Image © Healy Racing
It was a memorable day at Ballygogue House for rider Rob James who recorded his 400th winner between the flags aboard Found It for handler Pat Doyle.
It was a double on the day for the Wexford rider and handler who guided his own New Grange to victory in the opening race on the day.
Since his first winner aboard Amber Hill at Tinahely in 2012 he has progressed through the ranks and is currently the 8th winning most point-to-point rider, just one shy of Willie Rooney’s record of 401 winners.
2024 was a memorable season for the Wexford native as he shared the riders championship with Barry O’Neill and was also crowned Eastern Champion alongside Jack Hendrick the same year.
Rob James has developed a good association with Wexford handler Donnchadh Doyle over the years and has guided over 163 winners to date for the Monbeg native.
Other big supporters of rider include Colin Bowe, David Christie and Sean Doyle.
The Wexford native has been associated with some pretty decent top performers over the years, which include, Shishkin, Topofthegame, Classicgetaway, Dlauro, Fact To File and Gentlemansgame just to name a few.
He has also shown his talent at the Cheltenham Festival winning the Kim Muir for Gordon Elliott aboard Milan Native and this years St James Place Festival Hunters Chase aboard the Sam Curling trained Wonderwall. In 2022 he won Scottish Grand National aboard Win My Wings.
James joined the training ranks five years ago and had his first winner with My Bad Lucy winning at Umma House in October 2020.
Sixmilebridge became the first subsequent Grade 1 winner that the Wexford native trained as a point-to-pointer when winning the Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown.
