Midlands Region - Navan

THE Horse and Pony racing season really stepped up a gear on Sunday in Navan with a 13-race card. In a positive sign for the future, the local race had to be divided into three to accommodate the large entry.

Kian “Tubs” McNally was the leading jockey of the afternoon with a treble while there were doubles for Dylan O’Connor and Patrick McGettigan respectively.

Kian kicked off his winning spree when Honest Bernie yet again routed the opposition in the mile race. Teddy Worrell’s champion miler was following up his recent victory in Langholm, Scotland.

Verstappen was another to complete the Langholm/Navan double when making most of the running to win the one mile six-furlong Derby in the style of a really special horse.

Owned by the Worrell/Crabbe partnership, Verstappen is now a leading candidate for the Lee Strand Dingle Derby.

The McNally treble was completed in the second division of the 15hh contest when the well-touted Firedrops powered clear up the straight.

The winner is owned by Seamus Bergin from Co Laois and looks a strong addition to this division.

The Irish Field National Champion jockey Dylan O’Connor was on the mark with Katie Taylor and Cali Cartel to make it 102 winners on the circuit.

The North Cork jockey gave Katie Taylor a fine front-running drive to win the 13.2/14hh race over six furlongs. The winner is trained in Clarecastle by Shane Kerrin.

Multiple winner Cali Cartel put up a fine performance when getting up close home to land the first split of the 15hh race. The winner is owned by the O’Sullivan family from Killorglin and will reappear in Vicarstown.

McGettigan double

Patrick McGettigan, who completed a double in Carndonagh, followed up with another brace here to make it five wins for the season. The Ballyare jockey gave King Of The Hill a brilliant front-running drive to win the two-mile contest. Lisa Cregg’s Borris House winner is now firmly in the picture for the Dingle highlight in August. Amanda Sweeney’s West Boots was again positively ridden by the Donegal jockey to land the second heat of the 10-furlong race.

The Shark Hanlon Ladies Derby saw Mullingar jockey Nicola Burns gain her first career victory on the hugely impressive Chloe’s Sam. This Dingle winner drew clear up the straight to see off Our Souls and Eryka Snioch.

Mountrath jockey Reese Holohan continues to impress and he gave the family owned All Bets Are Off a very confident ride to win the second division of the 14.2hh contest.

The recently formed JTC Racing made the perfect start when Hey Cowboy sluiced home in the maiden race under Adam Grant. The winner is a further addition to Shane Crabbe’s powerful stable.

Sam Coen has struck up a wonderful partnership with Ya Skitter and they got up close home to land the first divide of the 10-furlong event. The winner is owned by the Holian Syndicate from Letterkenny.

Youngest jockey

Brody Ferry may well be the youngest Donegal jockey on the circuit but he gave Little Lioness a masterful ride to win the 12.2hh race from South Of The Border.

Adam Browne Souza continued his good recent run when An Capall Dubh proved far too strong for Pacman in division two of the 14.2hh race.

It was certainly a hectic weekend for the Colin Bowe point-to-point yard.

However, that did not stop the well-known Bobby Bowe from making the trip to Navan and gaining his first career victory on Pretty Boy in one of the local races.

Lucy O’Connor, who is a niece of trainer Murdeach Kelly, took another division on Corey Heights.

The remaining division went to Jocksey under Camillus Byrne who proved just too strong for Oscar ridden by Gavin Cromwell’s son Jake.

Finally, a big well done to all the committee in Navan headed up by Donal McAteer and Michael Grenham for their trojan efforts in organising this fixture.

News

The next meeting will be held in Vicarstown, Co. Laois, on Sunday, May 28th next. Full details to follow on MHPRA Facebook page.

Sunday, May 14th 2023

?

12.2HH Race (6F): 1, D. Ferry’s LITTLE LIONESS (Brody Ferry); P. Collins’s SOUTH OF THE BORDER (Lilly Walsh).

13.2HH/14HH Race (6F): 1, S. Kerrin’s KATIE TAYLOR (Dylan O’Connor); 2, Finnerty Families LITTLE FIDDLERS (Kian McNally); 3, S. Carey’s DIAMOND NEL (Adam Browne Souza).

14.2HH Race Div 1 (1M): 1, N. Holohan’s ALL BETS ARE OFF (Reese Holohan); 2, T. Beegan’s GRACE O’MALLEY (Dylan O’Connor); 3, J. Brady’s LITTLE CHIEF (Sam Coen).

14.2HH Race Div 2 (1M): 1, K. Connell’s AN CAPALL DUBH (Adam Browne Souza); 2, A. Melia’s PACMAN (Julian Pietropaolo); 3, F. Byrne’s STEADY EDDIE (Camillus Byrne).

15HH Race Div 1 (1M): 1, P. O’Sullivan’s CALI CARTEL (Dylan O’Connor); 2, Crabbe/Worrell’s WHAT’S GOING ON (Adam Grant); 3, K. Flannery’s BABY BROWN (Paddy Hanlon).

15HH Race Div 2 (1M): 1, S. Bergin’s FIREDROPS (Kian McNally); 2, J. McGettigan’s FIADH’S FANCY (Patrick McGettigan); 3, A. O’Connor’s KISS ME (Jack Collins).

Open Horse Race (1M): 1, I. Worrell’s HONEST BERNIE (Kian McNally); 2, Finnerty Families CARAMORE (Paddy Hanlon); 3, S. Gildea’s ANOTHER PLAN (Adam Grant).

Open Horse Race Div 1 (10F): 1, Holian Syndicate’s YA SKITTER (Sam Coen); 2, S. Crabbe’s BIPOLAR BLONDIE (Adam Grant); 3, P. J. Donnelly’s FOREIGN BANKS (Nicola Burns).

Open Horse Race Div 2 (10F): 1, A. Sweeney’s WEST BOOTS (Patrick McGettigan); 2, Team Mac’s KINNEGAR MAN (Kian McNally); 3, Three In A Row Syndicate’s TOM’S CROSS (Sam Coen).

Shark Hanlon Ladies Derby (12F): 1, S. Crabbe’s CHLOE’S SAM (Nicola Burns); 2, J. J. Bailey’s OUR SOULS (Eryka Snioch); 3, Holian Syndicate’s Wee BUCKS (Freya Freyne).

Navan Derby (1M 6F): 1, Crabbe/Worrell’s VERSTAPPEN (Kian McNally); 2, P. J. Donnelly’s FR. HEGARTY’S ROCK (Nicola Burns); 3, A. Melia’s THE TINDER SWINDLER (Patrick McGettigan).

Open Horse Race (2M): L. Cregg’s KING OF THE HILL (Patrick McGettigan); 2, K. Flannery’s THE AULD HOUSE (Paddy Hanlon); 3. A. Melia’s HERE WE GO AGAIN (Julian Pietropaolo).

Maiden Horse Race (1M): 1, JTC Racing’s HEY COWBOY (Adam Grant); 2, R. Gormley’s A DREAM TO TELL (Sam Coen); 3, L. Cregg’s THERESA’S JOY (Patrick |McGettigan).

Local Race Div 1 (6F): 1, COREY HEIGHTS - Lucy O’Connor; 2, PATCH - Emily O’Dwyer; 3, MY MAISEY - Amber Geraghty.

Local Race Div 2 (6F): 1, JOCKSEY - Camillus Byrne; 2, OSCAR - Jake Cromwell; 3, PRETTY BOY - Sean Holohan.

Local Race Div 3 (6F): 1, PRETTY BOY - Bobby Bowe; 2, JET - Maisie O’Regan; 3, ZACK - Daisy McMorrow.