ANNAGHMORE Raceway was the only harness racing venue in Ireland to race last weekend. As most of the major players, both horse and human were over in the valleys, this allowed a few of the lesser lights to get on the scoresheet. The winners were fairly well spread with three from Dublin, three trained in the North and one from the Omeath region.

James Murdock, now in his early fifties has probably won more major races than any of the Murdock clan. In only his second competitive drive this season James guided Rory McNulty’s Earnies Dream to a win over the well-backed Coalford Ollie (Gabriel McDonagh). There was a nostalgic touch to this win as Earnies Dream’s sire, Earned Income was regularly driven by one JV Murdock.

Dragons Den has been expensive to follow and it took a two-horse race to get the son of Dragon Again into the winners enclosure, with Cushentown Rocky, driven by Buster Gilligan, the only other entry. Noely Ryan drove the winner as stable first choice John Richardson was in Tregaron.

The top grade pace went the way of Annaghmore specialist Springhill Biscuit with regular partner Martin Loughran. The pair got easy fractions as the rest of the field appeared to give them plenty of slack.

Loughran made it a double when the gutsy little Bravoure De Mai justified market support in the middle grade Le Trot. Martin Loughran did tell The Irish Field readers, in the close season horses to follow feature that the tiny mare was worth following.

Amitie Briangault (Sean Kane) returned to form in the high grade trot. For once backers got it wrong as the fancied Star De Fruitier (driven by Noely Ryan) could not go with the Seamus Corey-owned chestnut mare.

Fermanagh-based farrier Wayne Swindle and Espalion Du Lilas are fighting back at fellow lakelander Darren Timlin’s Espsom Des Corvees in the battle for four-year-old trotter of the year. On this occasion the latter was not on the card and it was Extreme Instant (Hopper Foran) who filled the runner-up slot

Perhaps the handicapper will put Espalion Du Lilas and Epsom Des Corvees in together at the prestigious Le Trot premium meeting today? Bookmakers would likely go 5/6 the pair.

Cathal Kerrigan has Camden Kofi in sparkling form and the son of Yankee Lariat beat the useful benchmarks Meadowbranch Milli and Rhyds Boots by a neck and a neck.

Annaghmore results can be seen at www.irishharnessracing.com Tregaron results can be seen at www.bhrc.org.uk

€25,000 up for grabs

This afternoon will see the staging of the most valuable Le Trot meeting of the year, with €25,000 up for grabs. First race 2pm – the track is situated just off Junction 13 on the M1.