the riding of her myself as she needs someone who is just gonna play dead on her, as she jig jogs and gets very worked up but you just have to leave her be and let her get on with it. She is also rather keen in canter but has settled a lot. I really like her but tomorrow is probably a tad too far for her and she will certainly need the run 114 days off the track, however I would like to see her show something before getting tired.

There's a 5f seller at Lingfield in a few weeks Krizon which I've penciled in, but realistic handicaps are at Kempton or Wolves. Given she is still the 5f course record holder at Lingfield, of course I would like to return there Krizon.
 
Interesting Chris, thanks for sharing that. Would you consider Southwell at all for her, Invincible Spirit has a very good record there.
 
She ran poor at Great Leigh's and she also has poor form on soft ground for my liking, therefore I wouldn't see any real gain in going there. Given she is very fast I just think she needs a fast surface, the problem may be she doesn't have the best legs in the world so she may not take to my "they don't win money sat in their stables" approach to racing by spending plenty of time on the track.
 
I'd forgotten about her holding that record, Chris. A real little Brenda Burn-up! Be good if you can do what you want to with her, get her to calm down enough to not expend too much of that energy in getting revved up, but use it when it's needed. I do wish you all the best with your efforts. It can be a real pill, trying to get horses you need to go like the clappers on the track not to maintain that attitude when off it, but hopefully you'll succeed.
 
That's got to be disappointing, Chris, especially with only 8st up. I assume she just blew up? Perhaps the curse of that nervous energy taking too much out of her tonight. (Sadly missed seeing the race as my flat's owner-to-be called by, and I was plying her with tea and lemon meringue pie while answering her questions.)
 
Flame said:
Given she is still the 5f course record holder at Lingfield, of course I would like to return there Krizon.
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Hi Chris - apologies for not getting back to you on this the other day. For the record, I thought Royal Acclamation was a pretty solid bet for James Evans, but I reckoned without another George Baker special!

Sadly, she's no longer the 5f juvenile record holder at Lingfield - that accolade was snatched by Smokey Ryder in 2008.
 
Wasn't disappointed at all, she got a good ride and traveled okay until halfway, she stayed with the pack until 2f out when she got very tired and was eased off. I would have liked to have seen her up there longer but ran very well for a long way as we hoped and as said, I thought she would blow up and Julie-Anne gave her a good ride. She'll run Friday next week over 5f at Wolves but again will need the run, but should put her nicely right for a race at the end of March.
 
Thanks guys. Although beaten narrowly, we were heartened by his performance. After his wind op, we went to Folkestone not quite knowing what to expect. All we wanted to see was him finishing his race and not collapsing in a hole like he did at Lingfield, so to that extent the wind op appears to have been successful. Paddy Brennan actually dropped the reins halfway up the run-in and that probably made the difference between winning and losing. He was very apologetic and obviously angry with himself. But he rides the horse beautifully and I hope we can secure his services next time.

Tequilla Bob now gets a handicap mark, and I'll be happy with anything under 120.
 
Better luck with Pachakutek, Chris. I've just got an e-mail newsletter from the Lidderdale yard and I see you're having WAVERTREE PRINCESS covered by MIND GAMES next month, so I guess her racing will be coming to a natural close in a few months?

PLACE THE DUCHESS will be trying to not get ballotted out at Lingfield on Monday, I see. I'd like to wish her well, but as I've said to Carol, who now co-owns her with Alastair instead of me, I don't think she's going to be any good. I bought her back to give her a chance, which I think she's now more than had. There's no sign of showing late-blooming talent, as per her own Mama, and that was only delayed because Sheena West was prioritising her personal life at the time!
 
Shame your Pach ran just out of the money, Chris, but I see he's extremely lightly raced for a 4 y.o., so there's every chance he'll be a late developer and do better for you. I got another e-mail from 'Lidderdale LLP' tonight saying that Alastair was joining with Windsor to form Royal Windsor Racing Club with KILBURN and a new 2 y.o. - it looks like it'll be managed for Al by Kevin McCarthy, who also manages the KMC Partnerships.
 
Thanks for the comments Krizon.

Wavertree Princess ran okay we felt, she was up there for a long way and got tired, there is a small race on the flat for her but she'll need another run to get fit in our opinion. She could run Wednesday.

Pachakutek ran a blinder giving lumps of weight away and he too was considered to have needed the run, so it was a good effort from him. I hope he didn't finish close enough to warrant a raise in the ratings, as I would be very confident of finding a 0-60 over a mile with him shortly.

Wavertree is off to go in foal and yes to Mind Games. She will then race in foal before taking up duties of Mummyhood where I have still to find an ideal place where she can board with people who know a lot more about mares and foals than I do.
 
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