THE Athea races in Co Limerick have grown to be one of the premier fixtures on the national circuit and last Sunday’s renewal was certainly no exception.
Indeed it could be best described as trial’s day for the Dingle Festival. Reece Holohan was the man to follow with a four-timer, while Paddy Finnegan came of age with his first double.
Mountrath jockey Reese Holohan kicked off his day to savour when Hasta La Vista followed up her Ballybunion success over Stick Season.
The pair locked horns from the furlong pole, but the Mags O’Connor-owned Hasta La Vista was always holding the upper hand for a length and a half victory.
Reese then combined with the Kildare maestro Shane Crabbe for a sparkling treble. The grey Dell Boy, who had finished runner-up in his last three races, put up a stellar performance to land the first split of the 10-furlong contest.
Under an ice-cool Holohan drive, Dell Boy sprouted wings up the straight for a very easy success. The winner is a leading candidate for the 10-furlong events at the Dingle Festival next month.
Athea Derby
The third Holohan winner and the second for Shane Crabbe came in the featured Athea Derby when She’s A Freebie showed a wonderful attitude to hold off market principals Verstappen and Caro Quintero in a driving finish.
She’s A Freebie travelled extremely well on the sharp end throughout and stayed on strongly for a length and a half victory. The winner is likely to reappear in Taghmon tomorrow with Verstappen likely to step back up in trip in Port Salon this afternoon. Third-placed and former Dingle Derby winner Caro Quintero lost little in defeat and he will head back to Dingle with all guns blazing.
The well-touted and Navan winner Tommy Tango completed the Holohan four-timer in the two-mile contest. However, the odds-on shot had to pull out all the stops to touch off Little Rocket in the shadows of the post. Both horses will add further intrigue to the 2025 Lee Strand Dingle Derby.
Paddy Finnegan made the long journey down from Co Meath and he was well rewarded with a career first double. Not Another Horse made it four on the day for the Shane Crabbe yard, when coming home late and fast to snatch the second division of the 10-furlong race from The Glen and Kian McNally.
The latter looked sure to succeed up the straight, but Paddy was in no mood to be denied, gaining the verdict by half a length at the line. Paddy then teamed up with Seamus Bergin to land the concluding maiden race with Firedrops.
This one bounced out and made every inch of the running and saw off the late flourish of Smooth Operator by a length. Firedrops is developing into an Athea course specialist, having won a strong 15hh contest here a year ago.
Big impression
Mallow jockey Peter Cremin is making a big impression in the smaller pony division and he was on the mark again when Tiny Dancer took the 12.2hh race in a gripping finish over South Of The Border. Both ponies will renew rivalry in Taghmon tomorrow.
Billy Roberts, fresh from his Ballybunion four-timer, gained another winning bracket when Clever Crystal landed the 13.2hh race. Noel Brosnan’s winner made all the running here and dug really deep in the closing stages to hold off Little Sadie under Camillus Byrne.
The Finnerty family from Co Roscommon are enjoying a fine season with Little Fiddlers and they also produced Joe Malone to make a winning debut in the 14hh contest.
The Chris Hayes-sponsored race produced yet another exciting finish with the Eoin Sheehan-ridden Joe Malone proving too strong for Rice’s Road inside the distance.
Wexford jockey Lily Walsh is enjoying a fantastic season on the eventing circuit and it was great to see her make a winning return to pony racing when Pacman landed the 14.2hh race. 
The veteran Pacman, who mixed it with the great Molly’s Dream and One Direction many years ago, put up a super performance here to see off St James and Don’t Give Up. The winner will reappear on home ground in Taghmon tomorrow.
The McNamara family from Ballyconnelly, Clifden, Co Galway made the long trip to Athea well worthwhile when Silver Hill landed a red-hot mile contest.
Nina Doherty produced last year’s Dingle winner with precision timing to lead inside the distance for a snug victory over The Parting Glass.
Silver Hill will now head to the home meeting in Ballyconneely before returning to Kerry to defend his Dingle crown.
Well done to the Athea race committee on a job really well done.
THE North West Racing Board will race in Port Salon today with a 4pm start. The Southern circuit continues in Taghmon tomorrow at 1pm.
Results
12.2HH (6F): 1, M. Mulcahy’s TINY DANCER (Peter Cremin); 2, P. Collins SOUTH OF THE BORDER (Ciano Goff); 3, M. O’Connor’s HONEYSUCKLE (Thady Finnegan).
13.2HH (10F): 1, N. Brosnan’s CLEVER CRYSTAL (Billy Roberts); 2, W. McGrath’s LITTLE SADIE (Camillus Byrne); 3, O. Finegan’s ROSE OF CLARE (Thady Finnegan).
14HH (10F): 1, Finnerty Families JOE MALONE (Eoin Sheehan); 2, J. McMahon’s RICE’S ROAD (Billy Roberts); 3, T. Beegan’s ASHLING’S CHARM (Levi Williams).
14.2HH (12F): 1, J. Walsh/P. Collins PACMAN (Lily Walsh); 2, J. Collins ST JAMES (Kian McNally); 3, K. Flannery’s DON’T GIVE UP (Jared Huggan).
15HH (12F): 1, M. O’Connor’s HASTA LA VISTA (Reese Holohan); 2, Cregg Families STICK SEASON (Nina Doherty); 3, K. Connell’s AN CAPALL DUBH (Camillus Byrne).
Open Horse Race (1M): 1, McNamara Families SILVER HILL (Nina Doherty); 2, M. Jones THE PARTING GLASS (Camillus Byrne); 3, I. Worrell’s LITTLE HEART (Kian McNally).
Open Horse Race Div 1 (10F): 1, S. Crabbe’s DELL BOY (Reese Holohan); 2, Kerin Families JELLY BABY (Michael Beresford); 3, K. Flannery’s THE LONG HAUL (Eoin Sheehan).
Open Horse Race Div 2 (10F): 1, S. Crabbe’s NOT ANOTHER HORSE (Paddy Finnegan); 2, I. Worrell’s THE GLEN (Kian McNally); 3, McNamara Families QUEEN ELSO (Nina Doherty).
Athea Derby (12F): 1, S. Crabbe’s SHE’S A FREEBIE (Reese Holohan); 2, I. Worrell’s VERSTAPPEN (Kian McNally); 3, D. Cremin’s CARO QUINTERO (Camillus Byrne).
Open Horse Race (2M): 1, S. Crabbe’s TOMMY TANGO (Reese Holohan); 2, K. Flannery’s LITTLE ROCKET (Camillus Byrne); 3, Cregg Families KING OF THE HILL (Nina Doherty).
Maiden Horse Race (12F): 1, S. Bergin’s FIREDROPS (Paddy Finnegan); 2, L. Halford’s SMOOTH OPERATOR (Holly Halford); 3, M. O’Connor’s GO ON JIMMY (Eoin Sheehan).