Avondhu hunt put on a near perfect exhibition of point-to-point racing on Sunday last whilst brining the return of the banks race after 70 years, and in response brought the crowds.
Sponsored by Coolmore and Grange Stud, the open lightweight was at the centre of the day with plenty of horses familiar to banks in contention,
The runners first jumped a regulation point-to-point fence before being met with a drop bank and then over an up bank followed by a short run down to another drop bank, taking a sharp left and then coming back up over a laurel hedge which brings them back onto the main course over another regulation fence before being met with an EasyFix hurdle and then the double bank.
They had to negotiate three laps around the course totalling three and a half miles, with a slight change on the last lap as they bypassed the double bank and finished over the regular point-to-point fence.
It was last year’s Punchestown Ladies Cup winner Vital Island who once again showed his prowess over the banks as he came out on top in a close finish with the Gearoid O’Loughlin-trained Space Cadet, who was partnered by local rider John Barry coming second and Ciaran Murphy’s The Red Menace and Canadian rider Brady Betlamini back in a close third on his second ride in an Irish point-to-point.
After re writing history Benny Walsh described the new banks course as a tough stayer’s track, suitable to a nimble horse like Vital Island and a credit to Jimmy O’Leary, Donal Barry and the rest of the committee on the job they have done in creation of the banks.
A very passionate landowner Jimmy O’Leary wanted to commemorate the late Bill and Pat Moore whose main outbid in life was to head off to point-to-points every Sunday and own and breed a few racehorses themselves.
What a day it was yesterday @AvondhuP as bank racing returned to Knockanard and what a big draw it proved to be for the crowds who turned out in force!
— p2p.ie (@irishp2p) February 13, 2023
A day to remember...#GoPointing pic.twitter.com/59yHRmp55S
The track which is as picturesque as Killarney and nestled in the Hills just outside the town of Fermoy was left to Jimmy by the Moore brothers and the double bank, a smaller re-creation of ‘Ruby’s Double’ which is located at the famous Punchestown Cross Country course is now and will forever more be named ‘Moore’s Double’ after Pat and Bill.
With the help of Punchestown Racecourse and everyone else involved over the four years it took to build and finalise the course, it is fair to say the fixture was a spectacular success, they brought crowds from near and far and young and old.
Jimmy Mangan described the atmosphere as ‘electric’ and any racecourse around the country would love crowds like Avondhu had on Sunday.
The Cork fixture was even graced with the presence of popular ITV presenter and racing pundit Mick Fitzgerald who said he came to see what was going on and the first thing he encountered was a queue to the car park, well that speaks for itself and he even referred to the Irish point-to-point scene as ‘thriving’.
🤩 Cracking race over the banks @AvondhuP, where a thrilling finish saw Vital Island come out on top for Richard O’Keeffe & Benny Walsh ðŸ‘🼠pic.twitter.com/iTvbuCNwVx
— Rathbarry & Glenview (@RathbarryStud) February 12, 2023
