SOUTHERN REGION
BALLINGARRY,
CO. LIMERICK
ON only his second day in horse and pony racing, Philip Byrnes, the 13-year-old son of well-known local trainer Charles, made a big impression as he landed a double at Ballingarry Races, Co. Limerick last Sunday, both horses running for his mother Cora.
The feature race of the day, the Ballingarry Derby over two miles, was divided and Philip took the second division on Bash It On who went one better than in Ballybrittas the previous week.
Travelling well throughout, he hit the front three furlongs out and stretched clear to win from recent Thomastown winner The Boss. Philip’s second winner in the second division of the 12-furlong race was harder earned as he went head-to-head over the final half-mile with Coola Boola, the horse that gave Jack Kennedy his Dingle Derby winner.
Byrnes looked destined for minor honours as they turned in a couple of lengths down but he conjured one final effort from Make Me to get up in the final strides.
Rory King was another rider to ride a double in the horse classes and he opened his account in the first division of the 12-furlong race where Ballybrown Boy collected for the Deelview Stable of Kevin White. This race was run at a ferocious pace from flag-fall but the winner impressed as he quickened over the final furlong to win from the Andrew Slattery-ridden Squeeze Your Knees.
After consigning Castle Racing to the runner-up spot, King then teamed up with them to take the finale, a maiden race over a mile, as Pablo Escobar ran his rivals ragged.
Mikey Sheehy also bagged a brace on the day, starting with the 15hh race where Bubba Watson won from the fast-finishing Farmer Boyce who had no luck in running under Michael O’Connor.
O’Connor then landed the first division of the maiden race when he brought Man Of Action with a smooth run to quicken clear over the final furlong with Andrew Slattery having to settle for the runner-up spot for the fourth time on the day as the veteran Mr. Bush beat all but the winner.
The leading rider of the day went to Wexford rider Conor Walsh who continued his dominance of the small pony classes with a treble which, means he has an incredible 100% strike-rate after 11 races.
Hello Star took the 13.2hh race from the Daniel King-ridden Little Maxi and Raynuso took the 14hh race from the Darragh Moriarty-ridden Obi One Knobi.
Another Tiger won the opener, a 12.2hh ‘hands and heels’ event but not before giving his supporters a scare as he idled in front with Walsh doing well to keep him going to win from Temple Hill Tamara.
Joey Sheridan is furthering his experience in Ballydoyle over the summer and he gave One Of The Boys a fine drive to land the 14.2hh race, with the extended 12-furlong trip playing to their strengths as they won snugly from the Shane Crosse-ridden La Belle Grouse.
Michael O’Connor and his dad Pat teamed up to win the mile race for their Middleton yard as they made all to see off Good Times Ahead who stayed on strongly to lead the chasing pack home.
Gavin Brouder, whose biggest win to date was at last year’s Dingle Festival, teamed up with Dingle owner Paul Hand to take the first division of the Ballingarry Derby. He made most of the running and had just enough left in reserve to last home from the fast-finishing and Shane Crosse-ridden The Lane Road at the end of the two-mile trip.
As usual, Ballingarry was a first class meeting with very competitive racing on an excellent track, the only downside of the day being the fall of Robert Meehan that resulted in him sustaining a shoulder injury from which all hope he make a speedy recovery.
Southern: Abbeyfeale in Co. Limerick is the venue for the southern region tomorrow, Sunday with a 1.30pm start.
Midlands: The region race tomorrow in Roscrea, Co. Tipperary with the first due off at 2pm.
Measuring: The second second measuring for the north west region will take place on Saturday, July 8th in Newtonstewart, Co. Tyrone. Ponies must be booked in before 7.30pm on Monday July 3rd by telephoning 086-3974065. The next north-west race meeting will take place on Sunday, July 9th in Killygordan, Co. Donegal (near Ballybofey) at 1pm.
