THE Midlands Racing Association rolled into Ashbourne, Co Meath last Sunday for their opening meeting of the new season.
This is one of the premier tracks on the circuit but unfortunately the weather did not play ball making it a testing day for all involved. Ballyduff, Co Kerry jockey Billy Roberts was the rider to follow with a sparkling four-timer.
Billy combined with the Roscommon-based Finnerty family for his initial success on Jo Malone in the 14hh race. This pony impressed in Athea last season despite his lack of experience. He stepped up again here for a clear-cut victory over Ballyheigue runner-up Mrs Lurch under Jake Cromwell.
John Joe Bailey, the vice chairman of Midlands Racing, looks to have found a new stable star in Joseph John who put up an eye-catching display on his debut for the Roberts double in the second division of the mile race.
Joseph John showed an impressive change of gear up the straight to win eased down by six lengths. The winning owner nominated a trip south to Athea for the winner’s next target.
Winning debut
The reigning Dingle Derby winning jockey made it third time lucky when Fill The Tank was another to make a winning debut in the second division of the 10-furlong contest.
Shane Tierney and Amy Carmody have their string in tip-top shape and had placings earlier with Mrs Lurch and Kara’s Call. Fill The Tank will carry high hopes at his local meeting at Athea in early July.
Billy then crowned his stellar afternoon just after 6pm when Fredrick benefited from a lovely patient ride to win the concluding two-mile event.
This horse, who ran well for a long way in last year’s Dingle Derby, proved too strong for Mine Or Yours under Paddy Finnegan. Winning owner Gwyn Yemm from Letterkenny, Co Donegal will turn out Fredrick in Carndonagh tomorrow with a trip back to Dingle as the long-term objective.
Meath jockey Camillus Byrne kept his local supporters happy with a double courtesy of Hasta La Vista and Green Whistle respectively. Hasta La Vista proved that class is permanent when putting up a top-drawer performance to win the 15hh race and duly follow up her Ballyheigue New Year’s Day victory.
The form looks all the stronger as runner-up Stop On Red had impressed when winning in Carndonagh seven days earlier.
Double winners
Camillus completed his double when Green Whistle ran out a snug winner in division one of the 10-furlong race. Maverick gave Bobby Lambe a fine spin in second place just ahead of dead-heaters Colorado Springs and She’s A Freebie.
The latter was ridden by Valentina Botti who was having her first taste of Irish pony racing.
Another local jockey Paddy Finnegan had a busy afternoon and he struck gold when Mr Chow sluiced home in a red-hot 12-furlong contest. Shane Crabbe’s winner clearly benefited from his Carndonagh outing and could well develop into a Dingle Derby contender next August.
First winner
Fifteen-year-old Leah Mahon had a day to savour when partnering her first winner on No Comment in the mile and six furlongs race. Leah gave this one a peach of a drive and had plenty in hand inside the distance to hold off the late rally of Tommy K with Tommy Tango back in third. No Comment could well hold Dingle Derby aspirations on the basis of this performance.
Kaceylou Carberry was seen to great effect when I Don’t Care landed the 14.2hh race from stablemate All Bets Are Off by four lengths. Under a slick Carberry drive, I Don’t Care made most of the running for a snug victory.
Holly Halford has a tremendous strike rate on the pony racing circuit and she was on the mark again when Little Fiddlers ran out a hugely impressive winner of the 13.2hh event. This multiple Dingle winner was the first leg of a Finnerty family double which was completed later by Jo Malone.
Nolan off the mark
Kerry jockey Maya Nolan will have fond memories of her long trip to Ashbourne where she gained her first career victory on Tiny Dancer. Maya, who rode at Ballyheigue for the first time, gave the grey 12.2hh pony a polished drive to see off Little Joey under Thady Finnegan.
Donegal jockey Ben Lecky is enjoying a tremendous start to the new season and he was on the mark when Step Aside ran out a taking winner in the first division of the mile race. The winner followed up a good run in Carndonagh and proved too strong up the straight for Leroy Brown in second place. The latter was ridden by Cayden Power who looks a highly promising recruit to the jockey ranks.
THE North West Racing Board will hold their second meeting of the season in Carndonagh tomorrow with a 1.30pm start. On Sunday, May 31st, racing will take place in Letterkenny, Co Donegal at 1pm.
Results
12.2HH ( 6F): 1, J. Mulvihill’s TINY DANCER (Maya Nolan); 2, O. Finnegan’s LITTLE JOEY (Thady Finnegan).
13.2HH (6F): 1, Finnerty Families LITTLE FIDDLERS (Holly Halford); 2, K. Cromwell’s LITTLE MICKY (Cameron Cromwell); 3, S. Tierney’s KARAS CALL (Paddy McGowan).
14HH (1M): 1, Finnerty Families JO MALONE (Holly Halford); 2, S. Tierney’s MRS LURCH (Jake Cromwell); 3, O. Finnegan’s ABLE MARBLE (Thady Finnegan).
14.2HH (1M): 1, K. Cromwell I DONT CARE (Kaceylou Carberry); 2, K. Cromwell’s ALL BETS ARE OFF (Jake Cromwell); 3, O. Finnegan’s JUSTASEC (Thady Finnegan).
15HH (1M): 1, F. Byrne’s HASTA LA VISTA (Camillus Byrne); 2, S & M Syndicate’s STOP ON RED (Ben Lecky); 3, S. Crabbe’s JUNGLE JOE (Paddy Finnegan).
Open Horse Race Div 1 (1M): 1, S & M Syndicate’s STEP ASIDE (Ben Lecky); 2, E. Massey’s LEROY BROWNE (Cayden Power); 3, T. Beegan’s COULD BE ANYTHING (Paddy McGowan).
Open Horse Race Div 2 (1M): 1, J. J. Bailey’s JOSEPH JOHN (Billy Roberts); 2, S, Crabbe’s ROCKY (Paddy Finnegan); 3, S. Crabbe’s HIS OR MINE (Camillus Byrne).
Open Horse Race Div 1 (10F): 1, F. Byrne’s GREEN WHISTLE (Camillus Byrne); 2, Finnerty Families MAVERICK (Bobby Lambe); 3, DH S. Crabbe’s SHE’S A FREEBIE (Valentina Botti); 3, DH J. Walsh’s COLORADO SPRINGS (Paddy McGowan).
Open Horse Race Div 2 (10F): 1, S. Tierney’s FILL THE TANK (Billy Roberts); 2, S. Kerr’s THE GLEN (Kaceylou Carberry); 3, J. Donaghy’s DANCING DIAMOND (Jake Cromwell).
Open Horse Race (12F): 1, S. Crabbe’s MR CHOW (Paddy Finnegan); 2, P. Smith’s ALL EARS (Amber Geraghty); 3, L. & J Syndicate’s CARO QUINTERO (Nina Doherty).
Open Horse Race (14F): 1, B. Mahon’s NO COMMENT (Leah Mahon); 2, L. McLaughlin’s TOMMY K (NIna Doherty); 3, S. Crabbe’s TOMMY TANGO (Paddy Finnegan).
Open Horse Race (2M): 1, G. Yemm’s FREDRICK (Billy Roberts); 2, S. Crabbe’s MINE OR YOURS (Paddy Finnegan); 3, L. McLaughlin’s HERE WE GO AGAIN (Nina Doherty).
Local Lead Rein: 1, FOXY Theo Donoghue, 2, DINKY Harley Donoghue 3, TRIGGER Grace Murray
Local Pony Race: 1, Jake Hunter 2, Daithi Byrne, 3, Gemma Power