SEAN Kane was the man to follow at Annaghmore last Sunday. The well travelled trainer/ driver posted a double on the six-race card in which lady driver Charlie Flanagan also scored aboard the 13-year-old mare Star De Fruitier.

The meeting was sparsely attended by spectators and some of the races were hard to fill. This was expected considering there were two bumper cards the weekend before.

Kane staged an upset of sorts on the opener, in which allowed Darren Timlin and the uneasy favourite Epsom De Corvees (1/2 to 4/5) to kick on at the half but held enough with his mare Etoile Quick to rally and get up late on. Later, Sean and the old faithful Soprano Gede upstaged the much younger Bingo Speed and Billy Roche in the right handed race.

John Richardson might wish he hadn’t taught the Flanagan girls so well over at Meadowbranch. Charlie Flanagan became the latest of Willie Flanagan’s daughters to beat JR as the daisy cutter Star De Fruitier held on grimly from Best Of Burois (Wayne Swindle) and the Meadowbranch number one driver on Umbratica.

JR had better luck as Meadowbranch Duke took a three-runner pace in 2.02. Sterner tests lie ahead for the son of Kikicolt. The McHugh brothers’ Eyes On The Prize was not disgraced in second.

Unfortunately Cyclone De Couriere’s former French owner Laura Bretaudeau picked a flat day to see her former charge race in Ireland. She got a result though as the big gelding toughed out a two wide trip as the pole horse Diablesse Jisce and Tiernan Loughran proved a tough pair to crack. Daniel Mc Ateer owns and drove the winner.

“He was up with the leader throughout and stayed on well,” said Bretaudeau. “It’s nice to see Cyclone ending up in a good home in Randalstown.”

Tiernan sat out the back on Rhyds Boots in the top grade pace. The teak tough gelding showed a great turn of foot for an 11-year-old to see off another veteran in the shape of nine-year-old President (Shane Howard).

Loughran reflected simply, saying: “He just keeps getting better.”

Results from Annaghmore and Cork can be seen at www.irishharnessracing.com

THE tireless Huw Evans of the Tregaron Trotting Club in Ceredigionshire has been in touch to say that the club are offering a £ 1,000 bonus for any horse which breaks the two-minute barrier at next weekend’s meeting. Irish raiders have a good record at the very flat field. The current track record is held by the Rocker Laidle- trained Evenwood Sonofagun who clocked 2.01.5 last year.