Vicarstown Sunday
KIAN McNally continued his stellar season at a sun-drenched Vicarstown on Sunday when landing a landmark 100th victory on the circuit.
For good measure, he added a further two winners later in the day and was also leading jockey.
At the other end of the scale, Caitlyn Goff from just outside Ferns in Co Wexford gained her initial career victory on South Of The Border in the opening 12.2hh contest.
Kian McNally combined with the Finnerty family from Roscommon for win 100 in the six-furlong 13.2hh race on Little Fiddlers. Now unbeaten this season, Little Fiddlers will surely take all the beating on day two of the Dingle Festival.
Kian made it victory 101 when Honest Bernie made every inch of the running to win the mile in awesome fashion. Team Worrell have their class act now right on cue for another tilt at Dingle’s prestigious Golden Mile.
The Armagh jockey’s treble was completed when Living The Dream duly followed up his Big Isle victory in the 15hh race over 10 furlongs. Old Mill Saddlery will certainly be pleased having announced a sponsorship deal with Kian during the week.
Remarkable season
Julian Pietropaolo from Ballynoe in Co Cork continued his remarkable final season on the circuit with a double courtesy of Baby Caro and Right On Time. Both winners are owned in partnership between Maurice Ahern and Patrick O’Connor.
Baby Caro, a winner in Ballysteen last month, stepped up a number of gears when making every inch of the running to win a high class 14.2hh contest. Julian, who is based with Joseph O’Brien, gave Right On Time a cracking drive to win the 12-furlong contest in emphatic style.
The winner is now right back to form having been a hugely impressive winner of the Dingle Consolation race at the 2022 festival under Paddy Hanlon.
Champion lady jockey Nicola Burns was yet again in double form with impressive victories on Little Chief and Chloe’s Sam.
The Brady family look to have an exceptional 14hh pony in Little Chief and he blitzed his opponents to win here from Sandycove. Chloe’s Sam, the reigning Laura Barry Ladies’ Derby winner in Dingle took another winning step back to the festival when powering home up the straight in the Vicarstown equivalent. Runner-up Who Told You was an eye-catcher here under Holly Halford and will be one to note in the coming weeks.
Day to savour for Caitlyn
It was a day to savour for Caitlyn Goff who took the opening 12.2hh contest on South Of The Border for Athea, Co Limerick owner Pat Collins. The 11-year-old Co Wexford jockey made every inch of the running on this high class pony who has been runner-up in Dingle for the past three years.
Mountrath, Co Laois jockey Reese Holohan, fresh from a Scottish double in Hawick, was on the mark again in the 10-furlong race when Dell Boy routed the opposition for a most impressive victory.
The victory was all the sweeter as the winner is now owned by the jockey’s mother Nicola. Thoughts will now surely turn to a mouth-watering class with Honest Bernie in Dingle Golden Mile in seven weeks’ time.
Kilmore, Co Wexford jockey Adam Grant combined with Donegal owner Noel McLaughlin to win the Vicarstown two-mile race on the eye-catching Tommy K.
Last year’s Broadford Derby winner came back to form in Letterkenny and stepped up again here when making all the running. The Lee Strand Dingle Derby was quickly nominated as the winner’s festival objective.
Gavin Cromwell can do little wrong at the moment but it was his two sons Jake and Cameron who stole the limelight this time at Vicarstown, fighting out an exciting finish to the local pony contest. Jake just came out on top with Moonlight.
Fixture Notes
THE Midlands continue their season in Oldcastle, Co Meath, tomorrow afternoon with a 1pm start. We extend a very special welcome to members of the Australian Pony Racing Authority who will be joining us for the day.
North West Racing Board will stage their next fixture in Bundoran, Co Donegal, on Sunday, June 30th, with a 2pm start.
Results, Sunday, June 16th
12.2HH (6F): 1, P. Collins SOUTH OF THE BORDER (Caitlyn Goff); 2, T. Beegan’s GHOST BUSTER (Brody Ferry).
