THE stable previews this week emphasise the countrywide appeal of harness racing, as we hear from the northernmost and most southerly barns in the land.
Walter Stewart is based in the county town of Coleraine in Derry, where he is in the car trade. Finbar Quill races out of the Kingdom of Kerry. He runs a successful knitwear and giftware chain from his base in Kenmare.
The two stables may be separated by 400 miles but they are similar in that they always turn out well prepared horses. Walter (69) has trained a succession of champions from Elwy Bill to Lakeside Fox, his personal favourite Boldrum Buddy and racehorse, now sire For A Few Dollars More.
Finbar (58) and his much-missed wife Rose have produced four fine sons and racehorses like Awesome Dude, King Wills Arrival, Eva Dairpet who was sold to the USA and Irish record holder Pans Landing.
Ready early
Walter Stewart has always been known to have his horses ready early in the season. He starts them off on the quiet roads near Coleraine and uses beautiful Benone strand as the work gets stiffer.
His main assistant these days is the irrepressible Lawrence (38) who is proving to be a real ladies’ man, having trained the leading mare in Ireland in the past four seasons.
“Our highlight of last year was Lawrence doing so well with Skye.”
I ask again, in print, should the IHRA not organise a few trophies or plaques for horse of the year, mare of the year etc?
Walter told The Irish Field about four horses he has in work.
Always Skye (Ire)
7yo m Always B Miki – Blissful Beauty
She is out of my cousin Lawrence’s good mare. She won the most races by any pacing mare in 2025 and 2024. She clocked around 1.57 in her final win of 2025. She is a kindly filly to be around.
Big Bets (USA)
5yo g Betting Line – Yankee Lover
He is a big rugged horse and has taken time to come to himself. He is getting five miles a day like all of ours and a day off on a Monday. He has paced in 2.01 and wasn’t disgraced when second on grass in Cork.
Coalford Look At Me (GB)
3yo f Henry Hill – Coalford See
We train her for Sean Duggan from Tyrone. Sean knocked some fun out of her last year, winning the Breeder’s Crown and second at the VDM. She is not overly big but she’s very clever. They’ll aim her at the IHRA series, it’s good money.
Chase The Dollar (Ire)
3yo g For A Few Dollars More – Katie Jaspe
He is out of the same mare as Lets Get To It. He is still a bit green but was expertly broken by my friend Mick Lord near York. The sire gets racehorses.
Walter also owns Coalford Spellbound with his cousin Jim and son Jimmy, a two-year-old filly trained by longtime ally Paddy Kane. She is out of a sister to Louisville.
FINBAR Quill is invigorated by the upcoming new hard surface track at Lyre when speaking to The Irish Field during the week. Latest reports are that the outline can plainly be seen at the site.
“Full marks to Bill Donovan of Florida who put hundreds of thousands into our grass venues but at the same time he was constantly cajoling us to build a hard track. ‘You can’t grow the sport racing on fields only,’ was Bill’s opinion. It’s crucial that we all get behind the new venture - I’ll be bringing young horses home from England.”
“My son Finbar will buy a French trotter for the new place. My other son Seamus trains five in Canada for Bill (Donovan). Bill just asks that you get the best out of each horse.
“Our best moment of 2025 was Immodesto winning in Ballabuidhe it’s a great meeting.”
Finbar mentioned three that he trains before work every day.
Immodesto (Fr)
8yo g Soleil d’Enfer – Quoncertina
He is a genuine horse. We took him to Britain in 2025 with good results. It doesn’t faze him to travel five or six hours. He’ll wear an ear hood and a Titanium mask to keep him calm.
Joy Street (Fr)
7yo m Very Well Jet – Oxford Street
She came in late in 2025 and we are still feeling our way. She was second at Annaghmore. She’ll have more stamina than speed. She’ll need aluminiums (plates) in front and steels behind as she hits herself. Lucky enough my son Oisin is a farrier.
Destin De Larre (Fr)
13yo g Saxon De Vandal- Last Action
What more can I say about him? He has been some servant over seven years. He is one of the family favourites to ever stand in this yard. He has had no vets bills as such. He is a solid racehorse who has won multiple races at smaller tracks. This will probably be his last year although he still thrives on racing.
Finbar added that he owns Oakwood Dessie and Oakwood Maggie with Andrew Cains at York, ‘an old school horseman’. Both have been brought along gently. Dessie will go to Appleby and Musselburgh before hopefully racing at Finbar’s pet project; Lyre.
BELATED congratulations to Meath-based Patrick Kane jnr who came fourth in the opening leg of the “Mediterranean and Black Sea region” drivers’ championship in Malta on April 19th. The race was the first heat of a four-leg series which will run in southern Italy and Sicily this summer.
“I drew a decent horse but also a tough post position,” explained Patrick, “if anything their prize money is less than ours but the set-up is so professional.”
SPEAKING of drivers’ championships, the Irish Harness Racing Association recently publicised that the 2026 European Trotting Union Apprentice Drivers Championship will take place at Dundalk Stadium on Sunday, August 23rd this year.
Ireland being granted this event is recognition of chairman Mark Flanagan’s constant promotion of this country as a legitimate player on the multi-million European scene. The IHRA statement announced that the event will bring competitors, supporters and officials from all over Europe to the modern Dundalk facility.