Southern Region, Cahersiveen
THE Southern circuit resumed in South Kerry on Sunday with the annual Cahersiveen races staged on a unique track donated to the people of the area by Daniel O’Connell.
There were doubles on the day for Darragh O’Sullivan, Kian McNally and Lily Walsh.
Teddy Worrell and Shane Crabbe continued their remarkable season when Verstappen landed back-to-back victories in the €2,000 Cahersiveen Derby.
Kian McNally on Verstappen and Julian Pietropaolo on Tommy K went head-to-head from the half-mile marker before the former found more reserves inside the distance for a three-length victory.
Both horses are now Lee Strand Dingle Derby bound. The Armagh jockey brought up his double for the locally based O’Sullivan family from Killorglin when Cali Cartel put up a stellar performance to win the 15hh contest from Hasta La Vista. This multiple Dingle winner will now reappear on the opening night of the festival.
Fifteen-year-old Mitchelstown jockey Darragh O’Sullivan continued his impressive strike rate this season with victories on Not Now Ned and Dream Alliance.
Dream Team Racing’s Neil Hurley is enjoying a fantastic season with Not Now Ned who gained his fourth victory of the campaign in the 10-furlong contest.
The winner ran on powerfully up the straight to hold off Honest Bernie by a length and a half. Darragh who is based with Fozzy Stack for the summer, completed his brace when Dream Alliance made it three wins on the bounce when winning the 14.2hh race from Pacman.
The winner is owned by the Hayes family from Shanagolden, Co Limerick. Darragh was crowned leading jockey on the day with the better placings.
Kilmore, Co Wexford jockey Lily Walsh is really beginning to blossom this season and she enjoyed another good day at the office when leading Dingle hope South Of The Border took the opening 12.2hh race for Athea, Co Limerick owner Pat Collins. Lily doubled up for the Collins and Healy Syndicate when The Hills Of Connemara gained its first career victory in the 13.2hh event.
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Dylan O’Connor combined with Mallow owner Maurice Ahern to win the 12-furlong contest with Cara Quintero who powered clear up the straight to beat Tears Of A Clown.
The winner who had been runner-up in Ballinagare looks like a horse with a very bright future.
Julian Pietropaolo continued his remarkable season when Sandycove became the only dual winner over the weekend when landing the 14hh race from her great rival Katie Taylor.
It was a really special afternoon for Mountrath, Co Laois jockey Reese Holohan who returned from injury to land the concluding maiden contest in tremendous style on Smooth Operator.
This victory crowned a great day at the office for Kildare farrier Teddy Worrell who is also the joint owner of Derby hero Verstappen.
Next Fixtures
RACING begins early in the West on the eve of the Galway races with a big meeting at Ballyconnelly at 1pm. The Dingle racing festival will run from Friday, August 11th to Sunday, August 13th next with entries closing on tomorrow Sunday at 8pm. Details on the Dingle races website.
Allihies deep in the Bearla peninsula, Co Cork will stage their traditional meeting on Tuesday, August 15th next at 1pm.
Results
Sunday, July 23rd
12.2HH (6F): 1, P. Collins’s SOUTH OF THE BORDER (Lily Walsh); 2, J. Mulvihill’s TINY DANCER (Kian McNally); 3, M. O’Sullivan’s BISCUIT (Darragh Hayes).
13.2HH (9F): 1, P. Collins/R. Healy’s THE HILLS OF CONNEMARA (Lily Walsh); 2, P. Collins’s DOWN MEXICO WAY (Oisin Goff); 3, Curly Syndicate’s HELLO THUNDER (Reese Holohan).
14HH (9F): 1, J. O’Sullivan’s SANDYCOVE (Julian Pietropaolo); 2, K. Kerin’s KATIE TAYLOR (Dylan O’Connor); 3, T. McMahon’s RICE’S ROAD (Dylan Kennedy).
14.2HH (10F): 1, D. Hayes’s DREAM ALLIANCE (Darragh O’Sullivan); 2, P. Collins/J. Walsh’s PACMAN (Lily Walsh); 3, J. Collins’s ST JAMES (Patrick McGettigan).
15HH (10F): 1, P. O’Sullivan’s CALI CARTEL (Kian McNally); 2, M. O’Connor’s HASTA LA VISTA (Dylan O’Connor); 3, M. O’Sullivan’s BENJI (Darragh O’Sullivan).
Open Horse Race (10F): 1, Dream Team Racing’s NOT NOW NED (Darragh O’Sullivan); 2, I. Worrell’s HONEST BERNIE (Kian McNally); 3, Three In A Row Syndicate’s TOM’S CROSS (Sam Coen).
Open Horse Race (12F): 1, M. Ahern’s CARO QUINTERO (Dylan O’Connor); 2, K. Flannery’s TEARS OF A CLOWN (John Mulvihill); 3, Castle Racing’s AL CAPONE (Adam Browne Souza).
Cahersiveen Derby (2M): 1, I. Worrell/S. Crabbe’s VERSTAPPEN (Kian McNally); 2, A. Melia’s TOMMY K (Julian Pietropaolo); 3, Deelview Racing’s BUBBA WATSON (Darragh O’Sullivan).
Maiden Race (10F): 1, I. Worrell’s SMOOTH OPERATOR (Kian McNally); 2, G. Murphy’s OSAKA (Donagh Murphy); 3, K. Flannery’s UP TO CAPPA (Adam Grant).