ANOTHER huge crowd descended on Doolough Beach on Sunday for a 10-race programme, which brought the curtain down on the 2025 Geesala Festival.
Jake Cromwell was the man to follow with three winners, while Paddy Finnegan was crowned the champion jockey with five successes.
The Cromwell treble was initiated when Here For The Craic put up a stellar performance to see off Little Fiddlers in the 13.2hh race. The latter, who was sent off at odds-on to gain yet another victory, could never really land a blow at the smooth travelling Here For The Craic, who had three lengths to spare at the line.
Dual Dingle winner Little Chief made it three wins in a week, when taking the 14hh contest for Jimmy Brady. However, odds-on backers must have feared another reverse, as Joe Malone made the best of his way home for Kian McNally.
Under an inspired Cromwell drive, Little Chief answered every call to get up in the shadows of the post. The winner remains unbeaten this season.
Late and fast
There was another gripping finish to the 14.2hh race where Jake again came home late and fast to grab the spoils. Saturday’s winner Don’t Give Up travelled kindly up front for Billy Roberts, only to be denied close home by the ever-consistent All Bets Are Off.
Paddy Finnegan made it five wins for the weekend when Little Heart put up another superb display to win the mile race. The winner thus became the only dual winner of the festival.
Billy Roberts, who was touched off on Don’t Give Up, had earlier landed the 12.2hh race on the small grey Tiny Dancer.
Mary Mulcahy’s pony quickened impressively inside the distance to beat Far Q by a couple of lengths. The Ballyduff jockey, not surprisingly, is still on a high after his week to savour.
Tommy Tango, who was all the rage for the Dingle Derby, regained the winning thread in the one mile, six-furlong event under Reese Holohan for the Shane Crabbe yard.
Snug winner
Here We Go Again, fresh from his Dingle heroics, made a brave bid here for a famous double but Tommy Tango was right back to his very best and ran out a snug winner.
Shane quickly nominated the valuable Cahersiveen Derby tomorrow afternoon as the winner’s next target.
Holly Halford is another jockey currently living the dream and she combined with the Finnerty family to land the Ladies Derby with Athy Spirit. This partnership was following up their victory from Dingle the previous Sunday.
Nina Doherty, who had a quiet two days by her standards, finally visited the winner’s enclosure when Stick Season ran out a clear-cut winner of the 15hh contest. Owned by the Cregg family from Frenchpark, Co Roscommon, Stick Season was gaining his third victory of the campaign.
There was yet another grandstand finish to the 12-furlong race when Dare To Dream and Camillus Byrne just denied Hills Of Donegal and Brody Ferry.
Kaceylou Carberry made her first visit to Doolough Beach a winning one, when Mr Universe made every inch of the running to win the local race. Kaceylou will shortly take out her flat licence.
Results Sunday
12.2HH (6F): 1, M. Mulcahy’s TINY DANCER (Billy Roberts); 2, O. Finnegan’s FAR Q (Thady Finnegan).
13.2HH (1M): 1, K. Cromwell’s HERE FOR THE CRAIC (Jake Cromwell); 2, Finnerty Families LITTLE FIDDLERS (Kian McNally); 3, T. Beegan’s AISHLING’S CHARM (Sean Mahon).
14HH (1M): 1, J. Brady’s LITTLE CHIEF (Jake Cromwell); 2, Finnerty Families JOE MALONE (Kian McNally); 3, O. Finnegan’s JUSTASEC (Paddy Finnegan).
14.2HH (1M): 1, K. Cromwell’s ALL BETS ARE OFF (Jake Cromwell); 3, K. Flannery’s DON’T GIVE UP (Billy Roberts); 3, K. Cromwell’s LESSON LEARNED (Cameron Cromwell).
15HH (10F): 1, Cregg Families STICK SEASON (Nina Doherty); 2, B. Mahon’s U.S.A. (Paddy Finnegan); 3, McNamara Families QUEEN ELSA (Camillus Byrne).
Open Horse Race (1M): 1, O. Finnegan’s LITTLE HEART (Paddy Finnegan); 2, F. Byrne’s GREEN WHISTLE (Camillus Byrne); 3, McNamara Families SILVER HILL (Nina Doherty).
Doolough Ladies Derby (10F): 1, Finnerty Families ATHY SPIRIT (Holly Halford); 2, K. Flannery’s THE LONG HAUL (Caoimhe Sugrue); 3, L. McLaughlin’s TOMMY K (Nina Doherty).
Open Horse Race (12F): 1, Holian Syndicate’s DARE TO DREAM (Camillus Byrne); 2, Team Browne’s HILLS OF DONEGAL (Brody Ferry); 3, Finnerty Families MAVERICK (Kian McNally).
Geesala Derby (1M 6F): 1, S. Crabbe’s TOMMY TANGO (Reese Holohan); 2, L. McLaughlin’s HERE WE GO AGAIN (Nina Doherty); 3, S & M Syndicate’s SHAKE EM UP HARRY (Ben Lecky).
Local Race (1M): 1, MR UNIVERSE (Kaceylou Carberry); 2, ARRABELLA’S GIRL (Jared Huggan).
THE historic Cahersiveen races will take place tomorrow in Co Kerry with a 1.30pm start. The Midlands region are back racing on the beach in Louisburgh on Sunday, August 31st, at 1pm.A new addition to the Southern circuit is the South-East Clare fixture on Sunday, September 7th next.
