Loughrea, Sunday

RACING returned to Dartfield, Loughrea, Co. Galway on Sunday last where no less than 18 races took place in splendid May sunshine.

On a day for firsts, Wayne Hassett, Lilly Walsh, Holly Halford, Leah McCarthy and Brody Ferry all made their first visits to the winner’s enclosure while Dylan O’Connor and Kian McNally took the riding honours with a treble apiece.

Dylan O’Connor continues to set a strong pace at the top of The Irish Field Riders’ Championship and he combined with his neighbour Maurice Ahern for the first of those winners.

Sinona Cartel, who had been runner-up for the previous two weeks, ran out a smooth winner of the second divide of the 14.2hh after making all the running. Cali Cartel, who disappointed on his seasonal return, bounced right back to form when blitzing the field in the 10-furlong 15hh contest.

Owned by the O’Sullivan family from Killorglin, Co. Kerry the winner is now bound for champions’ weekend in Moira, Co Armagh. The Buddy Harrison-trained Take A Pull completed Dylan’s treble in the first split of the mile race when making every post a winning one and following up his debut win here two weeks earlier.

Even better

Kian McNally is enjoying a season to savour and he kicked off with Five Stone Of Lead who seems to be getting even better with every run. Teddy Worrell provided Kian with his other two winners.

Honest Bernie, who never acted in the heavy ground in Ramelton, was ultra-impressive in the second division of the mile race to beat The Two Boys. Brandy And Ginger Ale staked his claims for Dingle Derby glory with a comprehensive victory in the opening split of the two-mile race.

Worrell, the well-known Kildare farrier and trainer, didn’t finish there as Verstappen routed the opposition when making it three for the yard in the second divide of the mile-and-a-half contest.

This horse looks a smart prospect and benefitted from a really positive Tommy Halford drive to beat Storm Force by a length.

Great day

In what was a great day for the Kildare-based Halford family, 13-year-old Holly made her racing debut a winning one when giving Willie No Legs an ultra-confident and stylish ride from the front to win the first division of the Oisin Patrick Kelly Beginners Series.

The second division of this series went to 12-year-old Leah McCarthy who partnered veteran 20-year old The Russian to victory. Owned by the McCarthy family of Castlerea, this horse, a multiple Dingle winner was actually purchased on the very day that Leah was born.

Fifteen-year-old Killenaule, Co. Tipperary rider Wayne Hassett opened his career account when giving Kinnegar Boy a polished drive to win the 10-furlong race for the Team Mac Syndicate.

Also enjoying a day to savour was Wexford rider Lily Walsh who celebrated her 11th birthday earlier in the week.

Lily, who is the daughter of well-known point-to-point rider Benny, gave Mysterious Lady an absolute peach of a ride from the front and was never really in danger from there in the 13hh race.

The winner is owned by Pat Collins from Athea, Co. Limerick who had earlier combined with another Wexford rider, Adam Grant to win the 12.2hh race with South Of The Border.

Jack de Bromhead is a jockey rapidly on the rise and he was again seen to good effect when winning the first divide of the 12-furlong race on Cookies And Cream. Bursting through up the hard shoulder inside the distance, the winner completed a training double for Maurice Ahern.

The high-class Bubba Watson showed no ill effects from a two-year break when making a sparkling reappearance to win the second divide of the two-mile contest.

Owned by the Deelview Syndicate from Co Limerick, Bubba Watson was ridden by Calum Hogan from Rathkeale, Co Limerick.

Eryka Snioch won the Ladies Derby in Ballysteen last October on Our Souls and they repeated the feat in the Shark Hanlon-sponsored equivalent here in style for Co. Laois owner John Joe Bailey.

Eryka has had a busy spring with her involvement in breeze-up sales preparation and she is now looking forward to the Laura Barry Ladies Derby in Dingle.

Reese Holohan is the latest in a long list of jockeys who have started off with Tony Beegan at Heather View Stables and the partnership struck with the high class Katie Taylor in the 14hh contest.

Great day

In addition to the Oisin Patrick Kelly Series Races, there were two novice rider pony races and Dawn Ladd Finn made the journey from her Castletownroche, Co Cork yard well worthwhile when making all on Popaluchka, as indeed she had done here two weeks previously.

The second of these races went to 11-year-old Brody Ferry from Letterkenny, Co. Donegal who went one better than his runner-up finish in Ramelton a week earlier.

Unfortunately horse and pony racing now enters a hiatus due to the inability to date to secure the required public liability insurance cover.

It is terribly sad for all the young, enthusiastic and talented riders who were looking forward to a summer to further develop their skills. We can only hope it is resolved quickly.

