Dingle Races

Grey

Grey

Senior Jockey
Joined
Jul 4, 2004
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Dublin
Have any of you ever been to a flapping meeting? I've been to a few myself in and around Connemara. Entertainment is guaranteed.

There's a very good article and some great photos in the current issue of Cara, the Aer Lingus in-flight magazine, about the Dingle Races. Here's the opening paragraph:

The words flow at staccato pace from Dingle Tom, the legendary voice of the Dingle Races. "Rising Tide moving well in the middle; Need For Speed will need more speed; Happy Gilmore not looking happy. They're approaching the Wooorld Faaamous Beenbane cornerrrr!!!" The crowd responds with a roar, partially for the horses, partially for Tom.
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Was there when I was young. Less than 10. Was introduced by by dad and one of his friends to Mark Dwyer's mother. I didnt know whether or not to ask for an autograph. That day, i remember the bookies went 10/1 the field in the Dingle Derby, until one pony, was scrubbed off the boards into 4s, and all the way down to 6/4. Hacked up.

Stewards looked into the matter. It later transpired that the pony was in fact a thoroughbred. I think it was called Stevie Jay, not 100% on that, but it was a respectable handicapper. One of the rules written on the back of the racecard suggested that he should have kept the race, btu no bookies paid out. It had eveyone up in arms.

Didnt know any of the horses/ponies running at the time and didnt enjoy it as a 10yo. Unbelievably tight track, taken amazingly seriously by the particiapants, great setting, but havent been back since.
 
It sounds as though flapping in Ireland is a little more legal than flapping in the UK at least! I've known a few flapping jockeys and the tales they have come out with are amazing - talk about dirty riding. From what I can gather it's every man for himself, get your elbows out & go for your possy - hardest (& most violent by all accounts) man wins the prime spots in the field. Mind you, as it is also illegal in the UK and is pretty much a case of being ready to up sticks & flee if "happened upon" by the authorities that's hardly surprising I guess!

I would like to go to a flapping meet though, for the experience at least.
 
remembering back, I can remember walking up to teh stewards with my dad and his 'posse' where one of the losing jockeys in the Derby said that the jockey of the winner - a small thoroughbred - had no lead in his weight cloth. Seemingly they werent taking any chances in landing teh gamble, but they overegged the pudding.
 
Flapping is perfectly legal in Ireland, SL, even if frowned on by the Turf Club. It may be part of the explanation why Ireland has been producing so many good riders in recent years.

Garney, that was an eventful afternoon. My father tells of a similar happening at Oughterard in the 40s 0r 50s. The three or four bookies present refused to pay out on a "winning" favourite and locked themselves into a caravan. An infuriated crowd then started banging and rocking the caravan until it turned over. It was only the intervention of the guards that extricated the bookies from a nasty situation.
 
Cheers Grey, I really didn't know where it figured in Irish law but guessed that if articles were being written about it then it must have been fairly legal! :lol:
 
the issue of flapping and legitimate racing in ireland is a thorny one.

last year 2 trainers namely willie austin(an innocent victim) and tommy walker (not so innocent/ ballygowan beauty) lost their licenses for handling flappers through their yards. On paper the policing by the turf club looks healthy, but in reality it is very lax. Those that have been penalised can to a degree feel aggrieved when others are more blantantly flouting the rules.

two of the most prolific winners at flapping meets in 2004 and 2005 are horses whose racecourse names are experimental and milton star, these two horses both raced in the premier handicap hurdle run in ireland during the winter of 2005, ie the Pierse Hurdle, this can be construed as poke the authorities in the eyes.

it is correct that big bucks has been spent to acquire flappers of late. Examples the ex Neville Callaghan winner Anuvasteel was purchased for 16,000 in July to win at dingle and has lost in all his 5 flaps since coming to ireland.

Torcello was claimed at wexford after finishing second to dash of grey, again he was aimed at dingle, in fact finished second twice at fixture and then reappeared a fortnight ago on the track at Downpatrick.

a mare called orange orchid was the subject of a big gamble at down royal on 2nd september, punted from 33/1 to 6/1, tried to make all and caught close home. this mare had won a flapper race the previous weekend.

the above examples are the tip of the iceberg, the turf club fund individuals to police the possible illegal breach of cross overs between flaps and track proper, as you can see they are not doing the job too well
 
I saw them when i was going out with Charity (the owners daughter). Funny, they were not held in Emmerdale,but just down the road at Pickering. :)
 
I would think most of the horses are thoroughbred. I don't think there are any rules about breeding for the open races, which carry the biggest prize money.

Some races are restricted to ponies, and the flapping meetings I've been to at Oughterard, Omey and Clifden have included a race for locally bred and owned animals, which I think is taken to mean they must be Connemaras.
 
Anybody know the origins of the word 'flapping' in this context? I am well aware of the term in this country in relation to greyhound racing at independent tracks( ie non-ngrc) but don't know of it's source.
 
Was at Oughterard a few years back. Scary stuff. The Bookies bet to about 180% so I dont know why they complain.
 
Prix Leon Rambaud Hurdle, Saturday
Auteuil, G2, 2m 3 1/2 f


BANNED from racing in his native Ireland and Britain having participated in flapping races, Chestnut Charlie is blossoming in France but had to give second best to favourite Monoalco in the Group 2 Prix Leon Rambaud on Saturday.

Ridden by Dean Gallagher the six-year-old, only having his fourth run over hurdles, collected €38,500 euros for connections.

Trainer Thomas Trapenard said of Chestnut Charlie: "I am very happy with his run today. He is really still only a novice and I think he is pretty good. He will go for the Barka on May 25 followed by the Grande Course de Haies (French Champion Hurdle)."
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This horse has RPRs of 129 and 130 for bumper wins in Ireland, the first of which was by a margin of 24 lengths, and is being aimed at the top races in France. Does anyone have any details of its flapping career, under the name The Boxer? Presumably he managed to win a race or two!
 
Doesn't Dingle race over the Bank Holiday that you have in Ireland at the beginning of August.

Went there a few year back and if I remember they raced on the Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
 
Fascinating stuff, I missed all the 2005 discussion as I joined in 2006. Interesting that both of Lynch's horses which ran in the 2005 Pierce were subsequently owned and trained over here by John Harris

Chestnut Charlie sounds one to watch, thanks for the heads up Grey
 
From what I remember of the controversy at the time Grey The Boxer/Chestnut Charlie managed to run midfield in two flapping race before the trainer turned his hand to Bumpers :)
 
yes mr harris seem to be either an innocent abroad or complicit in allowing these flappers to run from his establishement. milton star was banned for life from running on the track. however harris recently raced another horse which is now a regular on the flapping scene, namely the ex swinbank horse liberty seeker. this horse has run in the last two dingle derbys and he ran in the name of harris's wife in a handicap hurdle two weeks ago at cheltenham. i would say with regard to the rules of racing that mr harris is skating on very thin ice.
 
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