Doolough Beach, Geesala

GEESALA races on Doolough beach, Co Mayo, signalled the return of beach racing to the horse and pony racing circuit on Saturday.

Dingle Derby-winning jockey Kian McNally continued his rich vein of form with a double, while Scottish jockey Jared Huggan extended his Irish trip with another winner.

Mr James, a former prolific winner on the beach, rolled back the years to land the mile non-winner contest for the Finnerty family from Roscommon.

Held up early doors, Mr James came through with a wet sail to collar stable companion Maximus inside the distance for an impressive victory. Kian completed his double when Abbey King bounced right back to form when winning the 15hh contest over Stick Season. Owned by the renowned Donnelly family, Abbey King seemed to really relish the surface and bound clear for a stylish victory.

Big impression

Visiting Hawick jockey Jared Huggan made a big impression in Dingle and he was on the mark again with Think Smart in the open mile race for Carlisle-owned Kenny Little. The winning jockey, who is attached to the Ewan Williams stable in Hawick, looks set for a big future and will return home for tomorrow’s meeting in Irvine.

Kathy Flannery’s horses are firing on all cylinders at the moment and The Doss House under Dylan O’Connor ran out a facile winner of the 10-furlong race over The Secret. This Dingle scorer looked equally as effective on sand and quickened up well down the straight to see off the Scottish raider.

Flooring Porter who has been a model of consistency this season gained due reward with a comprehensive victory in the 14hh race. Camillus Byrne has continued on an upward curve this season and gave the winner a confident drive to see off Swilly Spirit.

Saturday, August 17th

14HH Non-Winners’ Race (1M): 1, K. Connell’s FLOORING PORTER (Camillus Byrne); 2, P. McGill’s SWILLY SPIRIT (Tiernan McGill).

15HH Non-Winners’ Race (1M): 1, P.J. Donnelly’s ABBEY KING (Kian McNally); 2, L. Cregg’s STICKS SEASON (Reese Holohan); 3, D. Burn’s CHANCY MONEY (Nicola Burns).

Non-Winners’ Horse Race (1M): 1, Finnerty Families MR JAMES (Kian McNally); 2, Finnerty Families MAXIMUS (Nicola Burns); 3, M. O’Connor’s GO ON JIMMY (Dylan O’Connor).

Open Horse Race (1M): 1, K. Little’s THINK SMART (Jared Huggan); 2, K. Flannery’s THE MAD HOUSE (Julian Pietropaolo); 3, F. Byrne’s BUBBLES (Camillus Byrne).

Open Horse Race (10F): 1, K. Flannery’s THE DOSS HOUSE (Dylan O’Connor); 2, K. Little’s THE SECRET (Jared Huggan); 3, P. Smith’s THE RED FOX (Adam Brown Sousa).

Sunday, August 18th

12.2HH/13.2HH (1M): 1, Finnerty Families LITTLE FIDDLERS (Kian McNally); 2, Curragh Racing’s LITTLE BABY (Calum Mangan); 3, L. Lynch’s TINY DANCER (Billly Roberts).

14HH (1M): 1, J. Brady’s LITTLE CHIEF (Nicola Burns); 2, A. Sweeney’s ERIN’S OWN (Reese Holohan); 3, P. McGill’s SWILLY SPIRIT (Tiernan McGill).

14.2HH (10F): 1, Holian’s WEE BUCKS (Julian Pietropaolo); 2, S. Bergin’s SKY (Kian McNally); 3, D. Ferry’s WRONG DIRECTION (Brody Ferry).

15HH (10F): 1, Team Browne’s FOLLOW ME (Nicola Burns); 2, L. Cregg’s STICK SEASON (Reese Holohan); 3, Dream Team Partnerships TWO GONE (Kian McNally).

Open Horse Race (1M): Dead-heat 1, P. J. Donnelly’s ABBEY KING (Dylan O’Connor); Dead-heat 1, F. Byrne’s BUBBLES (Camillus Byrne); 3, K. Little’s THINK SMART (Jared Huggan).

Open Horse Race (10F): 1, Finnerty Families MAVERICK (Nicola Burns); 2, K. Little’s THE SECRET (Jared Huggan); 3, S. Crabbe’s TRACTOR TED (Reese Holohan).

Open Horse Race (12F): 1, S. Crabbe’s CHLOE’S SAM (Nicola Burns); 2, K. Flannery’s THE DOSS HOUSE (Dylan O’Connor); 3, Finnerty Families MR JAMES (Kian McNally).

Geesala Derby (14F): 1, K. Flannery’s HEARTBREAK HILL (Dylan O’Connor); 2, Team Browne’s SHAKE ME (Nicola Burns); 3, Finnerty Families MAXIMUS (Camillus Byrne).

Perfect send-off for Pietropaolo

BALLYNOE, Co Cork jockey Jullian Pietropaolo brought the curtain down on his pony racing career at the second stage of the Geesala races on Sunday.

The richly-talented 16-year-old east Cork jockey went out on the best possible note with his 50th success on Wee Bucks for the Holian syndicate. This Dingle runner-up ran on strongly to see off Sky under Kian McNally.

The winning partnership returned to an emotional welcome with his mother Majella, dad Dino, grandad Dan and grandmother Ann all on hand. Julian’s flat licence came through this week and he has joined the Joseph O’Brien stable.

Nicola Burns, our champion lady jockey dominated the remainder of the card with four winners. Dual Dingle winner Chloe’s Sam made it 11 wins for the season when putting up a tremendous weight carrying performance to land the 12-furlong contest.

The Doss House tried hard to reel in Chloe’s Sam down the straight but Shane Crabbe’s star performer never really looked in danger.

Season to savour

The Brady family have enjoyed a season to savour with Little Chief who made it 11 straight wins in the 14hh contest. Nicola barely moved a muscle here to see off Erin’s Own in stylish fashion.

The Burns treble came courtesy of Team Browne’s Follow Me in the 15hh race. This Dingle winner looks rapidly on the upgrade and kept on strongly to beat Stick Season who was runner-up for the second successive day.

The winning owners were still on a high following Dylan Browne McMonagle’s fantastic double at Deauville, France, 24 hours earlier. Nicola completed her four-timer when Maverick landed the 10-furlong contest on a great weekend for the Finnerty family.

Indeed, the enthusiastic Roscommon family were not finished yet as Little Fiddlers kept her unbeaten record intact in the 12.2/13.2hh combined race. The homebred daughter of Fiddler’s Bridge is now unbeaten in her nine starts this season for Kian McNally.

Five in a week

Kathy Flannery made it five wins in a week for the yard when Heartbreak Hill followed up his Allihies victory from Thursday in the mile and six-furlong Geesala Derby. This finish certainly set the big crowd alight as four horses battled it out in a four-way go to the line. The Dylan O’Connor-ridden grey Heartbreak Hill just coming out on top over prolific winners Shake Me, Maximus and Tommy K.

There was another grandstand finish to the mile race and the photo-finish camera could not split Abbey King under Dylan O’Connor and Bubbles for Camillus Byrne. The Scottish raider Think Smart was just a neck away in third place.

Special mention to the Geesala Race Committee and the Midlands Executive Association on two outstanding days of racing which were run with real professionalism.

Fixture notes

RACING returns to the Midlands circuit this afternoon with beach racing on Omey Island starting at 12.30pm.

The historic Cahersiveen, Co Kerry, races will go ahead tomorrow with a 1pm start,

The North West Racing Board will hold their final meeting of the season in Carndonagh, Co Donegal, on Sunday, September 1st, at 1pm.

Ballingarry, Co Limerick, are set for Sunday, September 8th, at 1pm.