WHILE on the subject of West Cork this week, we’ll have a look at the Innis Beg Stables of Tadhg and Donal Murphy. The brothers are the most successful outfit to race out of the region.
Economics and the red tape associated with travelling horses nowadays may have cut back their forays to Britain, but Murphy runners have crossed the line in front at Appleby, Tregaron, Boughrood and Tir Prince to name but a few.
The brothers enjoyed a formidable alliance with Bill Donovan of Florida, sharing various winners with the transport magnate.
“We had 20 winners in 2025, all in Ireland,” said Tadhg (‘50-something’ according to him) during the week.
“You’d have to be happy with that. My son Eoin (22) is driving more of our runners and he is continually improving. We have an older squad of horses for 2026 with at least one animal who will relish the hard track at Lyre.”
Here follows three trotters and three pacers, who will get their foundation overlooking the Ilen estuary, home also to Olympic oarsmen.
Homa (Fr)
9yo m Kaisy Dream - Taloma
She is owned by Aidan Hayes, a great supporter of ours. We gave her to Ciaran Morrison to train last year as she prefers a hard track. Ciaran got a great tune out of her. The new place should be right up her street.
IB Queen Bee (Ire)
3yo f Cattlewash - Jill and Jones
Bill Donovan, who has been a major benefactor to Irish trotting, owned the sire. She is doing everything right.
Hippie Sizu (Fr)
9yo m Roc Meslois - Balade d’Amour
She won at the Ballabuidhe festival, which has enjoyed a revival in recent seasons and is a great place to win. She is owned by Angelo Hannon, who recently celebrated 10 years as the landlord of the Village Inn, Inniskeane. She is straightforward to train.
Anglesey Hall (GB)
5yo m Hasty Hall - Anglesey Dawn
Eoin and a few friends bought her as a syndicate. They got their fun as she won four races last season. A solid, dependable filly.
IB Paddington (Ire)
9yo g Foreclosure - Annies Lady
He has been a great servant and got better with age. He won the George Deane Memorial. He’ll tip away in open company.
Comete Des Landes (Fr)
14yo m New Des Landes - Ouvea Du Vivier
She was a first venture into harness racing by Thomond O’Mara and John Madigan, both of whom would be seen at Galway or the Curragh. They were charmed as she won good races every year that she campaigned. She can be tough to jog.
AT the other end of the country, Kevin Corey’s yard is set in an equally dramatic location. The haulage contractor has a farm behind the Cave Hill of Belfast and overlooking Belfast Lough.
Just like Eoin Murphy, young Adam Corey (20) is part of the chasing pack of young drivers anxious to knock Patrick Kane jnr off his throne. Bad news, guys, Patrick is no bigger than 4/5 to retain his title, but the race for second place could be interesting.
The Coreys lost the family patriarch Seamus last May. Old ladies have a saying when a baby is born into a family shortly after a death, ‘he brought his name with him’, as the newborn gets the obvious name. Kevin’s three-year-old filly was easily named as she is by Cattlewash and the late Seamus’ father was, wait for it... a cattle drover.
“My highlight of last season was the form of Isba Quick. She won seven races and €18,000. She was unluckily beaten in the final of the Maven Trot, one of our most prestigious races.
“My wife Maguerite is a big part of our success. I think if the IHRA get their Tote licence, it will transform the sport.”
Isba Quick would seem to be the apple of Kevin’s eye, as she is the first of four that he mentions. I detect a sense of expectation around Cattle Drover as well. Watch this page between now and November for progress reports.
Isba Quick (Fr)
8yo m Akim Du Cap Vert - Tessa Quick
The association buys a draft of horses and we draw out of a hat. We landed on our feet with her. She is a cracking big mare. She deserved her winter break as she had raced for three consecutive seasons in France.
She will be higher up the handicap this year, but I think she is able for it. She has been in my water walker a lot, as we had to resurface our track.
Extrem Ryld (Fr)
12yo g Pagalor - Minette Florett
The old warrior. We got him from our cousin Kevin Rafferty and the deal was he was to be retired. I started fiddling with him and when I got him sound, he went ‘boom!’. He is unfortunate to be in the same grade as Harry Knows, but he is as good as the rest of them. You watched the race with me last season when he came from stone last to win.
Arts Princess (Ire)
6yo m Sweet Lou - Art N Soul
She was some juvenile and then lost her way a bit. We worked on the angles of her hind feet. I have good faith in our farrier Paul Traynor.
Cattle Drover (Ire)
3yo m Cattlewash - Art N Soul
The last foal the mare had before I lost her. This filly is named for my father. Allan Wallace broke her at two and we left her alone to grow up. She goes straight, needs no boots so far and will do her first piece of fast work this week. She is an exciting project for sure.
THERE is a sense of optimism around Irish harness racing as the May 3rd opening date comes closer.
Contractors started work on the new ‘hard’ track at Lyre just after the Easter bank holiday, a project which has been a decade in the making.
Irish Harness Racing Association chairman Mark Flanagan and his committee have stuck to the task tenaciously.
The corridors of Leinster House and offices of planners and government departments must have felt like ‘one step forwards, two steps back’ at times, so it’s great that a tangible facility looks to be in sight. Should any government ministers be reading, the sport is crying out for a base near Dublin as well.