CHAMPION rider on seven occasions, Enda Bolger returned to the point-to-point awards last weekend to pick up the champion hunter chaser award for Gilgamboa.

It’s the ninth time Enda has trained the highest-rated hunter, Gilgamboa earning his 125 mark with three wins on the track from three starts between December and February.

Fourth in the 2016 Grand National and a Grade 1 winner in his younger days, Gilgamboa could return to Aintree next spring.

The leading point-to-pointer of the season, in terms of wins, was Sydney Paget. Bred by former jockey Paddy Kiely [who was present] and trained by Pat Doyle, the 11-year-old won eight opens in a row between January and May, with Derek O’Connor on board for seven of them.

As Timmy O’Byrne [son of owner Roger] collected the award, we were told that, impressively, a photograph of Sydney Paget is on display in the famed McCarthy’s Bar in Lexington, Kentucky. Triple Crown winner Justify still has more to do.

Sydney Paget is by Flemensfirth, who in his 26th year won the leading sire award with 36 winners during the season. The stallion stands under the Coolmore banner at Bobby McCarthy’s The Beeches Stud in Lismore, Co Waterford.

Flemensfirth is also the sire of Wilcosdiana, the season’s highest-rated mare for trainer Eugene O’Sullivan and owner Tony Wilson.

The award for the season’s leading breeder went to Noel Doyle from Dunlavin, Co Wicklow, whose six individual winners were headed by multiple scorer Minella For Value.

Big night next year

OVER 300 revellers, from Kiltealy to Kentucky, attended the event which is in its 39th year and was organised by John Gerety, Niall Cronin and Zoe Codd. For the first time, e-tickets were scanned at the door. Priority boarding may be added next year. As always, Richard Pugh was outstanding as MC and a special mention goes to Shanny Doyle of p2p.ie, who put in a lot of work editing video footage. Next year will see the 40th staging of this important night. The Hotel Minella is the likely venue, don’t miss it.

Doyle’s seven was special

THE statistics produced on this night every year by MC Richard Pugh never cease to amaze. Of all the fasciniating facts he passed on, one stood out for him. “I think Donnchadh Doyle’s achievement of saddling seven winners on one day (March 11th) was overlooked during Cheltenham week,” he said. “It will take a long time to beat.”

Welcome back to ‘bowler hats’

IN this space last year we bemoaned the absence of any Turf Club personnel. Now known as the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, the ‘bowler hats’ were well represented this year and led the standing ovation for their colleague Dr Adrian McGoldrick.

Tougher than the rest

ENDA Bolger was in fine form at the awards and had guests on The Irish Field table in peals of laughter with tales from the tents in the ‘Glory Days’. On stage later, Enda was asked to compare today’s scene with his own era. He responded: “The fences are the same everywhere now, which is a big help, and the jockeys are a lot fitter, but I don’t think they have the same craic we had!”

Starting young

BEST wishes to champion rider Barry O’Neill and Bridget Bowe who are getting married next month. Last year Colin Bowe (Bridget’s cousin) said Barry started coming to his Kiltealy yard when he was “12 or 13”. However, last Saturday Barry said he actually began heading in when he was “eight or nine”. We hope the Workplace Relations Commission wasn’t listening.

ITM draw winners

THERE were 186 winning mares during the season and they each earned their 113 individual handlers a ticket in a draw for five €1,000 sales vouchers sponsored by Irish Thoroughbred Marketing. The vouchers can be redeemed when purchasing a filly at the store sales and the winners are Daniel Kenneally, Richard Black, John P. O’Callaghan, Thomas A. Keogh and Patrick T. Leahy.

Dancing until dawn

LIGHTNING Strikes once again entertained guests, the Cavan band playing from 12.30am to 2am, when Niall Cronin took over as DJ until 6am. Mark O’Hare, Andrew Leigh and Monbeg’s James Doyle have been nominated for the next series of Dancing with the Stars.