Kilbrittain, Sunday

THE colours, sulkies and equipment of harness racing made a great contrast against the grey sand and the calm waters of Harbour View beach Kilbrittain last Sunday.

Evidently on social media, several amateur photographers captured some stunning images.

The poster boy of the meeting was 29-year-old Jamie Hurley from Reenascreena who drove three winners and a second, all of which he also trains. Jamie uses this beach a lot, a kind of Ado McGuinness/Laytown effect.

Jamie’s three-timer kicked off when the well-supported Hotesse du Chassin led out, made all to take the E to D trot. The mare is owned by Tommy Kiely, a rarity as a trotting owner from Cork City itself. Hippi Sizu stayed level for second.

Only two bookies ventured to the meeting, and there was barely enough business for them. Curious onlookers outnumbered serious punters. To draw the Laytown parallel again, a beach is not the place to be punting heavily. Printed programmes were hard to come by, but if they had been properly distributed, some of the sightseers might have backed Jamie’s second winner. Down By Crecora is by Down By The Seaside, a tip if ever there was one.

Well backed

Down By Crecora held off the well-backed The Groomsman (Patrick Kane jnr) in the Grade G pace. The Groomsman did not look comfortable on the loose sand and will be a better proposition on a hard track.

Hurley’s treble came when John O’Sullivan’s great breadwinner Graal du Dollar pulverised the rest in the A to C trot. The good-looking son of Bold Eagle made short work of a 25-yard trail and, after that, it was a matter of ‘how far?’ Duc d’Arry was a gallant second with Denis O’Reilly.

After racing, Jamie told The Irish Field: “I just think Tom’s mare (Hotesse du Chassin) is a really nice mare. Down By Crecora had a wind op and some back treatment over the winter, which seems to have worked. As for Graal, the only thing that could beat him in that race is himself.”

All in all, a good day at the office for Jamie, sister Rebecca and girlfriend Hannah.

The opener of the Cork season of 2025 went to Comete des Landes from the Murphy yard with Eoin in the bike. The mare is benefitting from a handicap drop for older horses, which can be a good or a bad thing depending where you are standing.

Angelsey Hall was the subject of at least one hefty bet in the Grade E and F pace. The beach conditions did not bother the four-year-old mare, who won a competitive enough little race and set down a marker for her great rival Always B Puffin, still under wraps in the Billy Roche barn.

The top-grade pace went the way of Biggins for Drimoleague-based Chris O’Reilly. They led from the start and had four lengths to spare over Get Me Out Of Here.

“He was a bit disappointing last year, but we are training him out of the field and he has been in better form since the change,” said the winning driver.

Full results and race cards can be viewed on www.irisharnessracing.com, Replays are on IHRA Facebook.

Congrats

Finally, congratulations go to Oisin Quill and Charlie Flanagan, who were blessed with a lovely baby daughter, Rose Marie last week. Rose Marie is from a winning sire and dam, so to speak.

Fixtures

Racing continues today at Dunmanway, half a mile from the town centre. Tomorrow there is a fixture at Annaghmore. Junction 13, M1 or eight miles West of Richhill, if travelling from the south.

Annaghmore Saturday

THE term ‘soft opening’ could apply to the first Irish Harness Racing Association meeting of 2025 at Annaghmore.

It wouldn’t matter if the season opened in late July: Harness horsemen throughout the country are all convinced they have the next Leap To Fame and don’t want to show their hand too early.

As in previous years, the racecards are likely to begin to fill out in coming weeks.

For the record, two four-horse qualifiers preceded four sparsely populated gambling races. The books got the money as all four jollies were overturned.

An interesting statistic would be ‘how many times has John Richardson won the first race on the first day of the Irish harness racing season’. Personally, I would guess 10 times or more. In Portmarnock days, the opener was usually a ‘novice and improver pace’ for youngsters.

On Sunday, John opened the scoring for the year on Little Miss Sarah in a four-year-old trot. Little Miss Sarah was a catch drive as Sean Kane stuck with Lieutenant Dan.

The former (1/2 favourite) raced prominently and then packed up, the run was too bad to be true. By contrast, Alex Cuffe’s mare stayed on well to hold off Logan Springhill (Jonny Cowden for Joe Sheridan).

Massive relief

Any disappointment at the run by Lieutenant Dan was soon forgotten as Sean Kane took out the Grade F trot aboard Just In Time. Just In Time failed to fire last year, having been impressive in 2023, so the win will be a massive relief for Team Mooreside. Sean’s father Ger was in attendance.

Joe Sheridan had to settle for second money again as Korasonne d’Aborney and Jonny Cowden could not go with the winner. Four and a half lengths separated the first two in a time of 2.10.2.

The Grade F pace also went to North Dublin as the likeable Pancam Dynasty with Eoin Joyce beat Lady Lou (JR) in a time of 2.05.6. Owner Mark McKay was on crutches due to a cycling accident, so the win was a nice tonic.

“To be honest, he surprised us, he must be tighter than we thought,” was the owner’s comment.

“The first men texting me congratulations were Mikey and Tim Kelleher, who sold me the horse.”

Pancam Dynasty broke a hobble in the race, which usually means certain defeat. Luckily, the piece of equipment snapped in a harmless place and the son of Foreclosure had the gait and temperament to keep at it. Sterner tests lie ahead.

Proceedings closed with John Richardson bringing up a double with Kaline Des Raques in the A to E trot.

“I’m only feeling my way with him as he came in late last year. I’ll probably use a martingale, as he threw his head up leaving the gate, but he seems straightforward.”

The €1,100 for the winner will buy said martingale with change left over.

Frydao de Missy was second for Sean Kane, while Gamin Marindais put in a nice round of trotting for Portavogie-based George McCormack in third. 2.09 was the clock.

That great supporter of the art of breeding skewbald pacers, Clive Cullen, looks to have unearthed a nice sort in the shape of Airlie Beach, a three-year-old by Bill Donovan’s Cattlewash out of a Sweet Lou mare, who in turn goes back to White Flame.

Airlie Beach won her qualifier easily in 2.07 against admittedly inexperienced opposition.

The ‘pinto pacer’ was driven by John Richardson, a case of history repeating itself, as John’s father raced the coloured mare Miss Leroy in the early days.