Lyre Saturday

DUC d’Arry made it three wins on the bounce when landing the top-grade trot at Lyre on Saturday afternoon.

Owned and trained by Denis O’Reilly from Drimoleague, he was quickly into pole position. Heading out on the final lap, Graal Du Dollar had closed in on the leader and looked a winner, but went off stride in the final 100 yards, giving back the initiative to Duc d’Arry. James O’Driscoll was in the driving seat for his initial win under rules.

It was a good day for the O’Reilly family, as Biggins owned by Chris O’Reilly, a brother of Denis, landed the spoils in the ultra-competitive, high-grade pace. As in recent weeks, this race produced the best finish of the day.

Biggins and Teddy Camden set the early fractions with Get Me Out Of Here. On the second lap, Teddy Camden led, but only two lengths covered the field of five pacers. Turning for home, there were four horses across the track and space was at a premium.

On the dash to the line, Biggins got the better of Get Me Out Of Here by a nose, with Teddy Camden a neck back in third.

“He wasn’t 100% right in the last few weeks. I had him to two different vets and we got to bottom of a little niggling issue,” Chris O’Reilly was quoted after racing.

The second leg of the Liam Wallace Next Generation Pace for young drivers went the way of Always B Puffing with John Boy Roche in the bike. Someone’s Fantasy led for most of the journey. At the two-furlong pole, Benny Camden joined issue and led turning for home, but Always B Puffing fought back gamely to get up by half a length. The winner is jointly owned by Joe Gannon and the Roche brothers from Cloughran, Co Dublin.

Winner’s enclosure

The Roche boys were back in the winner’s enclosure once again when For afewpearlsmore was an easy winner of the HSI/DAFM Future Broodmares’ Pace. Anglesey Hall led with IB Felicity in company. All the while, Billy Roche had For afewpearlsmore covered up. The well-gambled six-year-old was produced in the final 200 yards and won by an ever-widening four lengths. The winner is owned and trained by Myles Connors from Newbridge.

Hotesse Du Chassin was all the rage in the Future Broodmares’ Trot (evens to 4/9), but punters knew their fate early as this one went off stride. Jalexia Scott was left in front.

Nothing much changed until Inspire Me made a race-winning move on the back straight and, despite a late rally from Comete des Landes, won by a length. The winner is owned by John Healy from Dunmanway and was driven with confidence by Schull-based Mike O‘Mahony.

Irish Good Dream has been a model of consistency for Niall Forbes from Drimoleague and got an overdue success in the Grade F to E trot. Forbes was not hanging around here and led from the start. The pairing never looked in any sort of danger beating Hippie Sisu by two lengths.

Eoin Murphy from Baltimore got his customary winner in the Grade G to G2 Pace. Greenhill Gracielou led by two lengths good turning for home. But Murphy on IB Espresso had the leader well in his radar and passed him in the final furlong to win by three lengths. The winner is owned by the IB Stables in Baltimore and trained at that facility by Tadhg Murphy.

Robbie Maguire from Kilmallock teamed up with his grandfather John Boyle to take the concluding Grade F and E Pace with Streams Of Whiskey. Maguire got to the front and set all the right fractions. The Doneraile runner held on by a half a length from Ayr Harbour, who only saw daylight late after encountering traffic.

Racing continues in Lyre next Saturday, July 19th at 2.30pm.