ROSS Sugrue landed the featured Abbeyfeale Derby in Abbeyfeale last Sunday as he partnered Forgive And Forget to a comprehensive victory for his father Ray.
Sugrue who hails from Farmer’s Bridge, Tralee, rides out for his neighbour Tom Cooper and once he set sail for home with about three furlongs to travel the result was never in doubt, with the Aaron Mackey-ridden Forgotten Soldier staying on to take second in front of Onwards And Upwards on whom Brian Dunleavy had made much of the running.
Danny King is enjoying a great season and he added to his seasonal haul with a treble.
MAJOR FORCE
Castle Racing were a major force in horse and pony racing back when the likes of Paul Townend and Gavin Sheehan rode for them and the Davy Keane-headed outfit is undergoing a resurgence this year and they provided Danny with two of his winners.
Xantico took the 15hh race leading from about half-way, while Kobay Ashi took the first divide of the 10-furlong race as he arrived late on the scene to win from the Joey Sheridan-ridden Razzle Dazzle. Danny’s other winner was a family victory as Rosa Parks took the 14.2hh race for his father, Richard.
With it a blank-weekend in both the north-west and midlands region, Dylan Browne-McMonagle made the long trip from Letterkenny and he was rewarded with a double.
Obi One Kinobi followed up his Ballingarry win of the previous week by winning a match against Little Zeb in the 14hh race for Valerie Moriarty, while Wild Wind made pretty much all of the running to win the maiden race.
Jockey Philip Byrnes with his mother Cora and dad Charles after winning on Bash It On at Abeyfeale. Photo Healy Racing
In the 12-furlong race the Philip Byrnes-ridden Bash It On turned the tables on his Ballingarry conqueror Ballybrown Boy with a hard fought length victory.
MAN OF STEEL
With Mikey Sheehy unfortunately sidelined, Michael McGuane travelled from his Castledermott, Co. Kildare base to partner Man Of Steel, and Batsy Maher’s locally-owned and trained charge made every post a winning post to take the second divide of the 10-furlong race at the main expense of the Danny Gilligan-ridden and Ian “Teddy” Worrell-owned Wise Words.
Conor Walsh continued his dominance in the smaller pony classes as he landed another double with Another Tiger making most of the running to land the 12.2hh race, while Hello Thunder quicken clear of stablemate Sore Looser to claim victory in the 13.2hh race. Joey Sheridan won a keenly contested local race where Let Him Rock landed the bragging rights for Mikey Mulvihill.
RESULTS
Sunday July 1st
12.2HH Race (6F): 1, Curly Syndicate’s ANOTHER TIGER (Conor Walsh); 2, E. Finn’s BISCUIT (Luke Burke Ott); 3, J. J. O’Keeffe’s TEMPLEHILL TAMARA (Dylan O’Connor).
13.2HH Race (9F): 1, P. A. O’Sullivan’s HELLO THUNDER (Conor Walsh); 2, J. O’Sullivan’s SORE LOOSER (Michael McGuane); 3, W. McGrath’s LITTLE MAXI (Dylan Browne McMonagle).
14HH Race (1M): 1, V. Moriarty’s OBI ONE KNOBI (Dylan Browne McMonagle); 2, Curragh Racing’s LITTLE ZEB (Adam Ryan).
14.2HH Race (10F): 1, R. King’s ROSA PARKS (Daniel King); 2, Last Minute Syndicate’s THE LOW ROAD (Joey Sheridan);; 3, Tyner Syndicate’s CRYSTAL LADY (Jake Coen).
15HH Race (10F): 1, Castle Racing’s XANTICO (Daniel King); 2, Deelview Racing’s BUBBA WATSON (Philip Byrnes); 3, K. S. Racing’s GO FOR IT (Danny Gilligan).
Open Horse Race (10F) Div. 1: 1, Castle Racing’s KOBAY ASHI Daniel King)’ 2, P. J. Moloney’s RAZZLE DAZZLE (Joey Sheridan); 3, Three County Syndicate’s GOOD TIMES AHEAD (Dylan Browne McMonagle).
Open Horse Race (10F) Div. 2: 1, B. Maher’s MAN OF STEEL (Micheal McGuane); 2, I. Worrell’s WISE WORDS (Danny Gilligan); 3, M. Ahern’s HIGH HILL BEAUTY (Joey Sheridan).
Open Horse Race (12F): 1, C. Byrnes BASH IT ON (Philip Byrnes); 2, Deelview Racing’s BALLYBROWN BOY (Daniel King); 3, D. Cahill’s ROLL OF THUNDER (Jacky Mulvihill).
Abbeyfeale Derby (2M): 1, R. Sugrue’s FORGIVE & FORGET (Ross Sugrue); 2, P. Hand’s FORGOTTEN SOLDIER (Aaron Mackey); 3, T. Dunleavy’s ONWARDS & UPWARDS (Brian Dunleavy).
Maiden Horse Race (10F): 1, H. Casey’s WILD WIND (Dylan Browne McMonagle); 2, J. Collins THE POACHER (Paddy Hartnett); 3, Are You Well Syndicate’s SHARE THE DREAM (Brian Dunleavy).
Local Horse Race (2M): 1, M. Mulvihill’s LET HIM ROCK (Joey Sheridan); 2, Curly Syndicate’s IRISH REBEL (Michael McGuane); 3, D. Cahill’s THE RUBBER MAN (Jacky Mulvihill).
NEWS
North-west: Due to a parade, today, the north-west region meeting at Hillsborough Farm, Ramelton will now start at 12pm sharp.
Southern: The region race tomorrow, sunday on the sandbank in the picturesque village of Courtmacsherry in West Cork with the first due off at 5.30pm.
Midlands: The region sees the revival of Shanahoe Races in Laois with a 1.30pm start.