(Derek O'Connor accepting his award from Alan Sweetman)
Racing Post Senior- Derek O’Connor
This award is for riders who are 34 years-old at the start of the season with two of the top four riders this season in this category, Jamie Codd & Derek O’Connor.
The 2017/18 season was another very successful year for O’Connor both in point-to-points and on the track.
He rode his first Grade 1 winner aboard Edwulf in the Leopardstown chase in February where he was then booked to ride the J P McManus-owned gelding in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and finished eight behind Native River.
He finished seventh aboard Balnalsow in Cheltenham Foxhunters and then went one better than his previous starts to win the Aintree Foxhunters on him which was O’Connor’s first success in the race.
Of his 211 rides this season, 50 were winners which included 10 four-year-olds with his best support coming from Pat Doyle supplying him with 12 winners, Robert Tyner nine winners and his brother Pauric O’Connor six winners.
He rode a treble at Rathcannon in October, Moig South, Dromahane and Kinsale Saturday as well as 10 doubles.
The 11-time champion rider won on 38 individual horses as well as seven successes on this year’s champion pointer, Sydney Paget and four on Longhouse Music.
O’Connor finished the season on 1183 point-to-point career winners and has now won 39 awards- 11 Irish Field rider titles, 10 Western titles, nine Southern titles, six Northern titles, two Novice titles and one senior title.