RESULTS
Sunday, June 25th
12.2HH Race (6F): 1, Curly Syndicate’s ANOTHER TIGER (Conor Walsh); 2, J.J. O’Keeffe’s TEMPLEHILL TAMARA (Andrew Slattery); 3, Three County Syndicate’s TAIL TO TAIL (Luke Burke Ott).
13.2HH Race (9F): 1, Curly Syndicate’s HELLO STAR (Conor Walsh); 2, W. McGrath’s LITTLE MAXI (Daniel King); 3, P.A. O’Sullivan’s HELLO THUNDER (Tom Kelly).
14HH Race (10F): 1, Five County Syndicate’s RAYNUSO (Conor Walsh); 2, V. Moriarty’s OBI ONE KNOBI (Darragh Moriarty); 3, B. Sexton’s TELL THE STORY (Andrew Slattery).
14.2HH Race (12F): 1, Five County Syndicate’s ONE OF THE BOYS (Joey Sheridan); 2, P. O’Connor’s LA BELLE GROUSE (Shane Crosse); 3, R. McMahon’s THE GREEN MONKEY (Michael O’Connor).
15HH Race (1M): 1, Deelview Syndicate’s BUBBA WATSON (Mickey Sheehy); 2, Three County Syndicate’s FARMER BOYCE (Michael O’Connor); 3, El Hayes AMY’S MAGIC (Daniel King).
Open Horse Race (1M): 1, P. O’Connor’s THAT’S OUR GROUSE (Michael O’Connor); 2, Three County Syndicate’s GOOD TIMES AHEAD (Andrew Slattery); 3, B. Maher’s MAN OF STEEL (Mikey Sheehy).
Ballingarry Derby (2M) Div. 1: 1, P. Hand’s FORGOTTEN SOLDIER (Gavin Brouder); 2, P. Collins THE LANE ROAD (Shane Crosse); 3, Three County Syndicate’s THE COMMENTATOR (Michael O’Connor).
Ballingarry Derby (2M) Div. 2: 1, C. Byrne’s BASH IT ON (Philip Byrnes); 2, B. Maher’s THE BOSS (Mikey Sheehy); 3, K. Murphy’s KILLIAN’S PRIDE (Gavin Brouder).
Open Horse Race (12F) Div. 1: 1, Deelview Syndicate’s BALLYBROWN BOY (Rory King); 2, Castle Racing’s SQUEEZE YOUR KNEES (Andrew Slattery); 3, B. Maher’s WHO’S YOUR DADDY (Mikey Sheehy).
Open Horse Race (12F) Div. 2: 1, C. Byrne’s MAKE ME (Philip Byrnes); 2, Three County Syndicate’s COOLA BOOLA (Michael O’Connor); 3, R. Keane’s SHANNON BREEZE (Mikey Sheehy).
Maiden Horse (1M): Div. 1: 1, B. Maher’s MAN OF ACTION (Mikey Sheehy); 2, B. O’ Riordan’s MR BUSH (Andrew Slattery); 3, DHOK Syndicate’s DARRAGH’S MAGIC (Rory King).
Maiden Horse (1M): Div. 2: 1, Castle Racing’s PABLO ESCOBAR (Rory King); 2, D. O’Sullivan’s FOUR PENNY ROAD (Gavin Brouder); 3, B. Maher’s ONWARDS AND UPWARDS (Shane Crosse).
NEWS
•Abbeyfeale in Co. Limerick is the venue for the Southern Region tomorrow, Sunday with a 1.30pm start.
•The Midlands Region race tomorrow in Roscrea, Co. Tipperary with the first due off at 2pm.
•The second 2nd measuring for the North West Region will take place on Saturday July 8th in Newtonstewart, Co. Tyrone. Ponies must be booked in before 7.30pm on Monday July 3rd by telephoning 086-3974065. The next North-West Race Meeting will take place on Sunday 9th July in Killygordan, Co. Donegal (near Ballybofey) at 1pm