13.2HH (6F): 1, Finnerty Families LITTLE FIDDLERS (Kian McNally); 2, P. Collins/M. Ahern’s DOWN MEXICO WAY (Julian Pietropaolo); 3, O. Finnegan’s ROSE OF CLARE (Paddy Finnegan).
14HH (10F): 1, J. Brady’s LITTLE CHIEF (Nicola Burns); 2, Curly Syndicate’s SANDYCOVE (Eoin Sheehan).
14.2HH (10F): 1, M. Ahern/P. O Connor’s BABY CARO (Julian Pietropaolo); 2, J. Walsh/P. Collins PACMAN (Lily Walsh); 3, N. Holohan’s ALL BETS ARE OFF (Reese Holohan).
15HH (10F): 1, Dream Team Partnership’s LIVING THE DREAM (Kian McNally); 2, J. Orr’s SHAKE EM UP HARRY (Jamie Orr); 3, R. White’s BUBBA WATSON (Lily Walsh).
Open Horse Race (1M): 1, I. Worrell’s HONEST BERNIE (Kian McNally); 2, McNamara Families SILVER HILL (Adam Grant); 3, Finnerty Families MAVERICK (Nicola Burns).
Ladies Derby (1M): 1, S. Crabbe’s CHLOE’S SAM (Nicola Burns); 2, M. Brady’s WHO TOLD YOU (Holly Halford); 3, K. Flannery’s THE NEW HOUSE (Kately Leddin).
Open Horse Race (10F): 1, N. Holohan’s DELL BOY (Reese Holohan); 2, Team Browne’s CHECK HIM OUT (Sam Coen); 3, Finnerty Families CARAMORE (Kian McNally).
Open Horse Race (12F): 1, M. Ahern/P. O’Connor’s RIGHT ON TIME (Julian Pietropaolo); 2, P. O’Sullivan’s CALI CARTEL (Reese Holohan); 3, F. Byrne’s LINCOLN (Camillus Byrne).
Open Horse Race (2M): 1, N. McLaughlin’s TOMMY K (Adam Grant); 2, K. Flannery’s HEARTBREAK HILL (Reese Holohan); 3, L. Halford’s BIG BUCKS (Holly Halford).
Local Pony Race (4F): 1, MOONLIGHT (Jake Cromwell); 2, OSCAR (Cameron Cromwell); 3, JOLLY POLLY (Thady Finnegan).
13.2HH (10F): 1, Finnerty Families LITTLE FIDDLERS (Kian McNally); 2, P. Collins/M. Ahern’s DOWN MEXICO WAY (Julian Pietropaolo).
14HH (10F): 1, J. Brady’s LITTLE CHIEF (Nicola Burns); 2, Holian Syndicate’s TELL HER NOTHING (Patrick McGettigan); 3, S. Kerin’s KATIE TAYLOR (Dylan O’Connor).
14.2HH (10F): 1, M. Moloney’s FIVE STONE OF LEAD (Kian McNally); 2, M. Ahern/P. O’Connor’s BABY CARO (Julian Pietropaolo); 3, M. Ahern’s QUEEN OF THE SOUTH (Dylan O’Connor).
15HH (10F): 1, Dream Team Partnerships LIVING THE DREAM (Kian McNally); 2, L. Bergin’s FIRE DROPS (Patrick McGettigan); 3, Gildea Syndicate’s LITTLE MAN (Adam Grant).
Open Horse Race (1M): 1, R & D Racing’s DAITHI’S DREAM (Jimmy Dalton); 2, M. O’Connor’s VOLAR ALTAMIGO (Dylan O’Connor); 3, Team Browne’s CHECK IT OUT (Sam Coen).
Open Horse Race (12F): 1, S. Crabbe’s CHLOE’S SAM (Nicola Burns); 2, N. McLaughlin’s LEONA’S DREAM (Dylan O’Connor); 3, Team Browne’s SHAKE ME (Sam Coen).
Big Isle Derby (2M): 1, N. McLaughlin’s TOMMY K (Adam Grant); 2, All For Sale Syndicate’s HERE WE GO AGAIN (Julian Pietropaolo); 3, M. Ahern’s GUADALAJARA (Dylan O’Connor).