Two of the aims of these pre-season trainer profiles are to emphasise the rich history of harness racing in Ireland and also to report the sheer magnitude of the sport in many countries throughout the world.

If it’s history you are after, look no further than the fabled Murdock family from the Market area in Belfast. Clan patriarch Jim Murdock kindly loaned the Irish Field, at Horse Show time last year, a beautiful old photograph of his grandfather Henry Hawkins showing a standardbred at the RDS in 1907. Debates can wage between trotting men as to how long they are in the game, but few can produce such concrete proof. Wouldn’t you know the horse in the photo (Killarney) looks a sharp tool.

From an international aspect Jim’s nephew Ciaran Morrison is certainly the most successful trainer to emerge from this large family.

PLUM JOB

Having learned the ropes from uncle Harry Murdock, Ciaran landed one of the plum jobs in British harness racing, that of private trainer to the Mound family in North Wales.

When the Mounds decided to have a go on the larger North American scene, they trusted Ciaran to pre-train the regally bred stock at their new Canadian base. Within three seasons the Belfast man had prepped Lyons Sure Sign favourite for the $500,000 Little Brown Jug, run at Delaware, Ohio.

A bit like a last fence faller, Lyons Sure Sign looked all over the winner at the top of the straight in the 2015 renewal when an unforced break ended his chances. Leading driver Yannick Gingras took the blame, saying that he should not have taken a pull on three-year-old colt..

On a more positive note, in 2016 Ciaran branched out on his own and still managed to train the winners of $500,000. Happily there were still some Mound owned horses in his barn.

Back home in Belfast, the love of the sport and the spick and span level of their equine turnouts owes much to 84-year-old Jim Murdock. Although Jim himself never married, he is in many ways a real father figure to an army of nephews, nieces, grandnephews and grandnieces. Just to confuse non-family members, the Murdocks like to name babies, Jim, James, Joe and Ambrose as often as possible.

By day the family are primarily traders in fruit and vegetables, with a chain of stalls across markets in the north. In years gone by the goods were taken to the markets on horse-drawn carts. Jim the elder enjoys telling the story how his father and an uncle were coming back from an out-of-town market when a farmer admired their horse. The subject of price arose, and the brothers finished up towing the flat van back to the yard themselves that night while the horse had a new stable. “New money buys new goods,” is the philosophy.

Jim has an enviable horde of old photos between the yard in Verner Street and his dwelling house. Wiry and sharp featured, with an energy that would shame men many years his junior, he is a wealth of knowledge about the modern trotting revival on 1969. In the same way that the late Paddy Kane put last week’s subject the Kellehers from Macroom ‘into trade’ with Pendle Rajah, the legendary Dublin dealer also sold Jim and his late brother Joe, the aged black gelding Volunteer around 1968.

BEST EVER

The great Liam Wallace is on record as saying that Harry Murdock was the best he ever drove against. With the same raven black features as his son (present day trainer and driver Gavin), Harry used to give his backers heart failure every week when he was in his prime.

Out the back, off the pace and then come with a deadly flourish. He was always a treat to watch and he rarely got it wrong.

Harry’s older brother Brendan was also a top reinsman. In the 1970’s the Joe Harris Memorial was Ireland’s top race. Brendan was an able substitute when personal commitments ruled Harry out on the day of two separate finals. Billy Adios and Schell Pick were Brendan’s two Harris winners, Don Duan (later known as Abelguard) was Harry’s only Harris winner, even though he drove more frequently at that time.

Following Volunteer, the family always kept a good racehorse. Thunders Express and Saunders Rhythm were stars of the 1970s while around 1976 the late Joe bought the immortal Billy Adios.

The consistent chestnut was a heartbreaking runner-up at in the Famous Musselburgh Pace in 1978.

The winner Scottish Express had four seconds of an advantage in the handicap, having been perfectly placed all season.

Like Swales Forrest in Glasgow, Harvey Ashworth in Manchester and David Morton of Falkirk, the late Joe Murdock spent a lifetime trying to win the Famous Musselburgh Pace. The Belfast yard had a near miss in 1987 when Valiant Yankee was second in his heat with Harry in the bike. How proud Joe would have been when his nephews JP and Gavin eventually took the Holy Grail in 2013 with Springhill Alibi, albeit driven by Englishman Rocker Laidler. Of course, the trophy was paraded in Belfast’s St George’s Market.

YOUNGER GENERATION

The younger generation have kept the sport in the family. James (drove as JV) Murdock took the British scene by storm in the early 1990’s. JV won the drivers’ championship at the North Wales track Tir Prince in 1991/92 without any obvious family connections in that area. JV has won every big race in the UK. He drove Stoneriggs JR to win in just over two minutes on the grass at Almley, Wales.

An incredible talent, but mercurial, the Irish racing scene is richer when James is on his game.

35-year-old Gavin and 36-year-old Jay are the family’s representatives at most major meetings nowadays. Gavin is the trainer and driver, Jay is a cleaner (specialises in cleaning bookies). For example, from their first five runners at Dundalk last year the stable reaped four winners and a second.

The horses are currently being legged up by emerging trainer Cathal Donnelly in Fintona, County Tyrone, but are due to come back to Gavin’s care this weekend. Here follows some of Gavin’s leading fancies for this season.

Given the yard’s deadly strike rate, this list is sure to be worth following.

AGED HORSES

BLACKWELL HALL STAR ( Ire 7yo Hasty Hall – Blackwell Monsoon ) We bred him ourselves and Alec Patterson broke him for us. I suppose he is the stable star. He won eight on the bounce in his early career, and has won Appleby. He is sitting just below top class in the handicap but I believe he can graduate to the free – for – all ranks.

EARNIES DREAM (Ire 5yo g Earned Income – Casino Madness) His sire was one of the toughest horses ever to race in Ireland. He has won at Aberystwyth and Portmarnock, but he got very sick last year. Hopefully all his bad luck has come. I think there is a big day in him.

HASTY MAYANNA (Ire 5yo Hasty Hall – Blackwell Fabienne) The dam should have won Musselburgh but got a freak puncture in the sulky tyre, she was only beaten a head. Five year old and unraced tells it’s own story. She was a bit small so we waited with her. We had her down to some sharp clocks on Tyrella beach, so here’s hoping. She belongs to Kevin Rafferty, we’d love to have a decent one for him.

FAIRDAYS DANCER (Ire 5yo Jimmy Long – Ampan Skoda) This could be cousin James’ comeback horse. James says the sire was one of the best he ever sat behind. He is working nicely on the beach.

TWO YEAR OLDS

BLACKWELL RUBY (Ire 2yo f Kikicolt – Blackwell Monsoon) Out of the same dam as Hall Star. She’s only in the hobbles down at Cathal Donnelly’s so it’s a bit early to say. I think Kikicolt will prove to be a great sire of fillies.