THE three-day Dingle Racing Festival opened in pleasant conditions last Friday week evening where Mikey Mulvihill, Darragh Maher and Dylan Browne-McMonagle all rode their first Dingle winners.

Racing opened with a divided 12-furlong race and victory in the first split went to the Duagh, Listowel, father and son team of Batsy and Darragh Maher who scored with Who’s Your Daddy. Fifteen-year-old Darragh brought the winner through to lead two furlongs out and the result was quickly beyond doubt as they quickened clear for an impressive win.

Division two went to the Castle Racing Syndicate from Dunmanway in Cork as Squeeze Your Knees stayed on well up the finishing straight under Galway rider Liam Gilligan to win from the Rory King-ridden Carpe Diem.

Listowel rider Mikey Mulvihill heads off to Britain this week to take up a position with National Hunt trainer Donald McCain and he partnered Athea Jade to victory in the 10-furlong race for a syndicate headed up by his father Mike and friends. Mikey had to give the winner a strong drive over the final two furlongs as they got the better of Last Chance Paddy.

FEATURE RACE

The feature race of the night was the Derby Trial over two miles and this threw up a surprise winner as the 12-year-old Dylan Browne McMonagle, who only rode his first winner in open class the previous Monday in a 14.2hh race, recorded his first horse race win on Lets Go, trained by his uncle Adrian Browne. Runner-Up in the North West Region on a number of occasions, the partnership took a big stage to make the breakthrough as they led from three furlongs out to draw clear up the straight.

Dylan, who weighs under 5st, took his time early on, displaying remarkable coolness for such a young rider before coming through smoothly to record a victory which was greeted with rapturous celebrations by the large Donegal contingent.

The 14.2hh race was divided and for a long time Scott McCullagh looked as if he was going to add his name to the list of riders recording the first Dingle victories. He gave an exemplary display of controlled front-running on Sandycove until the Mikey Sheehy ridden Vodka came through to overhaul in the last 50 yards to make it a double on the night for owner Batsy Maher.

The second division of this 14.2hh race went to Waratah who made all for Shanahoe, Co Laois-based Seamus Bergin. Ballinasloe rider Luke Bleahen judged the pace to perfection as he had enough in reserve to hold the late challenge of Pat Taaffe on One Direction.

Rossa Ryan claimed the riding honours on the night as he shared a double with the Roscommon-based Finnerty stable. Omega took the second division of the mile race under a confident front-running ride as they skipped clear from two furlongs out with the Emma Sweeney-ridden Dancinginthedark holding on for second place.

Rossa then added the second division of the 15hh race with Snowdrop as he struck for home off the final bend to win from Treasure Beach. Earlier, the first division of this 15hh went to Farmer Boyce who led from two furlongs out to power clear with Conor McNamara on No Notice leading the chasing pack home.

The first division of the mile race saw an impressive winner in Nothing But Trouble, who drew clear over the final furlong in the hands of 14-year-old Downpatrick rider Caoilin Quinn for Monasterevan, Co Kildare owner Megan Harrison.

Results

Open Horse Div 1 (12F): 1, B. Maher WHO’S YOUR DADDY (D. Maher); 2, Finnerty Family’s WAKING NED (Rossa Ryan); 3, F. Glynn’s DON’T LOOK BACK (Tadgh McGuinness).

Open Horse Div 2 (12F): 1, Castle Racing Syndicate’s SQUEEZE YOUR KNEES (Liam Gilligan): 2, Deelview Racing’s CARPE DIEM (Rory King); 3, A. Gallagher’s TONY’S TROUBLE (Caoilin Quinn).

Open Horse (10F): 1, Your Town Syndicate’s ATHEA JADE (Mikey Mulvihill); 2, B. Harrison’s LAST CHANCE PADDY (Rossa Ryan); 3, Castle Racing’s PABLO ESCOBAR (Liam Gilligan).

Derby Trial (2M): 1, G. O’Boyle’s LET’S GO (Dylan Browne-McMonagle); 2, M. Campbell’s ALL ABOUT CHRIS (Killian Gallagher); 3, D. Curtin’s FORGOTTEN SOLDIER (Conor Keane).

14.2HH Div 1 (10F): 1, B. Maher’s VODKA (Mikey Sheehy); W. McGrath’s SANDYCOVE (Scott McCullagh); 3, Three County Syndicate’s DARRAGH’S DELIGHT (Joe Conlon).

14.2HH Div 2 (10F): 1, S. Bergin’s WARATAH (Luke Bleahen); 2, T. Orr’s ONE DIRECTION (Pat Taaffe); 3, M. Crosse’s ITS FATHER TED (Shane Crosse).

Open Horse Div 1 (1M): 1, M. Harrison’s NOTHING BUT TROUBLE (Caoilin Quinn); 2, B. Laird’s STAROFTHESEA (Mark Crehan); 3, P. Moloney’s RAZZLE DAZZLE (Pa Moloney).

Open Horse Div 2 (1M): 1, Finnerty Family’s OMEGA (Rossa Ryan); 2, S. Lohan’s DANCINGINTHEDARK (Emma Sweeney); 3, I. Kelly’s AIDEEN’S DREAM (Evan Daly).

15HH Div 1 (1M): 1, Three County Syndicate’s FARMER BOYCE (Danny Sheehy); 2, D.McGillicuddy’s NO NOTICE (Conor McNamara); 3,M. McGillicuddy’s THE RED MESSENGER (Rory King).

15HH Div 2 (1M): 1, Finnerty Family’s SNOWDROP (Rossa Ryan); 2, P McNamara’s TREASURE BEACH (Luke Bleahen); 3, E. Hayes’s AMY’S MAGIC (Darragh O’Keeffe).