Nenagh (1) 26/04/09

[willie reynolds]

Jennings in Nenagh success

The East Down Combine were due to race from Nenagh in Tipperary on Saturday 25 April but although the forecast for the Co Down area was good for Saturday there was a band of rain coming in from the Atlantic to southern parts of Ireland. The Combine’s race committee decided to defer their decision on whether to basket the pigeons on Friday, until Friday morning as they were faced with ever changing forecasts. On Friday morning they decided that the prospects of a race on the Saturday were unlikely so they opted to basket the pigeons on Saturday night to race on the Sunday. This was another very good decision by the race committee as a race would not have been possible on the Saturday.

Sunday morning again started off rather cold at the race point but with a fresh band of rain fast approaching from the Atlantic the race controller had to get the pigeons on their way before it arrived and so the birds were released at 11.10am. They got off to a good start but unfortunately appeared to have clashed with the NIPA birds, which were released a half an hour later in Rosscrea. As the Combine birds were on their way home, clashing with over 20,000 newly liberated pigeons may have led to the erratic race which ensued as members racing in both organisations had pigeons arrive from both races together.

The winner of the East Down Combine this week is Dundonald’s R Irwin ahead of Annsborough’s Michael Jennings and Micky Croskery.

The South Down Federation result is dominated by the Annsborough club, but around the clubs there were great performances from E & A Rogan in Newcastle who took the top four and had the next best bird outside of Annsborough in the Fed. J Maguire & Ptrs made it three wins in a row in Dundrum with two ahead of S Foster & Connor in third. In Tyrella S Halpin & Sons take the red card with S Milligan & Dtr taking the next two. Donnelly Bros continue their good run in Annalong coming out on top ahead of K Rooney & Son.

The winner of the South Down Federation this week is Annsborough’s Michael Jennings who has refound the form of 2007 which saw him as one of the leading fanciers in the Federation that year. This is an excellent result for Michael as he tops the East section of the Combine. Michael was seventh Fed from Mullingar in the first race of the season so obviously has his birds in good form in this early part of the season.

As with his pigeon timed from Mullingar Michael’s winning pigeon is again from Annalong’s John McCartan and is a Willy Jacobs x Jos Van Der Veken cross from Mr & Mrs Gerard Delaney’s Oroory Stud, in Dromore. This pigeon was rung last year for the Glenavy Golden ring race but got injured and didn’t get to race.

Micky Croskery Annsborough racing in his first race of the season got off to a good start with three in the Fed result at second, fourth and seventh with all three taking excellent Open positions. Micky had a dream season in 2008 winning 3 Opens on the channel. While that will be difficult to emulate, he will be very happy with this start to his season.

His first bird is a yearling that that was unraced as a young bird when it had only four training tosses from Newry. This was followed by three training tosses this year again from Newry before this week’s race. The sire is the bird that was 9th in the Portland National for D Croskery & Son while the dam is a Walter de Richt. This bird is second section, third Open.

Micky’s second pigeon is 4th Fed, 4th Section and 5th Open and is a two-year-old hen that has been a previous prizewinner.
The third pigeon timed is 7th Fed, 11th section and 25th Open. This yearling hen was 1st Fed, 1st section and 7th Open in the second Skibbereen Young Bird Derby last year. It is from the stock loft with the sire being a De Klak Janssen and the dam a Janus & Fox both through Jobey & Gordon, Dunstan. This stock pair has bred many winners including an Open winner for D Croskery & Son.

Annsborough’s James Cleland is another fancier enjoying an impressive start to the season and has two birds in the result this week at third and fifth. The first of these is a full brother of the pigeon that was 2nd Fed last week from Tullamore. It’s sire was the Fed’s Old Bird of the Year in 2007. In picking up the Bird of the Year award this bird was second Open in the Derek Wishart Memorial race from Pilmore Beach and fourth Open from Mallow. The sire is a Soontjens from Maurice Alexander while the dam is Pros Roosen from Martin Flynn. The dam herself has had many fine positions herself. The pigeon timed here is 3rd section, 4th Open for another excellent result.

James’ second pigeon is 5th Fed, 5th section and 8th Open. The breeding of this one is similar to the first being from a Maurice Alexander Soontjens and a Pros Roosen.

Patrick Brown Annsborough is having another successful start to the season and follows up his Fed win last week with 6th Fed, 9th section and 22nd Open this week. The bird timed here is the same pigeon that won the Fed last week so is in peak condition. The pigeon is a latebred having only his third race. It is a Grondelaar pigeon out of their ‘19’ cock, a multiple Fed winner. Patrick had thought about putting this bird in the stock loft but decided to give him a few races first to see how he would go. It was fifth east section last week so a great start to its racing career.

D Croskery & Son Annsborough have two birds in the result here at eighth and tenth Fed. The first of these is a yearling cock that is the same way bred as last years Young Bird Derby winner in the Combine. The dam of the winning pigeon is a Walter De Richt, new birds brought in from Jobey & Gordon last year and they have certainly made quite an impact. The sire is the cock that they bought from the natural Breeding Station five years ago. This bird is also the sire of the pigeon that was 7th Open Skibbereen Derby and 4th Open Skibbereen National in consecutive weeks.

Their second pigeon is an ash hen from the good pied hen that has been a prizewinner from every race point up Ireland. She is from the ‘Bolden’ cock from John Jobey. The ‘Bolden’ cock is responsible for many winners for both this loft and for Micky Croskery. The sire is a De Klak Janssen, which is the same way bred as the sire of their second pigeon.

Annsborough’s R J Keown completes the result at ninth Fed. While RJ’s main love is channel and French racing he has been doing rather well in Inland racing too lately, and was sixth Fed from Mullingar. The pigeon timed here is a three- year-old hen from the meritorious award pair. This pigeon only started racing last year and was raced to Bude winning a club prize on the way. Her full sister won Sennan Cove in the Annsborough club in 2007.

Full Result: 1, M Jennings Annsborough 1799; 2, M Croskery Annsborough 1793; 3, J Cleland Annsborough 1777; 4, M Croskery 1761; 5, J Cleland 1756; 6, P Brown Annsborough 1711; 7, M Croskery 1696; 8, D Croskery & Son Annsborough 1674; 9, R J Keown Annsborough 1660; 10, D Croskery & Son 1654:

• The loft KO continues this week from Mallow with some hard to call matches.

Brendan McLoughlin PO