THE final meeting of the 2014 season was held on Asdee Strand on the Shannon Estuary last Sunday where Jack Kennedy, Killian Leonard and Denis Linehan and Tadgh O’Sullivan all signed off on their pony racing days.
They now take the next step on the road to what they hope will see them becoming fully fledged jockeys.
Killian Leonard who hails from Kanturk in Cork made his final day a memorable one as he booted home three winners on the day to move him onto the 20-winner mark for the season.
He has struck up a fruitful relationship with the Willie McGrath-owned Sandycove and they took the 14.2hh race, leading inside the distance to win from Pocket Rocket. Leonard’s main supporters over the last few seasons were Kevin White and Seamie O’Keeffe’s Deelview Racing operation where he took over from fellow Kanturk rider Connor King.
Last Sunday, they combined to take two races. Ballybrown Boy has been one of the stars of the season where his consistency has seen him finish runner-up in many of the season’s big events, including the big races in Dingle, Tralee and Glenbeigh.
They gained a well-deserved success in the two-mile race where they proved too strong for confirmed beach-specialist Horan’s Cross who they saw off by five lengths.
They then took the 10-furlong race on Carpe Diem who won from the Tadgh O’Sullivan-ridden Just Like That.
O’Sullivan had earlier landed the 15hh race for Dooks owner Diane McGillicuddy on the always prominent No Notice who tracked the front-running Amy’s Magic before drawing clear from the two-furlong marker.
Darragh Maher who hails from nearby Duagh has had a fine season and he took the mile race on Razzle Dazzle for his father Batsy, seeing off their Mikey Mulvihill-ridden stablemate Aishling’s Dream.
Mulvihill didn’t go home empty-handed however, as he had earlier made most of the running to win the local race on The Grey Ruler for Jim Collins.
With Champion Pony Rider elect Mikey Sheehy sitting out this meeting it provided an opportunity for another Kilkenny rider, Thomastown-based Joey Conlon in the 12.2hh race as he teamed up with Another Tiger for the Five County Syndicate.
Conlon took the opportunity with both hands to register his third win, despite running wide off the final bend with Rory and Daniel King chasing him home on Biscuit and Arjan respectively.
The concluding race saw a mix of the old and new as 12-year-old Rory King won the maiden race on 13-year-old Sikorski, the mare competing in her 11th season in horse and pony racing.
Owned by Dingle-based Colm O’Connor, she was a high-class performer over the years and with maidens restricted to horses who hadn’t won this season nor won more than two races in the previous season, this prolific winner qualified and she duly took advantage of this to edge out Quare Times in a photo-finish.
IRISH FIELD NATIONAL RIDERS TABLE 2014
Midlands North South Dingle Overall
Jack Kennedy 31 4 35 7 77
Mikey Sheehy 6 20 2 28
Rossa Ryan 15 7 3 1 26
Danny Sheehy 8 17 1 26
Killian Leonard 1 19 20
Denis Linehan 1 15 1 17
Oisin Orr 6 6 2 14
Luke Bleahen 11 2 13
Liam Gilligan 2 7 1 2 12
Evan Daly 10 2 12
Caoilin Quinn 10 1 11
Darragh O’Keeffe 10 10
Niamh Crehan 5 4 1 10
Michael Mulvihill 2 5 7
Darragh Maher 2 5 7
Luke McGuinness 3 2 1 6
Emma Sweeney 4 2 6
THE IRISH FIELD
RIDERS AWARD
WINNERS 2014
NATIONAL CHAMPION JOCKEY
Jack Kennedy
NATIONAL CHAMPION LADY JOCKEY
Niamh Crehan
THE IRISH FIELD HORSE AWARD
Rossa Ryan
THE IRISH FIELD 14.2 -15HH AWARD (JOINT WINNERS)
Liam Gilligan, Danny Sheehy
THE IRISH FIELD 12.2-14HH AWARD
Mikey Sheehy