THE Southern summer season kicked off at a sun-drenched Ballybunion on Sunday last. The Rahavanig course played host to a record attendance and patrons were rewarded with some top drawer racing.

Paddy Finnegan proved the jockey to follow with a sparkling treble. The Meath jockey combined with Kildare owner Shane Crabbe for two of those victories, courtesy of Sam’s Friend and She’s A Freebie.

Sam’s Friend booked his ticket to the South Clare Invitational race when running out a most impressive winner in the first split of the 10-furlong contest. The winner was in the front rank throughout and proved too strong for the gallant grey Dell Boy, with the Ashbourne winner Fill The Tank never nearer in third place.

She’s A Freebie would be better known over staying trips, but she made every post a winning one when landing the concluding maiden over a mile. Paddy never had an anxious moment here and the winner could well be added to the Shane Crabbe Invitational race team.

Another star

The Bergin family from Co Laois are renowned owners on the circuit and they could well have found another star with Oreo, who made a winning debut in the second division of the 10-furlong race.

Oreo travelled ominously well from flag fall and quickened impressively up the straight for a four-length victory. The winner is likely to reappear in Culmullen tomorrow.

The reigning champion jockey Kian McNally, who will shortly be heading to the race track, landed the featured Ballybunion Derby over two miles on Red Ted to give Shane Crabbe a treble on the day.

The Golden Nugget under Sean Holohan set a strong pace here and was still in front with a circuit to race. However, the Armagh star was just biding his time in behind and set sail just before the back straight. It was one-way traffic from here, with stable companion Tommy Tango staying on for second spot and The Golden Nugget a gallant third. A beaming Shane Crabbe quipped that both the first and second could also head to Clare for the Invitational contest!

Local jockey Billy Roberts, fresh from a winning weekend in Selkirk, Scotland, landed an ultra-strong 14hh race on Dream Alliance. This race developed into a wonderful duel between Dream Alliance and the Cromwell runner Lesson Learned, with neither giving an inch on the final circuit.

However, Dream Alliance found extra reserves in the closing stages, much to the delight of the jockey’s fan club. The winner is owned by the You Know Yourself Syndicate, which includes the Hayes family from Shanagolden, Co Limerick.

Local jockey

Another local jockey to keep her supporters happy was Maya Nolan from Ballyheigue, who combined with Mary Mulcahy to land the opening 12.2hh contest with Tiny Dancer. Despite never settling early on, Tiny Dancer came through just before the straight and ran on strongly to hold the renewed effort of Little Joey by a length at the line. The winning pony will bid for a fourth success of the season in Culmullen tomorrow.

The local folk were also celebrating when the John Bosco McMahon-owned Rices Road caused a major upset in the 14hh race. Jake Cromwell gave this pony an absolute peach of a drive from the front and had all his rivals treading water on the final circuit. Another local pony, Clever Crystal, filled the runner-up spot under Thady Finnegan. Rices Road will reappear in Clare in a week’s time.

Well rewarded

The Finnerty family made the long journey down from Co Roscommon and they were well rewarded when Little Fiddlers proved a class apart when landing the 13.2hh contest under Holly Halford.

In truth, the winner was never out of second gear and she will surely head back to Dingle with all guns blazing. Little Sadie kept on nicely in second place under the stylish Peter Cremin.

Hasta La Vista under Camillus Byrne is another high-class pony and she extended her winning sequence when proving just too strong for Jungle Joe in a gripping finish to the 15hh race. The pair had it between them from the halfway stage and it was nip and tuck down the home straight with the battle-hardened Hasta La Vista just doing enough to hold off the less experienced Jungle Joe under Paddy Finnegan.

The mile race produced yet another exciting finish with debutant The King Of Ballyhaunis proving too strong for Ashbourne winner Joseph John. This was a first career success for Navan jockey Cayden Power, who had caught the eye of some shrewd observers in recent weeks.

The 16-year-old jockey is attached to the Gavin Cromwell stable. The King Of Ballyhaunis looks a smart recruit and is likely to reappear in Culmullen tomorrow for Hanna Heffernan.

THE Midlands circuit will resume tomorrow with a new meeting in Culmullen, Co Meath at 1pm sharp.

The Southern circuit will continue in South Clare on Sunday, June 28th at 1pm.

The rescheduled Big Isle race meeting in Letterkenny, Co Donegal will now take place on Wednesday, July 1st next at 6pm. This will be the first mid-week racing in Donegal for 30 years.

Results

12.2HH (7F): 1, M. Mulcahy’s TINY DANCER (Maya Nolan); 2, O. Finnegan’s LITTLE JOEY (Thady Finnegan); 3,T. Beegan’s MINIE HAWK (Cameron Cromwell).

13.2HH (9F): 1, Finnerty Families LITTLE FIDDLERS (Holly Halford); 2, W. McGrath’s LITTLE SADIE (Peter Cremin); 3, K. Cromwell’s LITTLE MICKY (Cameron Cromwell).

14HH (1M): 1, J. McMahon’s RICES ROAD (Jake Cromwell); 2, N. Brosnan’s CLEVER CRYSTAL (Thady Finnegan); 3, Finnerty Families JO MALONE (Billy Roberts).

14.2HH (10F): 1, You Know Yourself Syndicates DREAM ALLIANCE (Billy Roberts); 2, K. Cromwell’s LESSON LEARNED (Cameron Cromwell); 3, N. Brosnan’s THE LOW ROAD (Thady Finnegan).

15HH (10F): 1, F. Byrne’s HASTA LA VISTA (Camillus Byrne); 2, S. Crabbe’s JUNGLE JOE (Paddy Finnegan); 3, Cregg Families STICK SEASON (Nina Doherty).

Open Horse Race (1M): 1, H. Heffernan’s THE KING OF BALLYHAUNIS (Cayden Power); 2, J.J. Bailey’s JOSEPH JOHN (Billy Roberts); 3, McNamara Families SILVER HILL (Nina Doherty).

Open Horse Race Div 1 (10F); 1, S. Crabbe’s SAM’S FRIEND (Paddy Finnegan); 2, N. Holohan’s DELL BOY (Sean Holohan); 3, S. Tierney’s FILL THE TANK (Billy Roberts).

Open Horse Race Div 2 (10F): 1, L. Bergin’s OREO (Paddy Finnegan); 2, P. Smith’s LAKE VIEW LADY (Holly Halford); 3, A. Lambe’s ENDLESS DREAM (Bobby Lambe).

Ballybunion Derby (2M): 1, S. Crabbe’s RED TED (Kian McNally); 2, S. Crabbe’s TOMMY TANGO (Paddy Finnegan); 3, P. O’Sullivan & Sons THE GOLDEN NUGGET (Sean Holohan).

Maiden Horse Race (1M): 1, S. Crabbe’s SHE’S A FREEBIE (Paddy Finnegan); 2, Finnerty Families MAVERICK (Bobby Lambe); 3, M. Jones THE PARTING GLASS (Camillus Byrne).