O´Connor Comments on Bumper Prospects Derek O'Connor missed last weekend's pointing action at Farmacaffley and Lismore due to a seven-day ban picked up at Punchestown on February 15th for making insufficient effort in a maiden hurdle. He will also have to sit-out Tyrella and Sunday's fare at Crecora on March 5th and 6th.Having ridden 33 winners this campaign, last season's champion is 11 ahead of the current second in the riders table, five-times top jock, John Thomas McNamara. Interestingly when one looks at the betting for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday March 16th, Missed That is a general 7/1 favourite whilst Glasker Mill is a 20/1 chance with Paddy Power.O'Connor partnered both to success on their sole starts 'between the flags.' The Galway amateur rode the former to beat none other than subsequent triple bumper victor, Travino, by a head in an Knockanard five-year-old gelding's maiden in mid-February of last year. Then under the care of Pat Doyle, the son of Overbury has since gone on to land a brace of bumpers for Willie Mullins.Glasker Mill meanwhile, had his trainer at the time, Colin McKeever, lost for words, when impressively scoring on his initial attempt at Maralin, Co. Down on November 13th last. There was more than one of the ?also rans' from there that has gone on to frank the form. This Old Vic gelding now has a choice of Cheltenham or Aintree after beginning his career cross-channel in the best possible fashion for Henrietta Knight at Kempton on Saturday last.O'Connor commented, 'Missed That has improved a lot since I rode him but he showed a right turn of foot that day after his jumping had been a bit sticky early on.' Glasker Mill went off at a huge price of 14/1 for his racecourse debut as the Knight yard was perceived to be under a cloud. O'Connor said of this fellow, 'he was a four-year-old taking on five-year-olds the day I rode him and when I hopped off him I told his owner, Wilson Dennison, that if he wanted to have a top-class bumper horse to keep this lad because he was a superstar. Though he's not over big he's got loads of class.'