Results

Dartfield, May 28th

12.2 HH Race (6F): 1, P, Collins SOUTH OF THE BORDER (Adam Grant); 2, T. Beegan’s LITTLE LIONESS (Reese Holohan); 3, J.J. O’Keeffe’s TEMPLEHILL TAMARA (Dylan O’Connor).

13.3HH Race (6F): 1, P. Collins MYSTERIOUS LADY (Lilly Walsh); 2, P. Blake/D. Enright’s YOUNG PIE (Reese Holohan); 3, S. Carey’s DIAMOND NELL (Alex O’Keeffe).

14HH Race (1M): 1, T. Beegan’s KATIE TAYLOR (Reese Holohan); 2, M. Byrne’s LITTLE MAINE (Dylan O’Connor); 3, D. Hayes EL DORADO (Kian McNally).

14.2HH Race Div. 1 (10F): 1, S. Kerr McNally’s FIVE STONE OF LEAD (Kian McNally); 2, S. Crabbe’s LITTLE CHIEF (Keithen Kennedy); 3, Kyle Syndicate’s CARRIG AVA (Bobby Doyle Murphy).

14.2HH Race Div. 2 (10F): 1, M. Ahern’s SINONA CARTEL (Dylan O’Connor); 2, T. Cleary’s HARPER’S PET (Tommy Halford); 3, N. Brosnan’s THE LOW ROAD (Wayne Hassett).

15HH Race (10F): 1, P. O’Sullivan’s CALI CARTEL (Dylan O’Connor); 2, M. Ahern’s ALL BETS ARE OFF (Jack de Bromhead); 3, M. Fassett’s SILENT STAR (James Costelloe).

Open Horse Race Div. 1 (1M): 1, G. Sinclair’s TAKE A PULL (Dylan O’Connor); 2, S. Gildea’s ANOTHER PLAN (Adam Grant); 3, S. Crabbe’s WHO’S TELLING WHO (Sam Coen).

Open Horse Race Div. 2 (1M): 1, I. Worrell’s HONEST BERNIE (Kian McNally); 2, C/H O’Donnell’s THE TWO BOYS (Dylan O’Connor); 3, R. Sugrue’s SANDRA’S SECRET (Ava Sugrue).

Open Horse Race (10F): 1, Team Mac’s KINNEGAR BAY (Wayne Hassett); 2, S. Crabbe’s TOO LATE TED (Adam Grant); 3, S. Gildea’s MAKE A PLAN (Calum Hogan).

Shark Hanlon’s Ladies Derby (11F): 1, J.J. Bailey’s OUR SOULS (Eryka Snioch); 2, M. Ahern’s TODAY IS MONDAY (Shelly Brickley); 3, S. Crabbe’s LET IT GO (Megan de Sousa).

Open Horse Race Div. 1 (12F): 1, M. Ahern’s COOKIES AND CREAM (Jack de Bromhead); 2, A. Melia’s THE HIGHEST LEVEL (Keithen Kennedy); 3, M. Flannery’s HEARTBREAK HILL (Paddy Hanlon).

Open Horse Race Div. 2 (12F): 1, I. Worrell’s VERSTAPPEN (Tommy Halford); 2, T. Fennelly’s STORM FORCE (Dylan O’Connor); 3, Dream Team Racing’s NOT NOW NED (Adam Browne Sousa).

Open Horse Race Div. 1 (2M): 1, I. Worrell’s BRANDY AND GINGER ALE (Kian McNally); 2, Team Holian’s TELL US MORE (Sam Coen); 3, D/A McNamara’ FATHER HEGARTY’S ROCK (Nicola Burns).

Open Horse Race Div. 2 (2M): 1, Deelview Syndicate’s BUBBA WATSON (Calum Hogan); 2, Team Holian’s BIG BUCKS (Kian McNally); 3, R. Sugrue’s PEACE AND QUIET (Ava Sugrue).

Novice Rider Pony Race Div. 1 (6F): 1, TWITCH IT (Brody Ferry); 2, DANIEL BOOME (Niamh Murphy); 3, RAILWAY TOFFEE (Sophie Mae Kerin).

Novice Rider Pony Race Div. 2 (6F): 1, POPALUCHKA (Dawn Ladd Finn); 2, DYNA (Kaylum Reid); 3, TWO COOL DUDES (Rossita Dunne).

Oisin Patrick Kelly Beginners Race Div. 1: WILLIE NO LEGS (Holly Halford); 2, LUCY (Archie Monaghan); 3, ANNIE POWER (Gilby Monaghan).

Oisin Patrick Kelly Beginners Race Div. 2: 1, THE RUSSIAN (Leah McCarthy); 2, KNOCK HIM BACK (William Ladd Finn).

News

DUE to the ongoing insurance difficulties the two-day meeting in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal scheduled for this weekend has been cancelled.

The southern fixture scheduled for Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny on June 11th and 12th next has also been cancelled