Geesala Saturday
THE Geesala races have long been the jewel in the crown on the West of Ireland pony racing circuit. Staged on Doolough Beach, the committee celebrated 25 years on Saturday and Sunday as part of the Geesala Festival.
A huge crowd on Saturday evening could well have witnessed a new superstar in action as Paddy Finnegan rode four winners on the five-race programme.
The Meath jockey, who was runner-up in the Dingle Derby, opened his account with Justasec who ran out an impressive winner of the 14hh race. The winner is owned by the jockey’s dad Ollie and was gaining a due reward for consistency here.
The Finnegan double came courtesy of U.S.A. in a strongly-contested 15hh contest. Last year’s Dingle winner Follow Me looked to be traveling best a furlong down, but U.S.A. came with a wet sail down the outside for a snug victory.
Top-drawer performance
Little Heart is a recent high-class recruit to the Finnegan yard in Navan and he put up another top-drawer performance to win the mile race. This multiple Dingle winner will surely give Paddy many more special days on the pony racing circuit in the seasons ahead. Bubbles lost little in defeat in second place for Camillus Byrne.
Liam Bergin’s Jacob, who was successful in Dingle six days earlier, rounded off the Finnegan four-timer in the Non-winners contest. Jacob was eligible to run here as he has not been successful on the Midlands circuit in the 2025 season.
The winner has been a model of consistency all season and proved too strong for another Dingle winner Athy Spirit inside the distance.
Dingle Derby-winning jockey Billy Roberts is certainly clocking up the miles and travelled from Allihies on Friday to Geesala on Saturday morning. He was well rewarded when Kathy Flannery’s Don’t Give Up proved too strong for Lesson Learned under Cameron Cromwell. The winning owner is currently enjoying a well-earned break in Salou.
Saturday Results
13.2HH/14HH (1M): 1, O. Finnegan’s JUSTASEC (Paddy Finnegan); 2, A. Doherty’s WILD VENTURE (Nina Doherty); 3, F. Byrne’s WEE POLLY (Camillus Byrne).
14.2HH (1M): 1, K. Flannery’s DON’T GIVE UP (Billy Roberts); 2, K. Cromwell’s LESSON LEARNED (Cameron Cromwell); 3, S. Tynan’s BLACK TAXI (Reese Holohan).
15HH (1M): 1, B. Mahon’s U.S.A. (Paddy Finnegan); 2, Team Browne’s FOLLOW ME (Jake Cromwell); 3, F. Byrne’s FRANKIE (Camillus Byrne).
Open Horse Race (1M): 1, O. Finnegan’s LITTLE HEART (Paddy Finnegan); 2, F. Byrne’s BUBBLES (Camillus Byrne); 3, Finnerty Family’s MAVERICK (Kian McNally).
Non-Winners Race (10F): 1, L. Bergin’s JACOB (Paddy Finnegan); 2, Finnerty Family’s ATHY SPIRIT (Kian McNally); 3, J.J. Bailey’s MANHATTAN (Billy Roberts).
Allihies Friday
THE pony racing jockeys had little time to rest on their laurels after the Dingle Festival with Allihies kicking off three more busy days of racing. A record attendance again thronged the race track deep in the Beara Peninsula in glorious sunshine. Unfortunately, the number of runners were down with the meeting sandwiched between Dingle and Geesala.
Tralee jockey Caoimhe Sugrue took top honours with a double on Athloman Dancer and The Bickering Bunch. The O’Sullivan/King Syndicate who play a big part in the Athea races really revelled in the victory of Athloman Dancer in the 13.2hh contest. This young pony has gained valuable experience this year and looks a live prospect for 2026.
Caoimhe completed a good day at the office when The Bickering Bunch led from halfway to win the maiden contest for the C.V.R. Syndicate. Mary Mulcahy’s The Banger Man who had won over a mile in Ballybunion, landed the featured Allihies Derby over two miles. This race was a match over the last half-mile with Never Look Back throwing down a persistent challenge under Caoimhe Sugrue. However, The Banger Man was always travelling kindly under John Mulvihill and stayed on strongly up the hill for a length and a half victory.
Dingle Derby-winning jockey Billy Roberts was quickly back in the winner’s enclosure when St James made every inch of the running to win the 14.2hh race. The course specialist is owned by Jim Collins. The Local Race saw a dramatic finish when early leader Suzie K fought back bravely to force a dead-heat on the line with Ri Mo Chroi. The biggest cheer of the day came in the Donkey Derby when Mary Williamson touched off her brother Peadar.
Friday results
13.2HH (1M): 1, O’Sullivan/King’s ATHLOMAN DANCER (Caoimhe Sugrue).
14.2HH (10F): 1, J. Collins ST JAMES (Billy Roberts); 2, D. Cahill’s SHE’S CONFRONTATIONAL (John Mulvihill).
Allihies Derby (2M): 1, M. Mulcahy’s THE BANGER MAN (John Mulvihill); 2, C.V.R. Syndicate’s NEVER LOOK BACK (Caoimhe Sugrue); 3, Soft Touch Syndicate’s MAYDAY (Billy Roberts).
Maiden Horse Race (10F): 1, C.V.R. Syndicate’s THE BICKERING BUNCH (Caoimhe Sugrue).
Local Race: Dead-Heat 1, SUZIE K (Ebbie Sheehan); 1. RI MO CHROI (Carol Connolly); 3, ZALTAN (Caoimhe Sugrue).
Donkey Derby (2F): 1, DRUMRAAGH GEORGE (Mary Williamson); 2, WILMA (Peadar Williamson).