Ballybunion Saturday
THE Southern summer season kicked off in beautiful Ballybunion on Saturday last with racing returning to Walsh’s field in Rahavanig for the first time in 14 years.
What a difference a week made with racegoers basking in splendid sunshine after the meeting had been rained off six days earlier.
Ballyduff, Co Kerry jockey Billy Roberts took the riding honours with four winners, Kian McNally landed a big double and 11-year-old Peter Cremin gained his initial success.
Billy Roberts is the rising star of the southern circuit and he was on the mark in the 13.2hh contest when debutante Clever Crystal bounced out and made every inch of the running to beat Little Sadie by three lengths.
The winner looks a smart prospect and is owned by Noel Brosnan from Tarbert and the partnership quickly doubled up when The Low Road took the 14.2hh race over 10 furlongs.
The Low Road has been a standing dish on the southern circuit for many years now and put up a fine performance to hold the determined challenge of St James by two lengths. Both winners will reappear in Athea next month.
Billy’s third winner came for popular local owner John Bosco McMahon when Rice’s Road made all the running in the 14hh race. This was a first career victory for the pony, who had been placed on several occasions last season.
Four-timer
The Roberts four-timer came in the concluding maiden contest when Mayday rolled back the years for Kevin McGillycuddy’s Soft Touch Syndicate. The winning chesnut was yet another all-the-way winner, while runner up Maverick was a shade unlucky having forfeited ground at the start.
Kildare farrier Teddy Worrell brought two of his big guns to Ballybunion and both horses put up top drawer performances. Eleven went to post for a red-hot renewal of the Ballybunion Derby and it was the champion stayer Verstappen under Kian McNally who proved too strong for the gallant Dorey’s Forge under Nina Doherty. Armagh’s champion jockey took the bull by the horns before halfway and galloped on relentlessly to enhance his chances of back-to-back Lee Strand Dingle Derby victories.
The runner-up Dorey’s Forge, who was successful in Brownstown two weeks ago, ran an absolute stormer to be second while debutante Little Rocket was an eye-catcher in third place.
Showdown
The second division of the mile race was surely a showdown for Dingle’s Golden Mile as Little Heart and Dell Boy went head-to-head for the first time.
Kian McNally and Reese Holohan took no prisoners from the drop of the flag and it was head-to-head all the way.
Little Heart just always looked slightly more comfortable over the mile trip and held on tenaciously in a driving finish. The winner will mix it in 15hh and open company, while Dell Boy looks a 10-furlong banker for the Dingle Festival.
Eleven-year-old Peter Cremin from Mallow, Co Cork had a day to savour in the sunshine when Tiny Dancer won the 12.2hh contest. This was Peter’s first career victory and he looks a young jockey with a very bright future.
Nina Doherty, who was runner-up in the feature on Dorey’s Forge, gained compensation in the first division of the mile race when The Banger Man ran out an impressive winner over another local runner, The Parting Glass and Camillus Byrne. Winning owner Mary Mulcahy also provided the third horse home, Come Mr DJ.
Margaret O’Connor’s Hasta La Vista warmed up for another trip back to Dingle in August, when putting up a superb performance to win the 15hh race over 10 furlongs for Mountrath jockey Reese Holohan.
The winner quickened away off the final bend to beat Stick Season by four lengths.
Results
12.2hh (7F): 1, D. Cremin’s TINY DANCER (Peter Cremin).
13.2hh (9F): 1, N. Brosnan’s CLEVER CRYSTAL (Billy Roberts); 2, W. McGrath’s LITTLE SADIE (Timothy Byrne); 3, O’Sullivan/King’s ATHLOMAN DANCER (Grace Costello).
14hh (1M): 1, J. McMahon’s RICE’S ROAD (Billy Roberts); 2, You Know Yourself Syndicate’s EL DORADO (Kian McNally); 3, D. Cahill’s SHE’S CONFRONTATIONAL (Reese Holohan).
14.2hh (10F): 1, N. Brosnan’s THE LOW ROAD (Billy Roberts); 2, J. Collins ST JAMES (Kian McNally); 3, . P.J. Donnelly’s FOREIGN IVY ( Nina Doherty).
15hh (10F): 1, M. O’Connor’s HASTA LA VISTA (Reese Holohan); 2, Cregg Families STICK SEASON (Nina Doherty); 3, Soft Touch Syndicate’s RED HANDED (Calum Mangan).
Andrew Pierce Memorial Derby (2M):1, I. Worrell’s VERSTAPPEN (Kian McNally); 2, P. Smith’s DOREY’S FORGE (Nina Doherty); 3, K. Flannery’s LITTLE ROCKET (Caoimhe Sugrue).
Open Horse Race (1M) Div 1: 1, M. Mulcahy’s THE BANGER MAN (Nina Doherty); 2, M. Jones THE PARTING GLASS (Camillus Byrne); 3, M. Mulcahy’s COME MR DJ (Billy Roberts).
Open Horse Race (1M) Div 2: 1, I. Worrell’s LITTLE HEART (Kian McNally); 2, S. Crabbe’s DELL BOY (Reese Holohan); 3, L. Dore’s TRAIN STATION (Jayden Chute).
Maiden Horse Race (10F): 1, Soft Touch Syndicate’s MAYDAY (Billy Roberts); 2, Finnerty Families MAVERICK (Kian McNally); 3, C.V.R. Syndicate’s THE BICKERING BUNCH (Caoimhe Sugrue).