MIDLANDS REGION -
ROSCREA
ROSCREA in Co. Tipperary saw a new venue added to the midlands region calendar last Sunday and a large crowd witnessed a good afternoon’s racing on an excellent galloping track.
Kildare jockey Pat Taaffe took the riding awards with a treble, despite suffering a fractured toe early in the day, while Downpatrick rider Caoilin Quinn celebrated his birthday with a double.
The 14.2hh race saw Taaffe open his account for the day when Blazing Glory improved on his runner-up finish the previous week to win for Ballybrittas, Co. Laois owner John Joe Bailey.
Taaffe made it two in the 12-furlong race where Mr. James made most of the running with the strong travelling chesnut stretching clear to win impressively. Mr. Bowen has laid down his marker as one of the leading candidates for Dingle Derby glory this season and he added to his reputation with an impressive win in the two-mile race.
Despite an initial entry of 14, only three faced the starter. Joe Conlon on Lady Lynn set a strong early pace in an effort to see if there was a chink in the armour of the long odds-on favourite, but it was to no avail as once Taaffe asked Mr. Bowen to quicken he quickly put the result beyond doubt as he stretched clear to win.
Caoilin Quinn celebrated his 15th birthday in memorable fashion as he recorded a double, taking both divisions of the mile race.
He took the first division on Banned Substance for Michael Flannery, on whom he was always in a prominent position before stretching clear over the final two furlongs.
Nothing But Trouble, owned by Monasterevin-based Megan Harrison, completed Quinn’s double in the second division as he led from turning out of the back straight before holding off the late challenge of the Pat Taaffe-ridden Morgan Spice.
BIRTHDAY WITH A WINNER
Connemara owner Gabriel McNamara was another person to celebrate his birthday with a winner as Treasure Beach, who he owns in partnership with his daughter and midlands region chairperson, Priscilla, took the 15hh race in a driving finish under Michael McGuane.
The Castledermot, Co. Kildare-based 12-year-old was seen to great effect as he got the winner home by the minimum margin from the Buddy Harrison-owned and Joe Conlon-ridden Mr. Bud.
The Harrison/Conlon partnership did not go home empty-handed, however, as they later took the 10-furlong race with Last Chance Paddy.
Dylan Browne-McMonagle made his welcome return to action a winning one as he landed the opening 14hh race on Little Molly for Roscommon owner Des Donnelly, taking over from the front-running Fiddler’s Bridge just after half-way.
RESULTS Sunday, July 3rd
14HH Race (1M): 1, D. Donnelly’s LITTLE MOLLY (Dylan Browne McMonagle); 2, Finnerty’s FIDDLERS BRIDGE (Pat Taaffe); 3, M. McQuane’s THIRD GEAR (M. McQuane).
14.2HH Race (1M): 1 J.J. Bailey’s BLAZING GLORY (Pat Taaffe); 2, S. McNeily’s SHOOT THE BREEZE (Sam Ewing); 3, B. Murphy’s MY FRIEND GEORGE (Oli Stammers).
15HH Race (10F): 1, P & G McNamara’s TREASURE BEACH (Michael McQuane); 2, B. Harrison’s MR. BUD (Joe Conlon); 3, Finnerty’s SNOWDROP (Pat Taaffe).
Open Horse Race (1M) (Div. 1): 1, M. Flannery’s BANNED SUBSTANCE (Caoilin Quinn); 2, Finnerty’s OMEGA (Pat Taaffe); 3, I. Worrell’s CALL THE GUARDS (Dylan Browne-McMonagle).
Open Horse Race (1M) (Div. 2):1, M. Harrison’s NOTHING BUT TROUBLE (Caoilin Quinn); 2, J. Torren’s MORGAN SPICE (Pat Taaffe); 3, P.J. Donnelly’s KEEPER HILL (Michael McQuane).
Open Horse Race (10F): 1, B. Harrison’s LAST CHANCE PADDY (Joe Conlon); 2, T. Fennelly’s STORMFORCE (Pat Taaffe); 3, B. Laird’s IDA’S DREAM (Rosaleen Laird).
Open Horse Race (12F): 1, J. Torren’s, MR. JAMES (Pat Taaffe); 2, M. Page’s, THE FERRYMAN (Joe Conlon); 3, DONNACHA’S DELIGHT (Peter Smithers).
Open Horse Race (2M): 1, J. Torren’s MR. BOWEN (Pat Taaffe); 2, T. McCarthy’s LADY LYNN (Joe Conlon); 3, D. Lyons’s KEVINS COOL (Caoilin Quinn).