The card at Annaghmore last Saturday looked ordinary enough on paper yet the meeting provided some decent performances.
A 2m 01.4 pillar to post victory for the popular pinto pacer Cinderella Man, another win for young Eoin Joyce and the obligatory sub two-minute mile from Springhill Biscuit were the highlights.
Race one was marred by an ugly looking spill at the start. Ithon Kestrel and Fairdays Star both fell, but fortunately all parties were reported unhurt. These horses (according to the rules) did not go in the re-run.
The resulting contest produced the closest finish of the day when Newtown Major (Allan Wallace) nailed the pacemaker Springhill Artiste (Billy Roche) on the line in 2m 04.4s.
The second race was awarded in the stewards room after first-past-the-post Credit Crunch was adjudged to have gone onto the grass inside the track proper. Therefore,the Hannahstown-owned Amy Camden with owner/driver Michael Finnegan took the honours. 2m 03.5s was the official time for this lovely prospect.
Cinderella Man stamped his authority on the Grade E and F. Very few coloured pacers can mix it in open company. His handful of wins on the track and the time of 2m 01.4s mean that the grey and white stallion will have a busy book of mares when his racing days are over. Donegal man Hugh Friel was second with Coalford Hardy, only in the yard a few weeks.
First season driver Eoin Joyce continued his rich vein of form when he led out, and made all aboard Streamside Star. Useful benchmark Belfast Cam showed improved form, five lengths adrift in second, but there was no catching the young Dub.
If they raced eight days a week then Springhill Biscuit would go just under two minutes eight times. In his 50 years in the sport Joe Sheridan has had few charges as consistent. Omeath-based Martin Loughran gets a great tune out of the gelded son of Best Sunshine. Dungiven runner Astounding (Kyle McSparran) was runner-up in 1m 58.9.
Similarly, Brenda Hudson has the key to Rol d’Avignere although, like a lot of ‘square’ trotters, he can be unpredictable. No such worries on Saturday though as the perennial leading lady guided Russell and Dunne’s gelding to take the 12 furlong trot over the Comber runner Typhee (North Lucas). 3m 09.2s was a fair clip off a 40-yard trail.
BALLABUIDHE
There has been a long tradition of a big meeting held in Dunmanway on the August Bank Holiday weekend.
Known as the Ballabuidhe races, the meeting runs alongside a fair and features both harness and galloping races.
The Coman/Murphys Brewery-sponsored Grand Prix went to Pete Hill’s Hail Spartacus, who overcame warm-order favourite Cruise Howard (Timmy O’Leary) in the final. The favourite actually led before Hill’s home-bred came through.
The weekend’s other feature, the Connolly Memorial, saw the familiar sight of a Murphy-trained winner when Donal Murphy guided home Sean Buckley’s Sunnyside Kildare.
The win here will do stable confidence no harm; the Murphys also handle Diamond Creek Delaney Fillies contender IB Coyote.
Ballabuidhe also provided a heat win for John Boyle, the oldest driver on the Cork circuit, with his own Supreme Sunshine.
Mikey Kelleher followed-up his day one heat win aboard Pan Cam Drift when he took a French Trot with Adagio Du Cebe, who has proved to be a grand breadwinner for the Macroom yard.
The higher grade French Trot went to Goggin, the boy from Goleen, as Mick won with the well-travelled Rocky Atout.
WEEKEND
The action this weekend is Annaghmore (NI) Saturday 3pm, Portmarnock Sunday 3pm and Manch (Cork) Sunday 3pm. These meetings will be the calm before the storm as the weekend of August 13th and 14th is ‘Delaney Weekend’ at Portmarnock.
If you haven’t seen trotting before then this would be some introduction as very race is keenly contested. There will be runners from England, Scotland and Wales and drivers from the US, Australia and New Zealand.
In next week’s edition of The Irish Field we will feature the thoughts and hopes of all of the leading trainers going into the two day festival.
