THE penultimate meeting of the southern region season took place in Ballylongford, Co Kerry last Sunday.

Dingle rider Jack Kennedy has been re-writing the record books this season and a second four-timer of the weekend showed he has lost none of his zest for winners.

The highlight of his day was undoubtedly Dingle Derby hero Coola Boola winning the featured Ballylongford Derby in a race that developed into a match from halfway as Danny Sheehy tried to steal it on Horan’s Cross.

However, they could never shake off the Three County Syndicate star who forged clear over the last three furlongs for a five-length win.

The aptly-named Follow Jack took the 12-furlong race as he sat in a prominent position throughout in a true-run race before striking for home with four furlongs to travel.

The Kennedy/Three County combination made it three for the day when English Bill took the 15hh race over his favoured 12-furlongs trip.

Darragh O’Keeffe set a strong early pace on Amy’s Magic with Kennedy shadowing him all the way. Kennedy then struck for home with four furlongs to travel and the result was never in doubt from there on, while On The Edge stayed on from the back to take third spot.

The Kennedy four-timer was completed in the 12-furlong maiden as Hey Lads scored a well-deserved win for Frankie McGrath, as they reeled in long-time leader Windy City with Thanks A Million back in third.

If Kennedy was going through his rides before racing he would probably have expected that were he to have a four-timer, that Good Times Ahead would have been one of them.

However, the unpredictability of racing at all levels is what makes it attractive, and having gone 14 races unbeaten while looking invincible, they tasted defeat for the second successive occasion as the Danny Sheehy-ridden Man Of Steel surprised them in the 10-furlong race.

Sheehy jumped off in front and set a searching pace and while Good Times Ahead experienced a few traffic problems he had every chance getting upsides the winner who just pulled out a little more to last home by half a length and win for local Duagh owner Batsy Maher. This completed a double for Sheehy who earlier won the 12.2hh race on Another Tiger.

With the pony rider titles wrapped up, Mikey Sheehy turned his attention to soccer and Danny was only too glad to avail of the opportunity this presented, leading from halfway to win from Biscuit. Danny would have had high hopes of winning the 14.2hh race on One Of The Boys but they found the Willie McGrath-owned Sandycove to be in much too good form as the Kilkee-based pony ran out an easy winner under Killian Leonard.

Leonard also took the local horse race as the Dinny Enright and Daniel Curtin-owned Lady Zena got the better of a dour struggle with the Mikey Mulvihill-ridden Grey Ruler.

The final race of the day saw the comeback of the year if not the decade as Paudie O’Connor made a winning return to race-riding on This Is It on whom he took over the ride from his son Ryan who was captaining Beale in the final of the North Kerry Minor Football Championships.

The winner and the Conor Keane-ridden Go Roger It flashed by the line together and it was only after lengthy deliberations over the photo-finish that the judges awarded the race to Paudie, who had his first ride in pony racing in the 1980s.

To make it a memorable day for the family, Beale won the Championship under Ryan’s captaincy.

Southern: The final meeting of the 2014 season takes place this Sunday on Littor Strand, Asdee, Co Kerry this Sunday

Awards: The Southern Region Dinner and Presentations will take place on Saturday, November 15th in the River Island Hotel Castleisland, Co Kerry. As per the rota, The Irish Field National Riders Championship Presentation will also take place here this season. Information and tickets can be got from Mary McGillicuddy at 086-1029527 or from Hannah Willis at 086-4037375

RESULTS, Sunday September 28th

12.2hh (7F): 1, Five County Syndicate’s ANOTHER TIGER (Danny Sheehy); 2, E Finn’s BISCUIT (Rory King); 3, J.J. O Keeffe’s HERE COMES THE PAIN (Darragh O’Keeffe).

14.2hh (1M): 1, W McGrath’s SANDYCOVE (Killian Leonard); 2, Five County Syndicate’s ONE OF THE BOYS (Danny Sheehy); 3, B Maher’s POCKET ROCKET (Darragh Maher).

Local Confined Horse: 1, D Enright/D Curtin’s LADY ZENA (Killian Leonard); 2, J Collins’ GREY RULER (Mikey Mulvihill); 3, R Keane’s SHREK (Darragh O’Keeffe).

Open Horse (10F): 1, B Maher’s MAN OF STEEL (Danny Sheehy); 2, Three County Syndicate’s GOOD TIMES AHEAD (Jack Kennedy); 3, R Foley’s TOP OF THE MORNING (Tadgh O Sullivan).

Open Horse (2M): 1, Three County Syndicate’s COOLA BOOLA (Jack Kennedy); 2, T Cahill’s HORANS CROSS (Danny Sheehy); 3, Deelview Racing’s PEBBLE BEACH (Killian Leonard).

Open Horse (12F): 1, Three County Syndicate’s FOLLOW JACK (Jack Kennedy); 2, M Mulvihill’s ATHEA JADE (Mikey Mulvihill); 3, B O Riordan’s MR BUSH (Conor McNamara).

15hh (12F): 1, Three County Syndicate’s ENGLISH BILL (Jack Kennedy); 2. E Hayes AMYS MAGIC (Darragh O’Keeffe); 3, I Burke’s ON THE EDGE (Libby Ducker).

Maiden Horse (12F) Div 1: 1, F McGrath’s HEY LADS (Jack Kennedy); 2, El Hayes WINDY CITY (Darragh O Keefe); 3, Tyner Syndicate’s THANKS A MILLION (Mikey Mulvihill).

Maiden Horse (12F) Div 2: 1, D O Sullivan’s THIS IS IT (Patrick O’Connor); 2, A Kelly’s GO ROGER GO (Connor Keane); 3, O Sullivan/King IDROPELLI (Danny Sheehy).