Close finishes the order of the day at Claragh

Robbie Downey was the toast of Claragh in Ramelton on Sunday having recorded a fine treble on the first meeting of the local horse racing season.

Downing opened his personal account with victory in the one-and-a-half mile open on the well backed joint favourite Ordinary Man, coming from the back of the pack on the final furlong with a storming late charge to win by a cosy length. He doubled up in the very next race, the 148cm pony one-mile, on board Sneaky Sneak, priced as second favourite at 5/2. Downey then put the icing on the cake in the two-mile open, when he steered the attractively priced 10/1 shot Watch Us home to a bloodless victory.

The afternoon’s action got underway with Jill Robinson snatching a dramatic victory in the final strides on board Up All Night from the long-time leader, The Bull McCabe in the one-mile open. Ballyare native Oisin Orr then delighted the home support when he steered Wee Blade home first thanks to a strong final furlong to overtake Taylor, who had made most of the early running in the 153cm pony mile.

Libby Mooney, from Ramelton, got her first ever win in the local pony race on Blaze before It Takes Time and Kevin Smith ran galloped his rivals ragged in the mile-and-a-quarter open. Rathmullan trained Leona’s Pride bounced back to form with an impressive victory in the non-winners’ two-mile, with Ballyare man Conor Orr making it a family double after his brother Oisin’s earlier success. Just A Gigalo, owned by Letterkenny’s Gavin Craig and ridden by Patrick Stringer, came late and fast to grab victory in the one-mile maiden, well-priced at 8/1

Racing resumes this coming Sunday at the same venue in Ramelton, weather permitting. The first race is scheduled to get underway at 2.30pm

1 MILE OPEN

1st - Up All Night - Jill Robinson 2/1 2f

2nd - The Bull McCabe - Jordan Benson

3rd - Torres - Paul Lecky

153 PONY 1 MILE

1st - Wee Blade - Oisin Orr 2/1

2nd - Taylor - Conor Orr

3rd - Tip Toes - Evan Lawler

1 1/2 MILE OPEN

1st - The Ordinary Man - Robbie Downey 7/4 JF

2nd - My Elusive Dream - Paul Lecky

3rd - Fergie’s Boy - Conor King

148 CM PONY 1 MILE

1st - Sneaky Sneak - Robbie Downey 5/2

2nd - Sea Side Boy - Conor Orr.

3rd - Roady’s Dream - Jack Dinsmore.

LOCAL PONY

1st Blaze - Libby Mooney

2nd Georgia - Ronan Doherty

1 1/4 MILE OPEN

1st - It Takes Time - Kevin Smith 7/4

2nd - Shock Wave - C Casey

3rd - Tori Lad - Conor Orr

2 MILE OPEN

1st - Watch Us - Robbie Downey 10/1

2nd - I’ve Dreamed A Dream - Paul Lecky

3rd Hit The Highway - Jordon Benson

NON WINNERS - 2 MILE

1st - Leona’s Pride - Conor Orr 5/4

2nd - Fifty Fifty - Liam Kelleher

3rd - Watch Me - Jordon Benson

Maiden - 1 MILE

1st - Just A Gigalo - Patrick Stringer 8/1

2nd - Dirty Harry - Paul Lecky

3rd - Mr Loving - Orla Glackin