LAST Sunday’s Castleisland Races were memorable for two young Wexford riders as 16-year-old Cathal Gahan registered his first winner when capturing the featured Island Derby and Conor Walsh continued his great start to the season with a first ever treble.
Mikey Sheehy was also in fine form as the Kilkenny rider also recorded a treble.
In only his second race ride, Gorey rider Cathal Gahan gave a fine display of front-running on the Bronagh Murphy-owned and Tony Beegan-trained Go George Go as he got the fractions right from flagfall, coming home five lengths ahead of the Ross Sugrue-ridden Forgive And Forget.
In a new and creditable initiative to encourage proper development of the young riders, the 12.2hh and 13.2hh races were run under a “Hands and Heels” format, without whips. Both of these fell to Conor Walsh.
He partnered Another Tiger to victory in the 12.2hh race, where they reeled in a brave front-running effort from the Luke Burke Ott-ridden veteran Tail To Tail within the final furlong.
Walsh then took the 13.2hh race on Hello Star who, like Another Tiger, is owned by the Curly Syndicate. They were made to work all the way to see off Mikey Sheehy on Carrig Ava.
Raynuso, who dominated the 13.2hh for the last number of years, has moved up in grade to 14hh this season but she has clearly taken this in her stride as she completed Walsh’s treble with a smooth success from the Danny Gilligan-ridden Bubblelicious.
Mikey Sheehy, who had previously dominated the smaller pony classes, has relinquished the rides that brought him such success but this has not halted his progress and he continued the strong pace he has been setting at the head of the riders’ championships with a treble.
His first winner, Sandycove in the 14.2hh race, was certainly the most popular, winning for the local CKC Syndicate, which included the local committee chairperson and safety officer Charlie Farrelly and Tom O’Sullivan.
To add poignancy, the race was run in memory of former committee members Bob O’Sullivan and Paddy Maher. Sheehy made all to win from the Shane Crosse-ridden Like A Butterfly.
Sheehy’s other winners, both owned by Batsy Maher, got similar front-running drives. Man Of Steel stepped up in trip to take the first division of the 10-furlong race and Who’s Your Daddy took the 12-furlong contest.
Tipperary rider Andrew Slattery has made a fine start to the season and he added another winner to his one of the previous week in Thomastown as Pacman took the second division of the 10-furlong race.
One of the leading ponies in the 14.2hh class and a winner in Dingle last year, he missed the first measuring of this season. However, having to compete in open horse class until the next measuring day was not a problem as, given a confident ride by Slattery, he won in fine style having been prominent all the way.
On The Edge, who won the biggest race on the southern circuit last year when capturing the Glenbeigh Invitational Race, demonstrated his well-being in the 15hh race where he came home in front of Bubba Watson.
Ridden, as he was in Glenbeigh, by Shane Crosse – younger brother of Nathan, who is apprenticed to Willie McCreery– the winner is trained in Bantry, Co. Cork by Isobel Burke for Alex Hamilton.
Unlike under rules where a maiden is a horse who has never won a race, in the southern circuit, a maiden race is for horses who have not in the current season, nor have won more than two races in the previous season.
This explains how Coola Boola who gave Jack Kennedy his most memorable moment in horse and pony racing when capturing the 2014 Dingle Derby was back running in a maiden race which he exploited to the full by winning under Michael O’Connor.
Pablo Escobar was in front for most of the 12-furlong trip but Coola Boola looked back to his best as he powered up the hill for a six-length win.
The first division of this race went to Ballybrown Boy who was given a fine ride by Rory King as he struck for home three furlongs out and stayed on strongly to win from the Ben Coen-ridden Shrek.
North-West: The region races in Ramelton, Co. Donegal tomorrow, Sunday with the first due off at 2.30pm
Midlands: The region are in Galway tomorrow where Ballygluinan near Tuam hosts the action with a 1pm start. The following Sunday, June 18th, Ballybrittas Races take place in Killenard Co. Laois with a 2pm start
Measuring: The second measuring of the midlands region will take place on June 23rd in Carey’s Equestrian Centre, Ballinasloe Co. Galway. Ponies to be measured must be notified to the regional secretary by June 18th.
RESULTS
SUNDAY JUNE 4TH
12.2HH Race (7F): 1, Curly Syndicate’s ANOTHER TIGER (Conor Walsh); 2, Three County Syndicate’s TAIL TO TAIL (Luke Burke Ott); 3, J.J. O’Keeffe’s TEMPLEHILL TAMARA (Andrew Slattery).
13.2HH Race (10F): 1, Curly Syndicate’s HELLO STAR (Conor Walsh); 2, O’Sullivan/King’s CARRIG AVA (Mikey Sheehy); 3, P.A. O’Sullivan’s HELLO THUNDER (Danny Gilligan).
14HH Race (1M): 1, Five County Syndicate’s RAYNUSO (Conor Walsh); 2, N. Gilligan’s BUBALICIOUS (Danny Gilligan); 3, B. Sexton’s TELL THE STORY (Andrew Slattery).
14.2HH Race (1M): 1, CKC Syndicate’s SANDYCOVE (Mikey Sheehy); 2, A. Hamilton’s LIKE A BUTTERFLY (Shane Crosse); 3, R. King’s OOPSY (Daniel King).
15HH Race (12F): 1, A. Hamilton’s ON THE EDGE (Shane Crosse); 2, Deelview Syndicate’s BUBBA WATSON (Mikey Sheehy); 3, El Hayes Amy’s Magic (Daniel King).
Open Horse Race (10F) Div 1: 1, B. Maher’s MAN OF STEEL (Mikey Sheehy); 2, P. O’Connor’s THAT’S OUR GROUSE (Mikey O’Connor); 3, A. Melia’s HALF PRICE (Ben Coen).
Open Horse Race (10F) Div 2: 1, T. O’Donovan’s PACMAN (Andrew Slattery); 2, O’Sullivan/King’s FREYA’S DELIGHT (Dean Broderick); 3, N. Hogan’s IT WAS JUST A DREAM (Carol Reid).
Island Derby (2M): 1, B. Murphy’s GO GEORGIE GO (Cathal Gahan); 2, R. Sugrue’s FORGIVE AND FORGET (Ross Sugrue); 3, K. Murphy’s KILLIAN’S PRIDE (Gavin Brouder).
Open Horse Race (12F): 1, B. Maher’s WHO’S YOUR DADDY (Mikey Sheehy); 2, Castle Racing’s SQUEEZE YOUR KNEES (Rory King); 3, O’Connor/Walsh’s CHAMOUR (Gavin Brouder).
Maiden Horse (12F) Div 1: 1, Deelview Racing’s BALLYBROWN BOY (Rory King); 2, R. Keane’s SHREK (Ben Coen); 3, Three County Syndicate’s THE BALLYOGAN ROAD (Mikey O’Connor).
Maiden Horse (12F) Div 2: 1, Three County Syndicate’s COOLA BOOLA (Mikey O’Connor); 2, Castle Racing’s PABLO ESCOBAR (Mikey Sheehy); 3, T. O’Donovan’s HIGH HILL BEAUTY (Andrew Slattery).