AS the 2014 season moves towards its conclusion, the Southern Region meeting on Beal Ban Strand, Ballyferriter in Kerry had the stage to itself last Sunday. The storms of last spring did significant damage to most of the beaches on the west coast and Beal Ban didn’t escape untouched with large volumes of stones requiring removal beforehand.

Rory King and Conor McNamara are both the younger brothers of champion apprentice jockeys (Connor and Emmet) and both partnered their second ever winners on the day. Twelve-year-old Rory has had the misfortune to be racing in the small pony classes which this season have been dominated by the strong team at the disposal of Mikey Sheehy. Prior to Sunday he had visited the runner-up berth 12 times this season without registering a winner but he put that right as he gave Eye Of The Storm a fine ride to land the 14.2hh race.

It looked as if ground lost at the turn into the straight was going to cost him dearly but Rory got a great burst of acceleration to come with a winning run up the inner for Newmarket, Co Cork owner Stephen O’Donovan.

Conor McNamara registered his second winner as he took the 15hh race on No Notice. Conor rode a waiting race before coming through late to win from the two Three County Syndicate runners, English Bill and Kilkashin. The winner is trained in Dooks, near Glenbeigh, by Daryl McGillicuddy for his wife Diane. It was a good day for the McGillicuddy clan as the concluding maiden race also headed back to Dooks as The Red Messenger scored under Killian Leonard for owner Mary McGillicuddy and trainer Sharon as she lasted home from local veteran Sikorski and Rory King.

LINEHAN DOUBLE

Riding honours for the day went to Denis Linehan who booted home a double. The two-mile Derby went to beach specialist Horan’s Cross who followed up his recent Glenbeigh win for Abbeyfeale owner Tom Cahill. Denis sat second throughout the early stages, hitting the front as they headed down the beach after halfway. Ballybrown Boy took over with a little over three furlongs left and looked set to score but Denis and Horan’s Cross dug deep and got back in front inside the last 50 yards as Ballybrown Boy had to settle for second for the fourth consecutive race. On a good day for Denis, he lowered the colours of Good Times Ahead as Che Guevara brought his 13-race unbeaten run to an end.

Denis jumped Che Guevara off in front and from halfway, it was a two-horse race as Denis and Jack Kennedy both asked for everything with Che Guevara getting it on the nod and getting revenge for the Golden Mile in Dingle. The same two riders must have thought they had the 12-furlong race between them as Jack teamed up with Dingle Derby hero Coola Boola and Denis took the mount on Pablo Escobar. However the welter-weight burden of 10 stone coupled with a long season probably caught up with both of them as local owner/trainer Joe O’Brien took the honours with the improving The Three Sisters who was given a fine drive by Niamh Crehan, leading from four furlongs out to win from Bounty Hunter.

In 2008, the Local pony race saw Jack Kennedy ride his very first winner on Dawn Dancer, and last Sunday saw his neighbour, 12-year-old Ben Kennedy (no relation) ride his first winner as he partnered Bradley to victory, drawing clear from two furlongs out to win from the very same Dawn Dancer. Ben will be hoping that he can follow a similar path to Jack, who is soon to be crowned The Irish Field National Rider Champion for the third consecutive time.

A rider who might someday challenge the records set by Jack is 11-year-old Mikey Sheehy and the Graignamanagh rider made it 28 wins for this season as Another Tiger made virtually all to take the 12.2hh race from veteran Tail To Tail.

RESULTS

Ballyferriter, Sunday, September 14 2014

12.2hh (6F): 1. The Five County Syndicate’s ANOTHER TIGER (Mikey Sheehy); 2. The Three County Syndicate’s TAIL TO TAIL (Danny Sheehy); 3. E. Finn’s BISCUIT (Rory King).

14.2 hh (12F): 1. S O’Donovan’s EYE OF THE STORM (Rory King); 2. The Five County Syndicate’s ONE OF THE BOYS (Danny Sheehy); 3. W. McGrath’s SANDYCOVE (Killian Leonard).

15hh (10F): 1. D. McGillicuddy’s NO NOTICE (Conor McNamara); 2. The Three County Syndicate’s ENGLISH BILL (Jack Kennedy); 3. The Three County Syndicate’s KILCASKIN (Danny Sheehy).

Open Horse (1M): 1. Castle Racing’s CHE GUEVARA (Denis Linehan); 2. The Three County Syndicate’s GOOD TIMES AHEAD (Jack Kennedy); 3. R. Foley’s TOP OF THE MORNING (Tadgh O’Sullivan).

Open Horse (2M): 1. T. Cahill’s HORANS CROSS (Denis Linehan); 2. Deelview Racing’s BALLYBROWN BOY (Killian Leonard); 3. I. Burke’s ON THE EDGE (Conor Keane)

Open Horse (12F): 1. J. O’Brien’s THE THREE SISTERS (Niamh Crehan); 2. Curtin/Enright’s BOUNTY HUNTER (Mikey Mulvihill); 3. B. O’Riordan’s MR BUSH (Conor McNamara).

Maiden Horse (10F): 1. M. McGillicuddy’s THE RED MESSENGER (Killian Leonard); 2. C. O’Connor’s SIKORSKI (Rory King); 3. P. O’Sullivan’s QUARE TIMES (Tadgh O’Sullivan)

Local Pony (6F): 1. T. NiMuircheartaigh’s BRADLEY (Ben Kennedy); 2. J. Knightly’s DAWN DANCER (Liam Gilligan); 3. R. Kennedy’s INDAZONE (Daniel King).

Midlands meeting: The Midlands Horse and Pony Racing will hold their next and last race meeting of the season on Saturday, September 27th in Ashbourne, Co. Meath.

Please note this is pre-entry, entries close today (Saturday) at 8pm, there is €8,000 available in prize money. Phone or text your entries to 086 844 6271.

RACE CARD:

1st race Local race 6f

2nd race 12.2hh 6f

3rd race 13hh - 13.2hh 6f

4th race 14hh 6f

5th race 14.2hh 10f

6th race 15hh 1 mile

7th race Open horse: Derby 1 mile

8th race Open horse 11/4 mile

9th race Open horse 11/2 mile

10th race Open horse 2 mile

11th race Open horse Non winners 11/2 mile