THE Southern Region ran a charity horse and pony race meeting in Ballylongford, Co. Kerry last Sunday to help raise funds for eight-year-old local boy Michael Beasley O’Flaherty who suffers from an autoimmune condition and who will travel to Newcastle in January for a bone marrow transplant.

It was a memorable day for 11-year-old Patrick Verling from Castlelyons, Fermoy, Co. Cork who gained his first career victory on Here Comes The Pain in the opening 12.2hh race. Patrick came out on top in a thrilling finish, holding off the challenges of Tail To Tail and Templehill Tamara.

With the North West Meeting in Garvagh cancelled, Dylan Browne-McMonagle made the long trip from Letterkenny and his dedication was rewarded with a treble. He opened his day with a win for Rachel McMahon as The Green Monkey landed the 14.2hh race, taking the lead when turning in after local rider Noel Brosnan produced a brave effort to steal the race from the front.

The Browne stable brought Four Stone Of Lead down from Letterkenny and she had a bloodless victory in the 15hh race as she made all to win from The Bosses Daughter. Her travelling companion Let It Go also helped make the journey home to Letterkenny seem a little shorter as he quickened clear in impressive fashion to land the feature race of the day, the Ballylongford Derby over 12 furlongs. Man Of Steel tried to make all but had no response to the winner once Dylan struck for home.

Daniel King continued his great season by also riding a treble. Sore Looser took the 13.2hh race, reeling in the Dylan O’Connor-ridden Little Maxi who led until the furlong pole. O’Connor unfortunately sustained a foot injury in the 14hh race where Bob Sexton’s Tell The Story made it winner number two for Daniel.

The treble was completed in the two-mile race where the Kieran Murphy-owned Another Legend benefited from a very patient ride in a stamina-sapping contest to win from The Poacher.

Philip Byrnes is another rider who will look back on this season with great satisfaction having ridden the winners of the Dingle Derby, Golden Mile and Glenbeigh Invitational. He teamed up with the Jerry and Aileen Daly-led Three County Syndicate to land the first split of the 10-furlong race with Good Times Ahead. Newmarket, Co. Cork rider Andy Burke-Ott took the other divide for his father Alex on I’m On A Mission who held off Let’s Roll. Elsewhere Joey Sheridan got on the scoresheet when Let Him Rock gained a long overdue victory in the maiden over 12 furlongs.

The former Adrian Browne charge took over at halfway and coasted home to win as he pleased fornew owner Mikey Mulvihill. Postponement

The final meeting of the season, the Southern Region fixture which was due to be held in Athea, today has been postponed until Sunday September 30th where the first is due off at 12.45pm.

RESULTS

12.2HH Race (6F): 1, C. Verling’s HERE COMES THE PAIN (Patrick Verling); 2, J. J. O’Keeffe’s TEMPLEHILL TAMARA (John Ahern); 3, Three County Syndicate’s TAIL TO TAIL (Dylan O’Connor).

13.2HH Race (9F): 1, J. O’Sullivan’s SORE LOOSER (Daniel King); 2, W. McGrath’s LITTLE MAXI (Dylan O’Connor); 3, P. A. O’Sullivan’s HELLO THUNDER (Michael McGuane).

14HH Race (9F): 1, B. Sexton’s TELL THE STORY (Daniel King); 2, Curragh Racing’s LITTLE ZEB (Jake Coen).

14.2HH Race (1M): 1, R. McMahon/M. Moloney’s THE GREEN MONKEY (Dylan Browne McMonagle); 2, Last Minute Syndicate’s THE LOW ROAD (Noel Brosnan); 3, R. King’s ROSA PARKS (Daniel King).

15HH Race (1M): 1, Team Browne Syndicate’s FOUR STONE OF LEAD (Dylan Browne McMonagle); 2, P. O’Sullivan’s THE BOSSES DAUGHTER (Daniel King); 3, P. O’Connor’s THAT’S OUR GROUSE (Michael McGuane).

Open Horse Race (10F) Div. 1: 1, Three County Syndicate’s GOOD TIMES AHEAD (Philip Byrnes); 2, D. Cahill’s THE RUBBER MAN (Jackie Mulvihill); 3, D. Granville’s DINGLE HARBOUR (Joey Sheridan).

Open Horse Race (10F) Div. 2: 1, A. Ott’s I’M ON A MISSION (Andy Burke Ott); 3, Team Browne Syndicate’s LET’S ROLL (Dylan Browne McMonagle); 3, B. Maher’s THAT’S MY DADDY (Michael McGuane).

Ballylongford Derby (12F): 1, Team Browne Syndicate’s LET IT GO (Dylan Browne McMonagle); 2, B. Maher’s MAN OF STEEL (Michael McGuane); 3, B. Tierney’s RING HIM (Daniel King).

Open Horse Race (2M): 1, K. Murphy’s ANOTHER LEGEND (Daniel King); 2, J. Collins THE POACHER (Joey Sheridan); 3, B. Maher’s THE BOSS (Michael McGuane).

Maiden Horse Race (12F): 1, M. Mulvihill’s LET HIM ROCK (Joey Sheridan); 2, B. Tierney’s MR BUSH (Daniel King); 3, B. Maher’s SANDRA’S LITTLE SECRET (Michael McGuane).