Ballyconneely Sunday
THE Midlands region staged their traditional pre-Dingle Meeting at Ballyconneely just outside Clifden on Sunday last.
Once again, the local committee were rewarded with a record attendance of both tourists and racegoers going on to Ballybrit for Galway’s race week.
Nina Doherty has been the “jockey find” of the season and she added another treble to her impressive strike rate.
Nina combined with the locally based McNamara family to land the first division of the featured mile race on the brilliant Silver Hill. This Athea winner showed a blistering turn of foot to catch Maverick inside the distance for a three-length victory.
Silver Hill now heads back to defend his Dingle crown and could well be the one to give Nina her first festival success. It was a particularly famous victory for the McNamara family who have helped to stage these races for many generations.
Nina then combined with the Cregg family from Frenchpark, Co Roscommon to complete a double with Stick Season and King Of The Hill. Stick Season, who had been runner-up in his last three starts, gained a well-deserved winning turn in the 15hh contest.
The winner bounced out here and made every inch of the running having travelled kindly all the way. He is likely to have two starts in the 15hh division at the Dingle Festival.
Former Dingle Derby third King Of The Hill completed the Doherty treble when coming from almost the next parish to land the two-mile event.
Manhattan made a brave bid from the front here under Billy Roberts before being reeled in by King Of The Hill well inside the distance.
The winner was repeating his 2023 victory in this race and duly following up his Taghmon victory la st time out. He will be an each-way shot for next month’s Lee Strand Dingle Derby.
McNally double reward
Kian McNally made the 10-hour round trip from Co. Armagh and he was rewarded with a double.
She’s Got It warmed up for the trip to Dingle with an effortless victory in the 10-furlong race. This mare was ultra-impressive in quickening right away up the straight from the debutante I’ll Tell Gerry.
She’s Got It will play an important part in Kian’s bid to land another Dingle jockeys’ title in a week’s time. The McNally double was completed in the 13.2hh race when Little Fiddlers ran out an eight-length winner over Aisling’s Charm. The Finnerty family-owned pony will be one of the hot-pots on the second day of the Festival.
Camillus Byrne was also in double form with victories on Flooring Porter and Bubbles respectively. The Kevin Connell-owned Flooring Porter put up a teak tough performance to hold off Justasec in a gripping finish in the 14hh race.
Ice-cool drive
Camillus then gave Bubbles an ice-cool drive from last to first to win the second divide of the mile contest. The New House looked all over a winner down the straight before Bubbles sprouted wings to land the spoils.
Jared Huggan from Hawick in the Scottish Borders combined with Sinead Lohan to land the 12-furlong race with the impressive Remember Us. Sinead nominated the opening race in Dingle on Friday night as the Festival target for Remember Us.
Jake Cromwell will be eagerly looking forward to his first trip to Dingle and he was on the mark in the 14.2hh contest with All Bets Are Off. This developed into a three-way battle off the final bend with All Bets Are Off proving too strong for An Capall Dubh and Black Taxi in the shadows of the post.
Mallow jockey Peter Cremin is really relishing his first season on the circuit and he landed another victory on the diminutive grey Tiny Dancer in the 12.2hh event. Tiny Dancer ran out a snug three length winner here over Far Q.
THE North West Racing Board will stage the Ballintra races on this August Bank Holiday Monday, August 4th at 1pm.
All roads lead to Dingle on Friday, Saturday and Sunday the 8th, 9th and 10th August. 4pm start on Friday, 2.30pm start on Saturday and Sunday.
The Southern season will resume in Allihies on Friday, August 15th at 2pm
Results
12.2HH (6F): 1, M. Mulcahy’s TINY DANCER (Peter Cremin); 2, O. Finnegan’s FAR Q (Thady Finnegan); 3, W. McGrath’s LITTLE BLUEBELL (Camillus Byrne).
13.2HH (1M): 1, Finnerty Family’s LITTLE FIDDLERS (Kian McNally); 2, T. Beegan’s AISLING’S CHARM (Levi Williams).
14HH (1M): 1, K. Connell’s FLOORING PORTER (Camillus Byrne); 2, O. Finnegan’s JUSTASEC (Paddy Finnegan); 3, K. Cromwell’s HERE FOR THE CRAIC (Jake Cromwell).
14.2HH (1M): 1, K. Cromwell’s ALL BETS ARE OFF (Jake Cromwell); 2, K. Connell’s AN CAPALL DUBH (Camillus Byrne); 3, S. Tynan’s BLACK TAXI (Reese Holohan).
15HH (10F): 1, Cregg Family’s STICK SEASON (Nina Doherty); 2, McNamara Family’s QUEEN ELSA (Kian McNally); 3, F. Byrne’s FRANKIE (Camillus Byrne).
Open Horse Race Div 1 (1M): 1, McNamara Family’s SILVER HILL (Nina Doherty); 2, Finnerty Family’s MAVERICK (Kian McNally); 3, L. Bergin’s JACOB (Paddy Finnegan).
Open Horse Race Div 2 (1M): 1, F. Byrne’s BUBBLES (Camillus Byrne); 2, K. Flannery’s THE NEW HOUSE (Nathan O’Sullivan); 3, M. Mulcahy’s THE RUBBER MONKEY (Billy Roberts).
Open Horse Race (10F): 1, McNally Racing’s SHE’S GOT IT (Kian McNally); 2, J. Smith’s I’LL TELL GERRY (Camillus Byrne); 3, Finnerty Family’s ATHY SPIRIT (Holly Halford).
Open Horse Race (12F): 1, S. Lohan’s REMEMBER US (Jared Huggan); 2, K. Flannery’s THE LONG HAUL (Nathan O’Sullivan); 3, P. Smith’s DOREY’S FORGE (Eoin Sheehan).
Open Horse Race (2M): 1, Cregg Families KING OF THE HILL (Nina Doherty); 2, J.J. Bailey’s MANHATTAN (Billy Roberts); 3, Kerin Family’s JELLY BABY (Jared Huggan).