AFTER a completely blank year in 2020, the Midlands Region of the Horse and Pony Racing Association recommenced racing in Dartfield Horse Park, Loughrea, Co. Galway last Sunday.

It was a totally different landscape to the previous meeting as they restricted the attendance to essential personnel, horse owners, parents and a few bookmakers, all of whom had to register and complete a Health Screening questionnaire the previous day.

The young riders who start in Horse and Pony Racing have a limited period in which they participate and the loss of a season and a half is a big loss to them.

However, it was heartening to see 35 riders take part on the day and particularly pleasing to see a number of new girl riders taking part, a sign that the success of Rachael Blackmore is inspiring others to follow in her footsteps.

Indeed Julie McDonald, who rode winners in the 2019 season, recorded her first winner on the racecourse on that very afternoon in Fairyhouse.

Dylan O’Connor was one of the riders who would have been expected to make a big impression last season and he showed he is ready to make up for lost time as he recorded a magnificent four-timer.

The 12-year-old son of the top point-to-point rider Mikey, who recently recorded a landmark 500th winner between the flags, started his day by winning the 12.2hh race on Temple Hill Tamara.

This one made all to win for J.J. O’Keeffe. Indeed, it was this pony whom JJ’s son and well-known National Hunt rider Darragh started his racing.

Dylan made it two on the day by taking the 13.2hh race on Little Maine for Monasterevin, Co. Kildare trainer Buddy Harrison and owner Megan Byrnes with a repeat of the front-running tactics.

The 15hh race saw O’Connor team up with Killorglin, Co. Kerry owner Patty O’Sullivan and they duly landed this with Cali Cartel. Dylan completed his four-timer with another front-running ride on Tiger Force for the Dunmanway, Co. Cork-based Castle Racing Syndicate.

McNally firsts

Kian ‘Tubs’ McNally, who turned 11 the previous Friday, had a day to remember as he registered his first wins in open class following his 2019 successes in novice rider contests.

In the 14hh race, he jumped Unhinged straight into the lead and the further they went, the further they galloped clear to record a comprehensive victory for owner Sheena Kerr.

Kian and Sheena then doubled up in the 14.2hh race with Five Stone Of Lead. After being first to show, Kian settled down in fourth position until striking for home with just under two furlongs to travel, striding clear to run out an impressive winner.

Callum Hogan from Rathkeale in Limerick whose 2019 season ended prematurely after an unfortunate fall at Glenbeigh, got back on the winning trail with a win on Under Pressure in the first divide of the mile race.

Hogan led from early on and judged the pace to perfection leaving enough in reserve to draw a couple of lengths clear inside the final furlong for Ramelton, Co. Donegal owner Ryan Gormley with Navan rider Eryka Snioch on Tucs taking the runner-up spot in her first race.

The first divide of the 10-furlong race went Kinnegar Boy who won for the Team Mac Racing Syndicate in the hands of 15-year-old Craughwell, Co. Galway rider Danny Gilligan.

The second division went to the Shane Gildea-owned Make A Plan. Jake Coen, whose brother Ben rode his first Royal Ascot winner recently, was aboard and he sat behind the leaders early on before taking a more prominent position from half-way and striking the front with a furlong to run for a three-length victory.

Owner Michael Flannery took the other two races on the card, the second division of the mile race and the two-mile race with Special Friend and The Auld House respectively, both partnered by Archie Young.

The Midlands Region will be back racing in Dartfield Horse Park, Loughrea again on Sunday July 25th with the racing again run under strict Covid protocols.

Results

12.2hh Race: 1, JJ O’Keeffe’s TEMPLE HILL TAMARA (Dylan O’Connor); 2, M. O’Connor’s BISCUIT (Darragh O’Sullivan); 3, T. Beegan’s LITTLE MICKEY (Shantelle Holohan).

13.2hh Race: 1, M. Byrne’s LITTLE MAINE (Dylan O’Connor); 2, T. Beegan’s KATIE TAYLOR (Rory Mulligan); 3, M. O’Connor’s RUBY ANZIE (A. Grant).

14hh Race: 1, S. Kerr’s UNHINGED (Kian McNally); 2, Finnerty Syndicate’s AN CAPAILL BEAG (Paul Kavanagh); 3, J. Collins’s LUCY (Paddy Hanlon).

14.2hh Race: 1, S. Kerr’s FIVE STONE OF LEAD (Kian McNally); 2, M. Ahern’s FINOLA CARTEL (Daniel Gilligan); 3, J. Lynch’s HARPER’S PET (Paul Kavanagh).

15hh Race: 1, P. O’Sullivan’s CALI CARTEL (Dylan O’Connor); 2, Team Mac’s REMIX (Daniel Gilligan); 3, P. Holohan’s WEE SKITTER (Sam Coen).

Open Horse Race (1M) Div 1: R. Gormley’s UNDER PRESSURE (Callum Hogan); 2, P. Smiths’s TUCS (Eryka Snioch); 3, P. J. Donnelly’s KEEPER’S HILL (Sean Bowen).

Open Horse Race (1M) Div 2: 1, M. Flannery’s SPECIAL FRIEND (Archie Young); 2, Team Mac’s MRS MAC (Daniel Gilligan); 3, M. Ahern’s PEACHES AND CREAM (Oisin Enright).

Open Horse Race (10F) Div 1: 1, Team Mac’s KINNEGAR BOY (Daniel Gilligan); 2, S. Crabbe’s BIPOLAR BLONDIE (Conor Stone Walsh); 3, C. Bowen’s NOT NOW NED (Sean Bowen).

Open Horse Race (10F) Div 2: S. Gildea’s MAKE A PLAN (Jake Coen); 2, G. Faulkner’s TONIC SPRINGS (Ava Sugrue); 3, Castle Racing Syndicate’s BONNIE PARKER (Sean Bowen).

Open Horse Race (12F): 1, Castle Racing Syndicate’s TIGER FORCE (Dylan O’Connor); 2, C. Bowen’s WILD WIND (Sean Bowen); 3, B. O’Connor’s SHANNON BREEZE (Tom O’Connor).

Open Horse Race (2M): 1, M. Flannery’s THE AULD HOUSE (Archie Young); 2, M. O’Connor’s IDA’S DREAM (Dylan O’Connor); 3, Castle Racing Syndicate’s ALCAPONE (Sean Bowen).