THE weekend of August 2nd to 4th will see two keenly-contested harness racing events on opposite sides of the Atlantic.

The world’s best-known harness track, The Meadowlands in New Jersey, will host the 100th renewal of the $1.2 million Hambletonian Stakes and Oaks for $600,000, the highest honours for three-year-old trotters, on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Dromleana Lawn, Dunmanway, communally owned for the local show and regular harness racing fixtures, will stage the 2025 Ballabuidhe Festival over Sunday and Monday.

The New Jersey showpiece might dwarf the Dunmanway festival, but Jeff Gural’s magnificent complex was only a dusty prairie when the ‘Aonoch Mór’ or Big Fair began in 1614.

We look at two very different high feasts.

In the same way that modern thoroughbreds trace back to the three founding Arabians, all of the world’s Standardbreds descend from Hambletonian (f.1849), effectively a thoroughbred, but who showed the ability to trot fast.

American and British breeding records at that time show much duplication or similarity in names. The founding father is sometimes known as Hambletonian 10, also Rysdyk’s Hambletonian, after the stable hand who shelled out €125 for his dam with a foal at foot.

Hambletonian was bred by Jonas Seeley at Sugar Loaf, New York.

He was a great grandson of Messenger, an English thoroughbred still commemorated in a major pacing race.

It is incredible to think that with the current world pacing record standing at 1.46, Hambletonian’s best recorded time was 2.48.

In the breeding shed he was busier. A total of 1,331 foals to 1,900 mares sprang from his loins. He died in 1814 at 26. If you have ever wondered where trotters get those ‘fine’ heads, look no further.

Handsome is as handsome does. Ayroplane, Coalford Annabelle and Tattoo Artist owe their existence to Hambletonian, a legacy as old as America itself.

Rich history

The first Hambletonian Stake was won by Guy McKinney at Syracuse, New York, in 1926.

Nowadays, the great race is administered by The Hambletonian Society with the renowned former champion driver John Campbell at the helm.

The venue has also been at Goshen, New York and Du Quoin, Illinois before moving to The Meadowlands in 1981.

The 1934 Hambletonian winner Lord Jim with connections and driver ‘Doc’ Parshall \ USTA Hall of Fame / Trotting Museum.

The Americans sometimes call the race ‘The Hambo’. As befits a 100-year-old race there are many stories.

The 1929 winner Walter Dear was exported to France and ‘lost’ during World War II.

The beautiful Greyhound was the 1935 winner. Hoot Mon, whose son Special D raced in Ireland, won the 1946 edition.

In 1953, harness racing’s original good guy Del Miller gave the winning drive on Helicopter to his assistant Harry Harvey. Both men visited Portmarnock Raceway on separate occasions.

In 1968, Nevele Pride, famous as a vicious biter, was victorious with Stanley Dancer. The 1980 running saw emotional scenes as Billy Haughton won with Burgomeister, the colt prepped by his son Peter before a car crash ended his life.

In 1987, Mac Lobell got his name on the massive trophy.

Vivid Photo took Roger Hammer from the county fairs of Pennsylvania to the sport’s pinnacle in 2005.

Swedish born, New Jersey-based trainer Nancy Takter won with Tactical Approach in 2023 and Karl in 2024.

The Hambletonian Society website will guide you to live and recorded broadcasts.

2025 movers and shakers

Trainer Marcus Melander and driver Dexter Dunn (winner of a VDM with IB Coyote) will have two chances with Super Chapter and Maryland. Todd McCarthy will probably drive Go Dog Go.

The hugely respected Swede, Ake Svanstedt, trains and drives Gap Kronos.

With thanks to Moira Fanning, Hambletonian Society (USA).

Troy McAleer leads at Ballabuidhe in 2024 – he is going for a four timer this year.

THE Ballabuidhe racing festival will be held Sunday and Monday, August 3rd and 4th. The meeting has traditionally been one of the highlights on the Cork circuit. Happily, Dublin and Ulster entries have increased again in recent years.

The original horse fair has survived since 1614 and runs from the Tuesday evening through to Wednesday daytime. As with all such fairs, this form of horse-trading is on the wane.

Murphys Stout and Hurley and White Builders are the major sponsors of the racing. The race programme has a list of local benefactors as long as your arm.

In the 1980s and 1990s the Murphys Brewery Grand Prix and the Paddy Connolly Memorial were the things to win.

“If you didn’t win one of the big finals you had another chance in the Golden Mile,” explains Ger Kane. Old Paddy Kane himself sold dozens of horses to the Cork region, each one with a description which may not have passed trading standards regulations. Yet the customers came back.

I raced TH Style five times in three days, and he won three of them,” recalls Ger. “My late brother Jason fell with Wehens Dream, got back up and won.” Horses earned their corn in Ger’s youth.

Limed Hazard, Sly Ville, Blackwell Peter and Saunders Spirit all won big pots at the venue. Bye Chance and Governor George were hard to beat.

Master at this track

Sam Jennings is said to have been a master at this track. Paddy Manning of Limerick won many races at the big weekend.

Unfortunately, the organisers have no choice but to race over a road crossing at two points on the track.

This is no place for a horse prone to the odd break.

At one time, pony ‘flapping’ was also part of the racecard. Surely a few gallopers would only help to swell the crowd nowadays?

The field has a natural escarpment which makes a fine grandstand. If you travel to Dunmanway on the bank holiday, you will see harness racing at its best.

We asked a few well-known figures for their favourite Ballabuidhe memories.

Tim Kelleher, Macroom: “Winning the Grand Prix with Flashdance and my mother accepting the trophy.”

Alan Wallace, Kinsealy: “I collided with a telegraph pole in a race. The pole came out of it better than I did.”

Jeremiah O’ Mahony, Dunmanway (track manager): “Last year was special for me with Lieutenant Dan winning, also Mary Kane’s mare, Hot To Trot.”

Eoin Murphy, Baltimore: “Winning the Grand Prix last year with Ayr Harbour was a big thing for me.”

John Roche, Kinsealy: “I bred Hot To Trot and she won the trot final last year. I drove my finish a lap too soon when I was a young fella, it wasn’t funny at the time.”

Angelo Hannon, Enniskeane: “We did a double with IB Gucci and Jill And Jones around 2012. I remember a few tussles with Harry Findlay, the well-known gambler.”

Mark Kane, Summerhill: “We emptied the bookies’ satchels when Immortal John won. We spent the proceeds in the local pubs though”.

Troy McAleer, St Margarets: “We have won the last three Paddy Connolly Memorials. We’ll be there in 2025.”

Tadgh Murphy, Baltimore: “I won loads of saddle races as a young rider. Precious Fella winning the All-Ireland sulky race is a nice memory.”