Cork racing community mourns passing of brilliant Mikey O'Connor

The Cork point-to-point and horse racing community was united in grief this week at the sad and untimely passing of Mikey O'Connor. 

He died at the age of 44, after falling ill while working at his yard in Knockbarry in Liscarroll.

His legacy in the point-to-point game with 429 career wins leaves an indelible mark and placed him in the top five of Irish point riders. He won the Southern title on three occasions and struck up a formidable collaboration with trainers like Michael Winters, Paul O’Flynn, Tom Cooper and John O’Shaughnessy. 

His fruitful partnership with Winters yielded many memorable moments with 16 of his 87 victories under rules for the Kanturk trainer. 

O'Connor will be remembered for his association with Winter's stable stars Rebel Fitz and For Bill. 

Mikey was in the saddle when the future Galway Hurdle winner Rebel Fitz made a successful debut at the Listowel Races in 2010 in the John Fletcher Memorial Flat Race. Mikey and Rebel Fitz went on to land another bumper at Galway the following month.

Rebel Fitz confirmed the big impression he'd made at Listowel to defy a penalty in the Cancercarewest.ie Flat Race. Those present saw him kick for touch a furlong out and he got first run on the fast-finishing jolly Mississippi River to prevail by a length and a quarter. It was a masterclass. 

INTEGRAL

The pair later got beaten in a maiden hurdle at Listowel when possibly given too much to do, but Mikey had been an integral part of Rebel Fitz's education on route to Galway Hurdle glory in 2012 under Davy Russell.

One of the best horses Mikey rode was the 2009 Arkle Chase winner Forpadydeplasterer. He partnered him to a debut victory in October 2007.

He was prominent throughout and led entering the straight. In a titanic battle up the Galway hill, he prevailed by a short head over Barry Connell on Massey Shaw. That ride epitomised his skillset, an ability to win without subjecting a young horse to a hard race. 

It's no coincidence that horses like Rebel Fitz and Forpadydeplasterer began their journey under his tuition and would graduate to the top table subsequently.

O’Connor trained 27 point-to-point winners and 21 winners under rules. His most recent was Therellbguddaysyet at Thurles last November, a 40/1 winner under Doneraile jockey Darragh O'Keeffe.

I was in Clonmel on a bitterly cold afternoon two years ago when Mikey O'Connor registered a momentous 500th career success on Grange Island in the Rathronan Maiden Hunters Chase. He had a great battle with Global Assembly that day with just a head separating them at the line. 

He rode that winner for Liam Burke, who paid tribute to him after that race, waxing lyrical about his ability to extract great jumps out of the winner.

Mikey is survived by his wife Mags, daughters Sophie and Rachel, son Dylan, mother Noreen and twin sister Elaine.