Athea Sunday
THE pony racing fraternity were quickly back on the road on Sunday morning for the Athea races in Co Limerick. This track is often described as ‘The Curragh of pony racing’ and once again it did not disappoint.
The record attendance also enjoyed the Limerick v Clare match on the big screen. It was no surprise that all the leading Dingle aspirants were in action and plenty enhanced their festival credentials.
The Shane Crabbe stable in Kildare is rapidly becoming ‘The Ballydoyle of pony racing’ and they sent out four winners. Throw in two winners in Bundoran from the previous day and team Crabbe are now heading to Dingle with all guns blazing.
Paddy Finnegan was first to strike for the maestro, when Jungle Joe came out on top in a three-way photo-finish to the 15hh contest. Spot On and Stick Season had a ding-dong battle up front before Jungle Joe lunged late and fast to land the spoils in the very final stride.
The winner confirmed the promise shown in Ashbourne and Culmullen and looks on the upgrade. Placed horses lost little in defeat, with all three likely to reappear in Ballacolla next weekend.
The Finnegan double came courtesy of the Ballybunion winner She’s A Freebie, who ran out an impressive winner of the 12-furlong race.
Course specialist
This course specialist made practically every inch of the running to see off Green Whistle by three lengths and stable companion Sam’s Friend in third place. She’s A Freebie was nominated for the mile and six-furlong race on the opening night in Dingle before a possible spot on the Crabbe battalion for the festival Blue Riband.
Athea Horse and Pony Races winner Yours Or Mine and Camilus Byrne win the James Horgan Memorial race with Gemma and Rian Crabbe and sponsor Liz Horgan \ Healy Racing
Fellow Co Meath jockey Camillus Byrne partnered the other two Crabbe winners on the day. Yours Or Mine came out on top in yet another thrilling finish to the red hot mile contest. The defending champion Silver Hill and Yours Or Mine went head-to-head here from the two-furlong pole before the Crabbe inmate got his head in front in the shadows of the post.
This race has always proven to be a Dingle Golden Mile trial and no doubt the 2025 winner Silver Hill will bid to turn the form around next month.
Fine weekend
Camillus crowned a fine weekend at the office when The Crooked Cop made a hugely impressive debut in the two-mile race. The winner travelled ominously well from the drop of the flag and forged right away up the straight for an eye-catching victory.
Stable companion The Monk also made a highly taking debut in Bundoran and the beaming winning trainer quipped that there are another one or two to appear before his Dingle Derby plans are finalised!
Teddy and Hanna Worrell have a wonderful record on the circuit and they have certainly found another super star in The King Of Ballyhaunis. The Ballybunion and Culmullen winner made it three wins from three starts with a scintillating performance in the 10-furlong contest. Navan jockey Cayden Power was ultra-confident here, before pressing the button two furlongs out and the partnership drew clear for a facile success. It was great to see baby Croi Worrell in the winner’s enclosure to greet the winner, who could also be Golden Mile bound.
The Finnerty family from Roscommon are enjoying a purple patch at the moment and sent out three winners for the second week in succession. Holly Halford continued her remarkable winning sequence on Little Fiddlers in the 13.2hh race.
This star pony has gears in abundance and, under an ice-cool Holly Halford drive, eased clear up the straight from Little Sadie and Peter Cremin.
Winner’s enclosure
Team Finnerty were quickly back in the winner’s enclosure, when Jo Malone made every inch of the running to win the 14hh event in facile fashion under Billy Roberts.
The Dingle Derby-winning jockey had just returned from a successful trip to the Moss Trooper’s race meeting in Scotland the previous day. The Finnerty treble was completed by the highly-consistent Maverick in the concluding maiden contest. Nina Doherty, fresh from a Bundoran double, was seen at her very finest here in a brilliant last to first drive.
Dorey’s Forge and Holly Halford looked home for all money here before Maverick launched a withering run up the outside under an ice-cool Doherty drive and snatched victory in the final strides.
Cameron Cromwell is one of the rising stars in the pony jockeys’ division and he completed a landmark double on I Don’t Care and Lesson Learned. I Don’t Care has improved with every run this season and landed the 14.2hh mile in impressive style. The winner ran on strongly up the hard shoulder to beat The Low Road with Little Princess an eye-catching third. Cameron then gave Lesson Learned a beautiful drive to win the 12-furlong 14.2hh event over his great rival Dream Alliance and Billy Roberts.
The pair had it between them up the straight, with Lesson Learned running on strongly for a three-length victory.
Tiny Dancer and Maya Nolan put up another top drawer performance to win the opening 12.2hh race. The pair made every post a winning one here, with Little Rory keeping on well for second place under Rhiain Daly.
Well done to all the Athea Race Committee for a brilliant day of racing on a magnificent track.
Fixture Notes
Racing on the North West circuit will continue tomorrow in Portsalon, Co Donegal, with a 2pm start.
The Midlands region will launch a new meeting in Ballacolla, Co Laois on Sunday, July 19th at 1.30pm.
Results
12.2HH (7F): 1, J. Mulvihill’s TINY DANCER (Maya Nolan); 2, Curragh Racing’s LITTLE RORY (Rhiain Daly); 3, T. Beegan’s MINIE HAWK (Cameron Cromwell).
13.2HH (1M): 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, Finnerty Families JO MALONE (Billy Roberts); 2, N. Brosnan’s CLEVER CRYSTAL (Thady Finnegan); 3, J. McMahon’s RICE’S ROAD (Jake Cromwell).
14.2HH (1M): 1, K. Cromwell’s I DON’T CARE (Cameron Cromwell); 2, N. Brosnan’s THE LOW ROAD (Thady Finnegan); 3, M. Brady’s LITTLE PRINCESS (Camillus Byrne).
14.2HH (12F): 1, K. Cromwell’s LESSON LEARNED (Cameron Cromwell); 2, You Know Yourself Syndicate’s DREAM ALLIANCE (Billy Roberts); 3, J. Collins ST JAMES (Thady Finnegan).
15HH (1M): 1, S. Crabbe’s JUNGLE JOE (Paddy Finnegan); 2, S. Crabbe’s SPOT ON (Camillus Byrne); 3, Cregg Families STICK SEASON (Nina Doherty).
Open Horse Race (1M): 1, S. Crabbe’s YOURS OR MINE (Camillus Byrne); 2, McNamara Families SILVER HILL (Paddy Finnegan); 3, Finnerty Families ATHY FLYER (Bobby Lambe).
Open Horse Race (10F): 1, H. Worrell’s THE KING OF BALLYHAUNIS (Cayden Power); 2, L. Halford’s SMOOTH OPERATOR (Holly Halford); 3, S. Crabbe’s RUN RUN RIVER (Camillus Byrne).
Athea Derby (12F): 1, S. Crabbe’s SHE’S A FREEBIE (Paddy Finnegan); 2, F. Byrne’s GREEN WHISTLE (Camillus Byrne); 3, S. Crabbe’s SAM’S FRIEND (Kaceylou Carberry).
Open Horse Race (2M): 1, S. Crabbe’s THE CROOKED COP (Camillus Byrne); 2, S. Crabbe’s TOMMY TANGO (Paddy Finnegan); 3, M. Halford’s VERSTAPPEN (Holly Halford).
Maiden Race (12F): 1, Finnerty Families MAVERICK (Nina Doherty); 2, P. Smith’s DOREY’S FORGE (Holly Halford); 3, S. Kerin’s JELLY BABY (Ethan Hogan).