Annaghmore Sunday
ANNAGHMORE Raceway last Sunday saw two heartwarming moments.
Just as in all forms of equestrian sport, it is getting harder for the ‘small man’ to compete. Full marks to Stephen McHugh from Bailieboro, Cavan who upset the odds by winning the Grade G pace with his home-bred Woodview Rogue.
Certainly the 5/2 winner was helped when the favourite Last Man Standing (Troy McAleer) bubbled at the start but there was a lot to like about the way the little son of Kikikolt kept finding a bit.
“My wife Ashling put some time into this fellah,” said Stephen. Ashling was heard to ask the official photographer for, “another one with just the four of us”. Ava (14) and Tadhg (8) will treasure the shot.
The Coreys from Glengormley lost their grandfather Seamus recently. The well-travelled orange and black colours were in the winner’s circle for the first time since the bereavement when Extrem Ryld (3/1) raced with his customary toughness to win the Grade C to D trot with young Adam Corey.
Later in the afternoon the family made it known that it was 39 years to the day since Seamus’ favourite achievement, a 2.03.8 win aboard Sly Misty at Whitehouse Raceway. You couldn’t make it up.
Ilda Manchotte (Martin Loughran for Kyle Hayes) trotted well for a runners-up medal, pardon the pun.
Harry Knows’ dominance in the top-grade trot is so obvious that it no longer makes the headline when he trails 50 yards and wins by almost as far. As so often before, Patrick Kane let the son of Armstrong Jet nibble away at the head start and then let him roll for the last quarter. A 3.09 was the official time, more like 3.05 “off his mark”.
Renewed vigour
Calvin Broughan hit a flat spell for a couple of seasons after he was the top apprentice. The Cabra man is driving with renewed vigour at the moment. He was seen to good effect in the Grade E to F trot, letting old Epsom De Corvees (5/2 to 7/4) find his rhythm.
“Epsom doesn’t get enough credit,” said Fermanagh-based owner Darren Timlin. “I think that’s his 40th win.” Very few Trotteur Français rack up 40 wins so a big bien joué to the 11-year-old who has raced solely in Ireland.
Patrick Kane jnr must have thought that his best chance with Bequest in the A to E pace was to make use of his gate speed. A quarter of 28.9 and a half in 58.9 put the race to bed. Jonny Cowden on Neville Martin’s Sweet Dreams put up some resistance but this was a facile win.
The win was part of a double for Patrick. Effectively the Kanes trained a winner for the Murphys over the weekend and the Murphys trained a winner for the Kanes.
The 13-year-old Cyclone De Couriere is like the proverbial fine wine and made it two from two in the Grade F trot for the McAleer yard in Randalstown. Daniel McAleer was in the bike, well supported by father Jim and sister Lucy.
Korassone d’Aborney was second for Jonny Cowden and Joe Sheridan and could be coming into form at the right time.
Bred in the purple
Oakwood Mick (Gavin Murdock - touched 5/4) is bred in the purple and has been placed in some strong races. He was entitled to beat a field of well-exposed types in the Grade F pace.
Owner Ruairi McNulty is not scared to race in England and Mick’s win from the ‘8 hole’ in a time of 1.59 might just have booked his place on the lorry heading to the VDM In Wales (August 10th).
There’s only one thing better than a decent three-year-old pacing filly to a Limerick man and that’s a skewbald decent three-year-old pacing filly.
Johhny Cross drove his own Sweet Royalty to make all in 2.02.6. The filly is worth a king’s ransom with a clock of 2.01 on her page and Sweet Lou as her sire.
Lieutenant Dan took his lifetime earnings to over €20,000 in the four-year-old trot for owners Kane and O’Mahony and regular pilot Sean Kane. A chesnut like his sire, he is easily the best of the Apprenti Sourciers in Ireland.
Lyre Friday
BALTIMORE-based reinsman Eoin Murphy drove three winners at Lyre on Friday night. Murphy set the ball rolling with Mike Healy’s Ayr Harbour in the Grade E to F pace.
At the half-mile marker, Here Get Me Out Of Here was sent to the front with Streams Of Whiskey and Ayr Harbour in behind. Turning for home, eased down. Conor Hurley trains.
Comete Des Landes gave Murphy his second win 20 minutes later in the D to R trot. Humour De Cosse was in front for most of the mile and a half contest but Comete Des Landes was waiting in the wings and hit the front in the final 200m to win by three lengths. The winner is trained by Eoin’s father Tadhg Murphy at their IB Stables.
Anglesey Hall made it three winners on the night for Murphy and completed a training double for Tadhg Murphy. Turning for home Anglesey Hall joined the leader IB Felicity. To her credit, Felicity did rally but Anglesey Hall held on for a one-length win in this Grade F affair.
The winner is owned by Paddy Kane from Trim in Co Meath. “Paddy left her down with us to get a bit more experience on grass in preparation for Ballabuidhe in two weeks’ time,” explained Tadhg Murphy.
John Richardson, the retained driver at Meadowbranch Stables, and from Blakes Cross in North Co Dublin, drove two winners on the night. Greenhill Gracie Lou, owned by Alan Davies from Wales, was in front after two furlongs of the Grade G pace. She was never in any danger, eventually beating Shut The Front Door by three lengths.
Cash All completed the Richardson brace in the top-grade pace.
The race was ultra-competitive. Two lengths covered the field at the half-mile pole. Down the back, Cash All came to tackle long-time leader Teddy Camden who fought back well. The race unfolded to a sprint finish in which Cash All prevailed by a length from the fast-finishing IB Paddington with Biggins a half a length back in third.
Messy start
The top-grade trot unfortunately suffered a rather messy start. Fina Mix led from Destin De Larre and Duc d’Arry. On the final circuit, Duc d’Arry laid down his challenge and got his head in front, but only just.
Turning for home, Fina Mix was not giving up and stayed on to win by two lengths for father-and-son team Finbar and Oisin Quill from Kenmare.
Jalexia Scott for Drimoleague-based publican Derry McCarthy recorded his first win on Irish soil in the Grade F trot. The race had several leaders. Irish Good Dream was in front on the final circuit and went five lengths clear with two furlongs to trot and looked to have slipped the field.
On the home straight, Jalexia Scott was now in full flight and ran out a five-length winner from Irish Good Dream.
McCarthy also co-owns Crosshill Diablo with Gareth Wyn Thomas from Wales. The gelding topped off Derry’s weekend by winning at the Kit Bousfield Memorial Meeting in Appleby on Sunday 20th.
The pacer is driven by Englishman Richard Haythorntwaite and trained by Sally Teebon in Derbyshire.
He was bred in Scotland so all the ‘home nations’ have a claim on him.
Weekend action
Racing continues in Lyre today and the following week sees the two-day Ballabuidhe Festival in Dunmanway on the August bank holiday weekend.
Annaghmore Raceway stages racing tomorrow. Results and racecards are at irishharnessracing.com. Replays are on the Irish Harness Racing Association YouTube channel.