SEAN Kane’s Mooreside Stables might be on a lesser scale than the mighty Gordon Elliott yard but the two operations do have one recent thing in common. Just like the Cullentra team experienced, Sean and his sisters went from a period where they were firing in winners to a spell where they couldn’t win a walkover.

Happily for the Kanes the good times returned at Annaghmore last Sunday when, following five weeks without a winner, the Naul-based yard had a four-timer as the IHRA put on a 10-race card. The track is set quite literally on a road full of orchards.

Sean drove three winners himself. He took heat and final of the four-year-olds with the improving Etoile Quick. The wily Martin Loughran came in for a catch drive on Dynamo Broeuts in the E to F trot as Sean had two engaged. Loughran upstaged Sean who stayed with Amitie Briangault. Sean’s choice made an uncharacteristic break. The winner is jointly owned by Sean’s father Ger and Kurt Persoon of Sweden who sold many horses of the ‘Launcher’ suffix into Ireland.

The prize of €1,000 to the winner is not to be scoffed at. The partnership between the IHRA and Le Trot of France continues to bear fruit.

Finally, in the highest grade trot on the card Sean was out and away aboard Darren ‘Chicken’ Keegan’s six-year-old mare Cybele Lucaxelo. The steady Vaiilant de Gueham chased them home under Billy Roche.

“We reckon it was a respiratory virus. I’d have to thank Sarah Jane Walsh and Dearbhla Quinn at the O’Scanaill practice who came to the rescue,” was the view of a relieved Sean Kane.

Elsewhere on the card Darren Timlin continued his good run with Epsom Des Corvees. The pair were helped when the ‘danger’ Elton De Kerosay (driver Patrick Kane junior) was a little unsteady. As the letter ‘E’ in the names of the horses would suggest this race was confined to four-year-olds.

The Nixon yard of Ballycoan, Drumbo had a 1-2 for the first time in many years when Jonathan’s Celui de Laye (Kane junior) took advantage of a skip by long time leader Vie de Saint Sauvy driven by Kane’s younger brother Mark. The result was a popular one as Jonathan Nixon and his father John willingly back any initiatives in the Northern region and beyond.

ICEMAN

The booking of ‘The Iceman’ Alan Richardson proved decisive when Derrybeg took a keenly contested G and G1 pace. Derrybeg has a good turn of foot and Richardson allowed the son of Doonbeg to follow Chinatown Jess (Gabriel McDonogh) and Kick Up The Dust (John Richardson) before he gave the shafts a couple of loud smacks to go on and win.

Gavin Murdock also played a waiting game aboard Martina McNulty’s Earned Income in the grade F pace. The scion of the well known ‘market’ family won the grade F pace. Wellfield Alfie put in a promising seasonal debut when finishing second with owner/trainer/driver Neil McDermott.

Cathal Kerrigan’s Camden Kofi has often promised much and is and is still relatively lightly raced. Sunday was a going day for the thick set son of Yankee Lariat. The Louth-based pairing of IB Cymro and Bernard Nicholson were prominent throughout but had no answer to Kofi’s finishing kick. Just as Aidan Caffrey rose to prominence last season, so Jonny Cowden keeps beating his elders. The dependable Sarah’s Gift likes the number one draw while Camden Tino (Murdock) briefly flattered without really looking like they would peg back the pacesetter

Today the two-day meeting at Aberystwyth, Wales opens and will feature a few Irish raiders. Tomorrow the high grade Painted Mile will bring the piebalds, skewbalds and enthusiastic followers to Portmarnock, with a 3pm start.

Full results Annaghmore and Cork can be viewed at www.irishharnessracing.com