IT was a case of third time lucky for the Letterkenny races, which were held in Carrickadawson on Saturday last.
The traditional venue at The Big Isle was waterlogged for the June Bank Holiday and again three weeks later. Thankfully, a record attendance turned out to watch top-drawer racing at a new venue on the Raphoe Road.
Undoubtedly the most fitting winner of the afternoon came in the featured Hugo Browne Memorial Derby, when Shake Me landed the spoils under a brilliant Kaceylou Carberry drive. The winning syndicate is headed up by Adrian Browne, son of the late Hugo Browne, whilst the race was sponsored by Dylan Browne McMonagle.
Kaceylou took up the running here after two furlongs and judged the fractions to absolute perfection on board this 2024 Dingle winner. The partnership ran on strongly up the straight for a cosy two-length victory over Wee Mia and Ben Lecky in second place.
The winner will receive an entry in Ballintra on the August Bank Holiday Monday, but is more likely to head straight to the Dingle festival. For good measure, the race sponsor completed a double at Gowran Park on the same afternoon!
It was a red-letter day for Ballybofey, Co Donegal jockey Leah McGhee, who landed the two-mile contest on the family-owned Right On Time. This was certainly the biggest upset of the afternoon, as Right On Time had really lost his form since scoring in the Dingle consolation race of 2022 under Paddy Hanlon.
However, he was certainly back in top form in Letterkenny, when putting the ‘hotpots’ Tommy Tango and Here We Go Again to the sword in a thrilling contest.
The latter pair dictated from flag fall before Tommy Tango got the better of that argument early on the final circuit. Leah had now moved Right On Time into the leader’s slipstream before sweeping to the front off the final bend for a famous first career victory.
Not surprisingly, the delighted winning owners quickly nominated the Dingle Derby as the main objective for Right On Time at the festival.
Fond memories
Kilkenny jockey Ethan Hogan will also have fond memories of the trip to Carrickadawson, following the victory of Yours Or Mine in the 10-furlong race.
The Shane Crabbe-owned and trained Yours Or Mine came out on top after a tremendous tussle with Let’s Rock and Brody Ferry over the last three furlongs. There was no quarter asked or given here before Yours Or Mine forged ahead close home to give Ethan his first career victory.
Runner-up Let’s Rock, who was making his debut, was a real eye-catcher here under a welter burden and Brody Ferry’s mount went into a lot of note books for the trip to Dingle.
Paddy Finnegan maintained his impressive strike-rate when Little Heart made every inch of the running to win the mile race.
Last year’s Dingle champion jockey judged the pace to perfection and quickened again before the home straight to beat the debutante He’s Got Here by two lengths, with Let’s Try Again staying on in third place.
The Ollie Finnegan-owned winner is a multiple Dingle winner and will have a choice of engagements over the three days from 15hh races to the open mile horse contests.
Billy Roberts is another jockey enjoying a stellar season and he was on the mark when Tommy K ran out a convincing winner of the mile-and-six-furlong race. Leona McLaughlin’s brilliant performer just keeps on giving and never runs a bad race.
The Kerry jockey went to the front here with three furlongs to travel and stayed on strongly for a five-length victory over Fireball and Camillus Byrne with the Portsalon winner Second Violin in third place.
Dingle Derby candidate
Tommy K is now bound for a similar contest on the opening night in Dingle. Runner-up Fireball made a sparkling debut here under top weight and it would be no surprise if he was to emerge as a Dingle Derby candidate.
Filling the fourth spot here was another debutante, Ronnie Drew and he ran much better than his final placing would suggest.
Lesson Learned further enhanced his Dingle credentials when running out an impressive winner of the 14.2hh contest over 10 furlongs. Cameron Cromwell has struck up a remarkable partnership with this sweet-travelling pony, who cut through the field in a matter of strides.
The Athea winner could well reappear on Omey Island before the big clash with Michael Zamm on the Saturday and Sunday in the Kingdom.
Jake Cromwell made it a double for the Cromwell brothers when landing the 15hh race on the highly-consistent Dream Dancer.
The McGinley Racing-owned winner made every inch of the running here and ran on strongly up the straight to hold off Jungle Joe by a length and a half with the pair clear of Dancing Diamond in third place.
Carrickadawson results
14.2HH (10F): 1, K. Cromwell’s LESSON LEARNED (Cameron Cromwell); 2, J. McGettigan’s FIADH’S FANCY (Jake Cromwell); 3, Holian Syndicate’s WEE BUCKS (Thady Finnegan).
15HH (10F): 1, McGinley Racing’s DREAM DANCER (Jake Cromwell); 2, S. Crabbe’s JUNGLE JOE (Paddy Finnegan); 3, O. Donaghy’s DANCING DIAMOND (Ethan Hogan).
Open Horse Race (1M): 1, O. Finnegan’s LITTLE HEART (Paddy Finnegan); 2, S. Crabbe’s HE’S GOT HERE (Ethan Hogan); 3, Team Browne’s LET’S TRY AGAIN (Kaceylou Carberry).
Open Horse Race (10F): 1, S. Crabbe’s YOURS OR MINE (Ethan Hogan); 2, Team Browne’s LET’S ROCK (Brody Ferry); 3, S. Crabbe’s SAM’S FRIEND (Leah McGhee).
Hugo Browne Memorial Derby (11F): 1, Team Browne’s SHAKE ME (Kaceylou Carberry); 2, S & M Syndicate’s WEE MIA (Ben Lecky); 3, Holian Syndicate’s DARE TO DREAM (Jake Cromwell).
Open Horse Race (14F): 1, L. McLaughlin’s TOMMY K (Billy Roberts); 2, F. Byrne’s FIREBALL (Camillus Byrne); 3, McGinley Racing’s SECOND VIOLIN (Jake Cromwell).
Open Horse Race (2M): 1, N. McGhee’s RIGHT ON TIME (Leah McGhee); 2, S. Crabbe’s TOMMY TANGO (Paddy Finnegan); 3, L. McLaughlin’s HERE WE GO AGAIN (Billy Roberts).