Saturday

DYLAN O’Connor took day two of the Festival by storm with a brilliant treble highlighted by the surprise victory of She’s Got It in a gripping finish to the featured Dingle Distillery Golden Mile.

Who Told You, under Nicola Burns, and She’s Got It went head-to-head from the furlong pole and they went by the line locked together.

The decision from the grandstand took some time, with the verdict going by the slimmest of margins in favour of Shane Crabbe’s She’s Got It.

It was one of the most dramatic finishes in Dingle for many years and full credit goes to the race committee for their photo-finish technology.

Dylan had earlier struck in the opening 12-furlong contest when Volar Alto Amigo ran out an impressive winner over Kinnegar Boy. The winner had been narrowly denied 24 hours earlier and is owned by racecourse commentator Jerry Daly.

Dylan then crowned a day to savour when Katie Taylor came right back to form and blitzed her rivals in the 14hh race. This star pony is owned by the Kerin family from Clarecastle, Co Clare and was perhaps the easiest winner over the weekend.

McNally double

Kian McNally added another double on the second day with Five Stone Of Lead and Little Fiddlers both reigning supreme.

Five Stone Of Lead seems to get better with every run around Ballintaggart and became the first dual winner of the meeting in the 14.2hh race.

All Bets Are Off ran an absolute stormer here for Reese Holohan and was unlucky to come up against a truly exceptional winner.

The Finnerty family from Roscommon have a rich history at the Dingle Festival and they were on the mark for the second day in a row when Little Fiddlers proved herself the champion 13.2hh pony in the country. Incidentally Little Fiddler’s dam, Fiddler’s Bridge, was a multiple winner around here in years gone by.

Aidan Melia and Julian Pietropaolo combined to make it two wins for the weekend when Stay With Her Johnny proved too strong up the hill for Another Plan in a cracking renewal of the Button Mile.

First festival

Mullingar’s Nicola Burns gained her first Dingle Festival victory in the coveted Laura Barry Memorial Ladies Derby on Chloe’s Sam.

Shane Crabbe’s star performer was sent off a short-priced favourite and, in truth, those who took the odds never had a moment’s worry. Leah McGhee had a great spin from Way Up North in second with Katelyn Leddin a fine third on heart break hill.

Adam Grant rode his fourth winner of the Festival when Little Man landed the concluding 15hh Derby.

A winner on the opening night, Little Man duly followed up here to give owner Marcel McGhee a weekend to remember.

13.2HH (1M): 1, Finnerty Family’s LITTLE FIDDLERS (Kian McNally); 2, Curly Syndicate’s HELLO STAR (Dylan O’Connor); 3, P. Collins/R. Healy’s THE HILLS OF CONNEMARA (Lily Walsh).

14HH (10F): 1, K. Kerin’s KATIE TAYLOR (Dylan O’Connor); 2, J. O’Sullivan’s SANDYCOVE (Julian Pietropaolo); 3, Island Syndicate’s BLOWING BUBBLES (Kian McNally).

14.2HH (10F): 1, M. Moloney’s FIVE STONE OF LEAD (Kian McNally); 2, N. Holohan’s ALL BETS ARE OFF (Reese Holohan); 3, K. Connell’s AN CAPALL DUBH (Adam Browne Souza).

15HH (10F): 1, M. Magee’s LITTLE MAN (Adam Grant); 2, M. O’Connor’s HASTA LA VISTA (Dylan O’Connor); 3, D. Burns’s CHANCY MONEY (Nicola Burns).

Dingle Distillery Golden Mile Race: 1, S. Crabbe’s SHE’S GOT IT (Dylan O’Connor); 2, Two Priests Syndicate’s WHO TOLD YOU (Nicola Burns); 3, Finnerty Family’s MAVERICK (Reese Holohan).

Dingle Button Mile Race: 1, A. Melia’s STAY WITH HER JOHNNY (Julian Pietropaolo); 2, S. Gildea’s ANOTHER PLAN (Dylan O’Connor); 3, Finnerty Family’s CARAMOR (Kian McNally).

LAURA BARRY LADIES DERBY (10F): 1, S. Crabbe’s CHLOE’S SAM (Nicola Burns); 2, C. Kerrigan’s WAY UP NORTH (Leah McGhee); 3, K. Flannery’s HEARTBREAK HILL (Katelyn Leddin).

Open Horse Race (12F): J. Daly’s VOLAR ALTO AMIGO (Dylan O’Connor); 2, Team Mac’s KINNEGAR BOY (Sam Coen); 3, J. Orr’s SHAKE EM UP HARRY (Jamie Orr).