RESULTS
SATURDAY JULY 30th
Race 1: 1. Newtown Major/A Wallace 2 Springhill Artiste/B Roche, 3 Mr Jangles/D Mc Taggart. Dist Sh hd Time 2.04.9
Race 2: 1 Amy Camden /M Finnegan 2 Cool Dragon/M Loughran 3 Talavary Fegan/K Carlin Dist 4l 2l Time 2.03.5
Race 3: 1 Cinderella Man/B Roche 2 Coalford Hard/ H Friel 3 Mystical Carbs/E Hanson Dist 2l 1l Time 2.01.4
Race 4: 1 Steamside Star/E Joyce, 2 Belfast Cam/Patterson 3 Coalford Commander/M Loughran Dist: 5ll 5l Time 2.01.
Race 5: 1 Springhill Biscuit/M Loughran 2 Astounding/K McSparran, 3 Mahogany Montana/K Corey.Dist: 5l 2l Time 1.58.9
Race 6: 1 Rol d’Avignere/B Hudson 2 Typhee/N Lucas Dist: 4l Time 3.09.7
BALLABUIDHE
RESULTS SUNDAY/TUESDAY
July 31st/Aug 1st
DAY ONE
MURPHY STOUT & CAMON BEVERAGES GRAND PRIX (Three to Qualify) Heat One: 1. Supreme Sunshine J Boyle, 2. Lakeview Walter/M O’Reilly, 3. IB Maximus/T Murphy, Dist: 4l 2l 6 Ran
Heat Two: 1. Cruise Howard/T O’Leary, 2. Rhyds Trixter/T Murphy, 3. Hail Spartacus/P Hill, Dist: 6l 2l 7 Ran
PADDY CONNOLLY MEMORIAL (Two to Qualify) Heat One: 1. Pan Cam Drift/M Kelleher, 2. Brynwins Starship/M Healy, 3. Tyson Howard/N Forbes. Dist: 2 1/2l 6l 6 Ran
Heat Two: 1. Sunnyside Kildare/D Murphy, 2. Llwyns Allstar M O’Brien, 3. Ringo Lady/T O’Reilly. Dist: 8l 12l 5 Ran
Heat Three: 1. Gadgie Pan/J Manning Jnr, 2. The Hitman/K Sheehy, 3. Mr Security/M O’Donovan. Dist: NK 2 1/2l 6 Ran
DAY TWO
RESULTS
Murphys/ Coman Beverages Grand Prix final: 1. Hail Spartacus/P Hill, 2. Supreme Sunshine/J Boyle, 3. Cruise Howard/T O’Leary. Dist: 4l 3l 6 Ran
Paddy Connolly Memorial Final: 1. Sunnyside Kildare/D Murphy, 2. Supreme Sunshine/J Boyle, 3. Brywins Starship/M Healy, Dist 3l 3l 6 Ran
Grade G Pace (Div One): 1, See You Later/J O’Reilly, 2. Ib A Magician/D Murphy, 3. Moorside Charlie/J O’Mahony, Dist: 1l 10l 7 Ran
Grade G Pace (Div Two): 1. I Told You So/M O’Reilly, 2. Hawthorns Omerta/J O’Reilly, 3. Keyan/P McInerney, Dist: 2l 2l 5 Ran
Grade G & G1 Pace: 1. Armoured Bear/J Boyle, 2. Lakeview Panam/D Murphy, 3. Heather Breeze/S Jennings, Dist: 2l 10l 5 Ran
Le Trot Low Grade: 1. Adagio De Cebe/M Kelleher, 2. Valliant Forgion/M Goggin, 3. Une De Riox/T O’Leary, Dist; 12l 4 Ran
Le Trot High Grade: 1. Rocky Atout/M Goggin Jnr, 2. Silvano Bello/D Murphy, 3 Aubae A Helene/P Hill, Dist: 2l 2l 4 Ran
Open Pace (Div One): 1. Tyyson Howard/J Manning Jnr, 2. Ringo Lady/T O’Reilly, 3. Vyrnwy Terror/M O’Brien, Dist: 2l HD 5 Ran
Open Pace (Div Two): 1. IB Mohican/S Quill, 2. Western Dreamer/PJ Cleary, 3. Rhyds Heartbeat/D Murphy, Dist: 3l 1l 4 Ran