By Thomas Callaghan WIND AND TIDE COULD NOT STOP MAC GUINNESS’S TREBLE AT A VERY WELL RUN DOOLOUGH RACES AT GEESALA! Sunday last saw the first meeting after Dingle held at the lovely location at Doolough beach, Geesala, County Mayo. This has always been a popular meeting and again the large crowd saw some excellent racing, with the sunshine and the plenty of side attractions to keep everyone happy there. Racing was to commence at 2p.m but it was about 4 o’ clock when it eventually started. This was nobody’s fault as the tide was slow to turn with the rising wind conditions. This did not deter the large crowd’s patience as the health and safety of the jockies and horses was most important on the day. The inter-action between the local committee and the stewards of the racing club was top class and once they agreed the curtain call time it produced a great day’s racing. Well done to Darragh Cregg, Mary Brady and Mary O’Connor of the racing board and the Geesala Committee. This committee deserves great credit for the organising of this meeting. The time and effort put in by everyone is a credit to the local community. The layout and facilities were top class with excellent prize money on offer as well. Everyone there appreciated the really hard work put in on the day by John Munnelly who has worked so hard to bringing this meeting to where it is today along with Gerry Coyle. Indeed, their ability in getting the local committee working well, the sponsorship, stewards, entertainment facilitates on the day was a commendable performance by them also. When racing did start in was a day to remember for Luke Mc Guinness who recorded a fine treble to take his tally to ten winners mark for the season. This writer has always noted that Luke is there among the best and when given the opportunities can produce the results. He was also the leading jockey on the day so well done Luke. The fields were small, with only thirty seven horses and ponies competing in the ten race card. Still it produced some excellent racing and tight finishes on a beautiful beach which along with the sunshine kept the large crowd present happy. Luke kicked off his treble on day on the jolly What Do You Think in the six furlong sprint. Here five went to post and from the off Luke was able to switch this one off and when he decided to kick-on the race was on for the minor places. They passed the judge comfortable winners from Step dancer and Rossa Ryan in second with Time to Relax and Jack Dinsmore third. He doubled up on Swing Along Softly in the non winners race for horses over the straight mile and a quarter where only three runners went to post. This pair were never in trouble as early on they took a back seat view as Another Red Bull and Niamh Crehan went for home from the off. Mac Guinness was very confident and inside a matter of strides swung into the lead at the three furlong mark and put the race to bed going on to win very comfortably with The Choc Ice and Rossa Ryan getting up for second and Another Red Bull (Niamh Crehan) taking third place. The treble was completed in the four runner open mile and half open horse race. On the aptly named He’s The One. This pair was mid-division early on but progressed into contention at the six furlong mark and went for home all the way up the home straight. In fairness Oisin Orr got Megan’s Star to throw a renewed challenge inside the two furlong mark and was reducing the deficit all the way to the finish line where the judge’s verdict was a length and a half was the winning margin with Luke’s first leading jockey award secured. Alabama and Rossa Ryan stayed on for the third place. Oisin Orr added to his tally to eight winners for the season courtesy of Our Darryl in the open mile race where again only five runners went to post. Orr fresh from his Dingle winner success on One Direction, was in complete control here. The Dingle winner Ayers Rock and Liam Gilligan were the jolly and never looked at ease on the sand. Orr took it up inside the four furlong mark going on to make every post a winning one and winning a shade easily from What About You Hea and Rossa Ryan which ran on well late on to take the second place with the disappointing jolly Ayers Rock and Liam Gilligan third. The 15 hands pony race over one and half miles saw only five runners go to post. Here there was an upset in that Micmacmagoogle and Jack Dinsmore took the race in very good style and were returned the 8/1 winner. On the straight run over the distance this pair improved and took it up at the five furlong mark from the early leaders My Lovely (O. Orr) and Petit Folios (K .Gallagher). All the while Calvin Galvin had begun to get a great tune out of Georgie’s Girl and this pair set sail in pursuit of the leader from the two furlong mark and were reducing the lead all the way towards the finish line which came to quickly for them and length was the judge’s decision as they passed the winning post with Snowdrop and Liam Gilligan third. This was Dinsmore fifth winner of the campaign. Niamh Crehan got a welcome winner when guiding Pennies from Heaven to victory in the five runner 14.2 hands pony race over the straight mile and a quarter. Here, Niamh was content to lay off the pace until approaching the half mile from home mark. Here she judged her run to perfection when taking up the lead from Close the Gate (L. Cosgrave) and the Sprout and Evan Daly. The latter pair ran on but the pennies had flown and Niamh tally increased to four winners for the season as they past the winning post with three lengths being the official winning distance and the new-comer Coney Island running a great race for a newcomer under Calvin Galvin taking third place. The two mile race had only four runners was the only time that the four runners rounded a bend with a long, long run home to the finish line. Here, the grey Mr Grog, the jolly under Luke Mac Guinness was the jolly and lead them a merry gallop for the first few furlongs. As they approached the turn this pair came back to the other three runners and when the set sail for home had gone rapidly back through the pack. It was then that the Leona’s Pride (L. Gilligan) and Summertime (E. Daly) took it up and set sail to fight out a staying battle for a long way up the home run before Gilligan got Leona’s Pride ahead inside the last furlong and half and they went on the win a shade comfortably passing the judge with Man of the West and Rossa Ryan in third place. Gilligan is going really well and is now on the ten winner mark for the campaign so far.. In addition to having a great racing brain he is very strong in the plate for one so young and will clearly be a name to follow on the circuit next season. Evan Daly got to the nine winner mark for the season when getting the better of Fiddlers Bridge and Rossa Ryan on Little Molly in the 14 hands pony race over a mile. This race was decided inside the final furlong where Daly kicked on and won with a bit in hand. However, the runner up was never travelling that on a surface not to its liking. Small Tom and Darragh Keenan took the three runners local race in good style and then finished second in the local horse race to Joe’s Girl and Eamonn Keane where only two ran. All our thoughts and prayers are with jockey Denis Lenihan and his family at this time. Denis took a heavy fall on Sunday and everyone wishes him well and a speedy recovery. Dougie Thompson an icon of horse and pony racing in the North West is not in the best of health at the minute. Dougie worked very hard for horse and pony racing up there and indeed helped committee’s anywhere in the country when asked. Indeed, this writer remembers him doing just that at Dingle Races in the past where he also booted home winners in the 1950’s on that famous hollowed turf. Just to say thanks Dougie for you for all your hard work for horse and pony racing in the country and just to let you know that you are in our thought at this time also.
Posted on: Tue, 20 Aug 2013 20:51:21 +0000
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