TWO races confined to members of the Irish Pony Club were run at Fairyhouse and Cork racecourses over Easter with the action getting under way before racing commenced at the Co Meath track on Sunday.

Seven young riders, drawn from the Meath and Ward Union Branches, were first taken on a course walk by the former champion lady jockey, and now European Parliament member, Nina Carberry who is long associated with the Ward Union Hunt and its Pony Club.

This exhibition race, sponsored by Connolly Red Mills, was comfortably won by the Wards’ Jake Cromwell who put in a flying dismount from the speedy Smokey Lady II once they stopped at the winners’ spot in the parade ring. Jake rode in the famous colours of J.P. McManus, the same colours worn to victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last month by Inothewayurthinkin who is trained by Jake’s father, Gavin Cromwell.

Family tradition

On Monday, it was the Duhallow Branch who enjoyed their outing to Cork racecourse where 12 aspiring jockeys, who were mentored in a course walk and on the simulator by former member Maxine O’Sullivan, rode in two races over four furlongs.

On board Clonmoyle Tiger, who she partners in today’s Mackey/IPC national hunter trials championships at Ballycahane, the first division was won by Olive Roche who has been selected for the Irish international Minimus squad. Maintaining a family tradition, the second division was won by Aoife Walsh on Clash Of The Ash. The races were sponsored by Greenvalley Transport and Plant Hire’s Ger O’Leary whose daughter Emily rode in division two.

The management and groundstaff at both tracks are to be thanked for holding the races as are the sponsors.

Coonan win

Incidentally, former Ward Union Branch member Aidan Coonan, a third year engineering student at the University of Limerick, recorded his first point-to-point win on Monday when the Tony Martin-trained Squire Ohara landed the six-year-old and upwards geldings’ maiden for novice riders at Loughanmore.

The Wards also had to keep an eye on the international eventing scene and were rewarded for their efforts when present members Kirsty Green (Our Girl), Suzie Cosgrove (Kilcoltrim Swift) and Hugh Kelly (Fairyhouse In A Pickle) finished first, eighth and ninth in the CCIP2*-L at Oudkarspel in The Netherlands. Other branches were also well-represented at the Dutch venue by past and present members.