THE much anticipated Barney Joyce Memorial Weekend lived up to expectations at Portmarnock over the weekend of July 23rd and 24th.
The headline act was English superstar Miraculous (partnered by local hero Patrick Kane jnr), who took heat and final of the €10,000 to the winner feature event. The Barney Joyce was part of a five-timer over two days for the popular Trim-based blacksmith.
Other noteworthy efforts included two “55” miles for Matthew Roche’s six-year-old gelding Deans Alibi, a lifetime first win for Luke Darling (with Cesna), a workmanlike win for Meadowbranch Ideal and four typical swashbuckling wins from Jonny Dunne.
The Joyce family are sporting hosts and they even got to raise a rousing cheer for Billy Roche’s protégé Eoin Joyce, who scored on day one with Rhyds Rambler.
“Miraculous” was the tongue in cheek comment from syndicate spokesman Arnie Flower after the Derbyshire-based three-year-old took the weekend’s feature.
Record breaker
Miraculous broke the Irish three-year-old mile record in his heat on Saturday and then took another second off this mark in the Sunday final. The time of 1m 55.9 is now the official record.
The Wallaces will be relieved that Newtown Rock showed a welcome return to form in Sunday’s final. Alan Wallace is now adopting a more aggressive driving style with his stable star, and in any other year, he’d have been the Joyce winner. As it was, he was second.
It’s My Check, is part-owned by TV commentator Darren Owen, gave a happy introduction into ownership for the genial Welshman who cut his teeth at the trotting venues in his homeland.
Allan Wallace’s Fair Enough took the cheque for second. A time of 1m 59.2 for grade Fs was a sign that the track was fast.
Anto Malone scored the first double of his fledgling career when Rainbow Quest did the business, followed a few races later by a second success, this time with Record Dream.
Track commentator Mick Dempsey would prefer that these two won every week as they are a bit easier to pronounce than Alienor Dupadoueng or Rol d’Avignere.
Meadowbranch Milli is more suited to Portmarnock than Dundalk and built on her third at the Louth venue with a 1m 59.6 two-length win over On Top Jeremys Jet (P Kane jnr).
Kane junior went one better in the next when the rejuvenated Secret De Star took a heat of the M50 Skip Hire Trot. Recent Dundalk winner Ulysee Perrine (Martin Loughran) made it two-from-two in heat 3 of the same competition. Star De Secret went on to take Sundays final of the M50 Skip Hire Trot.
Springhill Ali won the fillies’ heat of the Barney Joyce for the irrepressible Joe Sheridan, although the time of 2m 04.4 pointed to a colt or gelding winner of the next day’s final. When the late John ‘Nibbler’ Roche was campaigning Direct Flame, he’d never have dreamt that the decent Direct Current mare would throw an animal of the calibre of Deans Alibi.
The son of His Alibi (on time alone) must be one of the best in Ireland at the moment. Certain clock watchers maintained that Deans went “54 and change” in Sunday’s final. When the Leaning Demon Jonny Dunne is visibly excited by a horse, you know that beast is special.
On day two of the festival Dunne experienced the other side of racing when first race favourite Breakwater capitulated rather tamely. Second favourite Meadowbranch Ideal ran out the winner. Driver John Richardson was reported to have blown hard after this as the lackadaisical son of Western Ideal takes a lot of driving.
The loudest cheer of the day went to Luke Darling, who broke his duck with the four-year-old mare Cesna. Darling is one of a number of newcomers to the sport, and it is great to see them starting to rear rewards. 2m 05.4 is a nice clock for a young trotting mare.
Rhyds Rival was the winner of the weekend’s Ladbroke Delaney Colts prep race. However, the horse to take out of the race was runner-up Benny Camden (Alan Richardson for Hopper Foran), who will have learned a great deal in this run.
Triplicity took the fillies’ division for Jonny Dunne, although she will need to improve a bit to beat the English star Rhyds Mystique on the big day (August 14th). Jennifer Camden (Noely Ryan) met more obstructions than the M50 on a Friday and would have been closer with a clear run.
The Junior Free For All saw a bloodless victory for Geoff Dunne’s Porterstown Chris, and the Free For All went to Macroom after Mikey Kelleher and Meadowbranch Demon beat Ayr Regal (P Kane jnr) by half a length.
The top grade trot provided a well deserved change of fortune for Ger and Sean Kane. Uldiem Alfa had solid form coming into this and won in the manner of a good horse. Recently sold Solicitor was runner-up.
MANCH – CORK
The extremely flat “cornfield” at Manch was the venue in the Cork region on Sunday.
The Kellehers of Macroom scored a double across two meetings when Adagio du Cebe scored for stand-in pilot Patrick Hill. Stable spokesman Tim Kelleher explained that it was a choice of putting up cousin Patrick or hiring a helicopter for brother Mikey. Needless to say, the former plan did not get off the ground.
On the rest of the card at Manch, Brywins Starship looked one for the future. The Mannings of Limerick brought Saunders Jubilee home from Wales to win. Race Secretary Angela Hurley registered a popular win with Rhyds Heartbeat. Cruise Howard won the top grade pace with Derry McCarthy in the bike.
HORSE SHOW
Full marks to the IHRA team who manned an impressive stand at Dublin Horse Show all week. Hopefully some of the young people who tried the race simulator will ask their parents to visit the racing proper. Furthermore thanks to John Mooney (Portmarnock) and Tim Kelleher (Cork) for their help with collating results etc.