Alan Wallace, Cloghran, Co Dublin
The Wallaces of Newtown Stud, right under the flight path at Dublin Airport have been one of the most successful yards at Portmarnock since the track opened in 1968. Grandfather Liam was the man to beat in the 1970s and his son Alan carried on the mantle at the White House Raceway in the 1980s and indeed anywhere that harness racing has been held in Ireland.
As he looks forward to the 2018 season Alan has some nice young stock to look forward to. The barn houses a couple of Foreclosure two-year-olds. In the human racing stock, Alan’s younger son Stephen (19) will get more drives this season and Alan jnr (34) will also carry on the family tradition.
Alan highlighted three pacers and two trotteurs francais as his ones to watch in 2018.
TROTTERS
BICOSAN (FR)
7yo g Quick Wood – Jicosane
As you can tell from the letter ‘B’ at the beginning of their names, I have a couple of seven-year-olds. They couldn’t be more different. This gelding is a walking tack shop. He wears two pairs of bell boots, boots behind, a hood, ear plugs... the whole lot. Despite all that he is pretty sensible and Stephen will drive him. He has two wins in France and I was very taken with his action when I saw him over there.
BELINA ROYALE (FR)
7yo m Dan Des Sarts - Pelina Royale
She’s a sweet sort with a white face and two white hindlegs. She’s the opposite in the way she’s geared. She wears racing bandages and goes in a ‘Tom Thumb’ bit. A three-year-old could drive her. The connections in France are very keen that horses go to Ireland as opposed to one of the Mediterranean markets. The French think our climate is kind to a horse and we are getting good compliments about how we look after our runners.
PACERS
NEWTOWN ROSE (IRE)
2yo f Foreclosure – Hannah M
These are the first crop in this country of Foreclosure p,4 1.48.4 ($ 807,746) although he has got off to a great start with the foals he left in the States. If she’s good enough we’ll supplement to the Delaney Fillies division.
NEWTOWN SHADOW (USA)
3yo g Shadow Play – Onyx Killeen
My father had a notion to keep him entire as he loves the Shadow Play bloodline. However, I got my way and he’s now gelded. Getting him cut will be the making of him. The dam won the Grass Roots series in Canada.
NEWTOWN REVENGE (USA)
3yo g Mach 3 – Hannah M
He’s also two stones lighter this year and he has turned inside out. Mach 3 p, 1.49 $ 2,366,700 was from the family of Direct Scooter, the boss is very keen on a bit of Direct Scooter blood. We still have the dam who is closely related to Art Official who paced 1.47 and won two million dollars.
Walter Stewart, Coleraine Co Derry.
You’ll go a long way to find healthier horses than those in Walter’s small but select yard.
Walter is a great advocate of training on the beach and uses the endless strand up at Downhill.
The Stewart runners are all as fit as a fighting cock. The team this year is wholly pacers.
PACERS
LADYFORD DOLLAR (GB)
2yo g For A Few Dollars More – Ladyford Ideal
He’s from the first crop of my own stallion For A Few Dollars More. I think ‘Dollar’ will be as good at stud as he was on the track.
We sent this colt to John Gill at York. He is 15.2hh which is a nice height for a pacer. I’m 50/50 with my cousin Jim Stewart from Kendal and you can tell that the Gills like this colt.
LADYFORD JIM (GB)
3yo g Kikicolt – Three Men Dreamin
The mother is by Real Artist and went 1.51 herself. He’s going nicely but the Easter opening meeting will come a bit too soon for him. He’s another one we own with Jim Stewart.
Jim bred Ladyford Lad (27 career wins) and the Musselburgh winner Just Decision so he’s a good man to be in with.
KIKIS DECISION (IRE)
3yo f Kikicolt – Ballyhill Decision
This filly was bred by my great friend Jim Graham of Belfast.
Jim won loads of races with the dam. Fleet Decision is a fantastic sire of broodmares so here’s hoping.
PORTERSTOWN COURAGE (USA)
6yo Cams Cardshark – Our Commitment
I’ve persevered with him from a yearling and it was only last season that he started to click.
I’ll drive him myself.
We jog him on the roads near Ballyrashane and he’s part of the family now.
Tadhg and Donal Murphy, Baltimore Co Cork.
A total of 375 miles down the road from Walter’s Coleraine base lies the yard of the Murphy brothers at Innisbeg, Baltimore. Such is the Murphy’s strike rate that certain bookies are rumoured to hold a voodoo doll of Donal.
Tadhg was his usual articulate self when I asked him about his prospects for this year.
TROTTERS
TENOR MESLOIS (FR)
10yo g Ganymede - Ingenositie
You’re never going to improve a horse a lot that comes from the Evans’ in Tregaron. As we suspected, Gwenan and Rhys had looked after him well. He’s been a right cash cow for the Rooneys from Ardee and Angelo Hannon. There’s another season’s sport in Tenor Meslois.
ALINEKA DARCHE (FR)
8yo m Infant de Bossis – Kalinka du Louvet.
She has blinding speed but makes the odd mistake. She has jumped on a couple of occasions when we really fancied her, but that’s racing.
She’s owned by a local fisherman, Donal Finn, and he is a good sportsman.
PACERS
CLOUDS IN MY COFFEE (USA)
2yo f Western Ideal – Dreamlands Latte
Another high profile one we have for Bill Donovan of Florida. She’s a wee bit behind because we were a bit late breaking her but she’s a typical US bred, they’ll pace in the meadow with their mother. Her full brother clocked 1.50.
RECLAMATION (USA)
3yo f A Rock n Roll Dance – Art Sale
Another one of Bill’s and the one animal everyone asks about. She broke in the VDM final last year. I’m not saying we’d have beaten the winner (Robyn Camden / Jonny Dunne) but the mistake didn’t help. Lets just hope both fillies turn up for a rematch this August.
SUNNYSIDE UNIQUE (IRE)
4yo g Rogue Hall – Maynooth
He is owned by Sean Buckley who is from the less exotic address of Bantry. Sean had good fun with his brother Sunnyside Kildare and he never misses The Irish Field. He will be a player at the Red John Memorial.
We remind readers that entries for the Red John (June 16th/17th) close on March 15th. With €100,000 up for grabs over the weekend.