Carndonagh Sunday

THE North West Racing Board brought the curtain down on the 2024 horse and pony racing season with an outstanding day’s racing at Carndonagh last Sunday.

The organisers can be well satisfied with the season just ended which has seen a major resurgence in the number of owners and runners respectively.

On a sun-drenched afternoon Adam Grant rode his 50th career winner while Jake Cromwell and Jamie Orr rode their first ever winners. Champion lady jockey Nicola Burns was crowned champion jockey on the day with a double.

Rosslare jockey Adam Grant ended a highly successful pony racing career when Tommy K made every inch of the running to win the mile and six-furlong contest. This confirmed front runner had to dig deep from the home turn as Dare To Dream and Frederick launched sustained challenges on either side.

However, Noel McLaughlin’s winner was not for passing and was a snug winner at the line. Adam was based with Henry de Bromhead for the summer and has now returned to school to sit his Junior Cycle Programme exams next June.

Tremendous satisfaction

Gavin Cromwell has enjoyed huge success on both sides of the Irish Sea but he will have got tremendous satisfaction from the victory of his son Jake on Here For The Craic in the 13.2hh contest.

Jake has gained valuable experience in the local pony races and certainly put it to good use here when getting the better of Rose Of Clare in a driving finish. Both Jake and Paddy Finnegan who rode the runner-up will be steeped in the pony racing division next season.

Jamie Orr is another jockey who is expected to make a big impact next year and he was on the mark with Shake ‘Em Up Harry in the mile and three-furlong race.

Jamie, who is a cousin of Oisin Orr, was seen to really good effect here giving Shake ‘Em Up Harry an ultra-patient ride from the back.

The partnership were in full flow off the final bend and duly got up to deny She’s Got It and Shake Me. It was no mean feat for the Donegal jockey to see off Kian McNally and Nicola Burns in a driving finish and ride his first winner in the process.

Winning thread

Nicola Burns signed off her season with a double on Little Chief and Follow Me. The Mullingar jockey regained the winning thread on Little Chief to easily land the 14hh contest.

This pony has given the Brady family a season to savour with his only defeat coming on Omey Island last month. Nicola was quickly back in the winner’s enclosure after Follow Me ran out an impressive winner of the 15hh contest over a mile.

The Team Browne-owned winner has been a revelation in recent weeks with victories in Dingle and Geesala. He looked better than ever here and looks like a potential star for next season.

Meath jockey Camillus Byrne has made a big impact this season and he began his new association with the Liam Bergin stable in the best possible fashion.

Picking up the ride on Jacob from Paddy McGettigan, Camillus grabbed the opportunity with both hands and they ran out convincing winners over Daithi’s Dream and Hidden Cove.

Kian McNally will have fond memories of 2024, the year he won the Lee Strand Dingle Derby on Verstappen.

He signed off on a winning note when Wee Bucks came home late and fast to deny Wrong Direction in a gripping finish. This was also a perfect end to the campaign for the locally-based Holian Syndicate.

Here’s wishing all our jockeys who are heading to the track every success in their future careers.

Well done to Paddy McGettigan who has led the way with his first winner recently for Johnny Murtagh. Looking forward to the 2025 season which will kick off next April!

Results

13.2HH (1M): 1, G. Cromwell’s HERE FOR THE CRAIC (Jake Cromwell); 2, O. Finnegan’s ROSE OF CLARE (Paddy Finnegan).

14HH (1M): 1, M. Brady’s LITTLE CHIEF (Nicola Burns); 2, P. McGill’s SWILLY SPIRIT (Tiernan McGill); 3, A. Sweeney’s ERIN’S OWN (Dylan O’Connor).

14.2HH (1M): 1, Holian Syndicate’s WEE BUCKS (Kian McNally); 2, D. Ferry’s WRONG DIRECTION (Brody Ferry); 3, S. Bergin’s SKY (Camillus Byrne).

15HH (1M): 1, Team Browne’s FOLLOW ME (Nicola Burns); 2, S. Bergin’s FIREDROPS (Camillus Byrne); 3, McGinley Racing’s DREAM DANCER (Dylan O’Connor).

Open Horse Race (1M): 1, L. Bergin’s JACOB (Camillus Byrne); 2, R & D Racing’s DAITHI’S DREAM (Kian McNally); 3, G. Faulkner’s HIDDEN COVE (Adam Grant).

Open Horse Race (11F): 1, J. Orr’s SHAKE ‘EM UP HARRY (Jamie Orr); 2, Dream Team Partnership’s SHE’S GOT IT (Kian McNally); 3, Team Browne’s SHAKE ME (Nicola Burns).

Open Horse Race (14F): 1, N. McLaughlin’s TOMMY K (Adam Grant); 2, Holian Syndicate’s DARE TO DREAM (Nicola Burns); 3, G. Yemm’s FREDERICK (Kian McNally).