CO Meath is rapidly becoming the home of Irish Horse and Pony racing and yet another new track was added to the circuit on Sunday last.

By kind permission of Joseph McNaughton, his farm at Culmullen played host to some outstanding racing throughout the sun-drenched afternoon.

There were doubles for Cameron Cromwell, Nina Doherty and Paddy Finnegan respectively. Incidentally, all three jockeys are locally based and their legions of supporters certainly were home on good terms with themselves.

Cameron Cromwell is setting a strong pace in the pony jockey division and he initiated his double with Minie Hawk in the opening 12.2hh contest.

Owned by Tony Beegan at Heatherview Stable, Ballinasloe, Co Galway, Minie Hawk proved too strong for Little Joey and Thady Finnegan. The pair are likely to renew rivalry with the Ballybunion winner Tiny Dancer in Clare tomorrow afternoon.

Cameron had to work much harder for his double in the 14.2hh race, when the prolific Lesson Learned got up inside the distance to catch the eye-catching Michael Zamm by half a length at the line. Both ponies look well above average and will surely hold high rank at the Dingle Festival next August.

Bounced back

Nina Doherty bounced back from a blank in Ballybunion to partner Our Bridget, who ran out an impressive winner of the 11-runner 10-furlong contest. The Daithi Gormley-trained Our Bridget led from the halfway stage and ran on powerfully to make it three wins from three starts this season.

Nina then combined with the gallant Tommy K, who sprouted wings from mid-field to land the mile and six-furlong race in emphatic style. Leona McLaughlin’s ever-green winner will reappear in the 12-furlong Derby tomorrow.

Paddy Finnegan maintained his impressive strike rate when Little Heart bounced right back to form to land the 15hh race over 10 furlongs. However, the Meath jockey had to be at his strongest to hold off the determined challenge of Firedrops all the way up the straight. A head was the judge’s verdict with the consistent Stick Season back in third place.

Paddy completed his double when the high-class Tommy Tango ran out a snug winner of the two-mile contest from his great rivals Here We Go Again and Verstappen.

The Shane Crabbe star could well be sent off favourite for tomorrow’s South Clare Invitational race, with the placed horses here both likely to renew rivalry.

Holly Halford has struck up a wonderful partnership with Little Fiddlers this season and the pair scampered to another victory in the 13.2hh race.

Owned and bred by the Finnerty family from Co Roscommon, Little Fiddlers just oozes class and it will take something very special to deny her another festival triumph in Dingle.

Navan jockey Cayden Power will certainly have fond memories of The King Of Ballyhaunis, who ran out a wide-margin winner in the first division of the mile race.

This horse had given Cayden his initial success in Ballybunion just seven days previously. The Hanna Worrell-owned winner is likely to follow the “Honest Bernie” route to Dingle for the Golden Mile.

Donegal jockey Ben Lecky is enjoying a wonderful break-through season and he was on the mark again when Shake ‘Em Up Harry came from far back to win the mile and a half race.

Ballybunion winner Oreo made the best of his way home off the final bend here, but Shake ‘Em Up Harry came with a withering run inside the furlong pole to snatch the spoils close home.

Ballyduff, Co Kerry jockey, Billy Roberts combined with Laois owner, John Joe Bailey to win the second split of the mile race with Joseph John.

The Ashbourne winner had to play second fiddle in Ballybunion behind The King Of Ballyhaunis, but those form lines got a massive boost earlier and Joseph John looks a real smart mile candidate for the Dingle festival.

Fixture notes

THE action moves across the Shannon tomorrow with a 1pm start in Cooraclare featuring the South Clare Invitational race. Eircode V15X 342.

For the first time in 30 years, the North West Racing Board will stage a Wednesday evening fixture on July 1st. The action will commence at 6pm at the Big Isle, Letterkenny.

Racing in Bundoran, Co Donegal will be held on Saturday, July 4th at 2.30pm.

The Southern circuit will race in Athea, Co Limerick on Sunday, July 5th at 1pm.

Results

12.2HH (6F) : 1, T. Beegan’s MINIE HAWK (Cameron Cromwell); 2, O. Finnegan’s LITTLE JOEY (Thady Finnegan).

13.2HH (1M): 1, Finnerty Families LITTLE FIDDLERS (Holly Halford); 2, W. McGrath’s LITTLE SADIE (Peter Cremin); 3, S. Tierney’s KARA’S CALL (Jake Cromwell).

14.2HH (10F): 1, K. Cromwell’s LESSON LEARNED (Cameron Cromwell); 2, S. Bergin’s MICHAEL ZAMM (Paddy Finnegan); 3, O. Finnegan’s JUSTASEC (Thady Finnegan).

15HH (10F): 1, O. Finnegan’s LITTLE HEART (Paddy Finnegan); 2, S. Bergin’s FIREDROPS (Jake Cromwell); 3, Cregg Families STICK SEASON (Nina Doherty).

Open Horse Race Div 1 (1M): 1, H. Worrell’s THE KING OF BALLYHAUNIS (Cayden Power); 2, P. Smith’s ALL EARS (Amber Geraghty); 3, M. Brady’s SPOT ON (Valentina Botti).

Open Horse Race Div 2 (1M): 1, J.J. Bailey’s JOSEPH JOHN (Billy Roberts); 2, S. Crabbe’s JUNGLE JOE (Paddy Finnegan); 3, S. Crabbe’s YOURS OR MINE (Kaceylou Carberry).

Open Horse Race (10F): 1, S & R Syndicate’s OUR BRIDGET (Nina Doherty); 2, S. Crabbe’s SAM’S FRIEND (Paddy Finnegan); 3, S. Tierney’s FILL THE TANK (Billy Roberts).

Open Horse Race (12F): 1, S & M Syndicate’s SHAKE ‘EM UP HARRY (Ben Lecky); 2, L. Bergin’s OREO (Kian McNally); 3, F. Byrne’s GREEN WHISTLE (Camillus Byrne).

Open Horse Race (14F): 1, L. McLaughlin’s TOMMY K (Nina Doherty); 2, S. Crabbe’s MINE OR YOURS (Kian McNally); 3, S. Crabbe’s SHE’S A FREEBIE (Paddy Finnegan).

Open Horse Race (2M): 1, S. Crabbe’s TOMMY TANGO (Paddy Finnegan); 2, L. McLaughlin’s HERE WE GO AGAIN (Nina Doherty); 3, L. Halford’s VERSTAPPEN (Holly Halford).

Local Pony Race: 1, FOXY Theo Donoghue 2, BUTTONS Francesca Fox 3, DINKY Harley Donoghue 4, PRINCE Theo Crabbe.

Local Pony Race : 1, Corey Power 2, Chloe McNaughton 3, Daithi Byrne.