THEY came. They saw. They conquered.
That may be one of the most plagiarised phrases in the written word, but you’ll struggle to find a better way to describe the rout carried out by William ‘Rocker’ Laidler and his wife Alexis in Lyre last weekend.
The Red John Memorial Weekend was held for the seventh time in honour of John O’ Donovan from Leap who died on his farm in 2015.
The Durham-based husband and wife team travelled 14 and a half hours from their Spennymoor base and took out the Red John Pace Final on Sunday. Rocker does the driving while Alexis is the trainer.
Four wins and three seconds from seven runs over the weekend summarises their dominance. The meeting also saw memorable wins for the Nicholsons (Red Mills Three Year Old Championship) and the Loughrans (Le TROT/Donovan Maven Trot).
The latter race honours a top mare which Bill Donovan raced internationally.
The main races were sponsored by Bill Donovan of the USA whose family hail from West Cork and the meeting was he first RJM for commentator James Griffin of Oldtown, north of Dublin. James and regular compere Tim Kelleher sparked well off each other.
The IHRA reported over 30,000 views of the live feed. The organisation also hopes that the success of the visiting horses will attract more UK runners in future years.
The crowd was around medium-sized without the heavy advertising due to Covid. The local Gardai recorded no protocol breaches.
All present were fulsome in their praise of land owner Ger Hegarty and his team. The track was in superb order and the public areas were spotless.
IHRA chairman Mark Flanagan confirmed that a 17-year lease for a hard track at the site will soon be signed. An all-weather surface with training facilities has been much anticipated in west Cork, a harness racing heartland.
Saturday
IN harness racing there is probably more importance attached to the correct shoeing of a horse than in other forms of equine sports. Yet again the role of the farrier was thrust into the spotlight as English raider Merrington Moving Up was sensationally beaten on Rocker Laidler’s first drive at Lyre.
The good-looking son of The Preacher Pan, normally wears aluminiums filled with gel. The padding was a bad choice for a grass field and the current Musselburgh champion could not get a proper grip underfoot.
Champion trainers under any code are often humble realists. “I shod the horse wrongly for his heat, I couldn’t let him down on the turns,” Rocker said after the Sunday final, which he won. The heat will not be fondly remembered by the Laidlers. The Pacing Pensioner John Boyle also contributed to the downfall of the 2/5 favourite as his Supreme Sunshine forced the raider to fight for the top.
Waiting in the wings was John Richardson who has raced against Rocker dozens of times over the years. John sent Cash All on about his business in the straight for a length-and-a-quarter victory. Seasoned observers agreed that Merrington Moving Up would still be a force in the next day’s final, as the first four placers went through.
“I thought Rocker would go forward early, I was content to track him,” said JR. Little did he know that this was to be his last victory of the marathon 22-race fixture. The winner is owned by Flanagan and Redmond.
Patrick Kane junior’s onslaught on John’s long held The Irish Field champion driver’s title continues. The Trim-based farrier won the opening LeTROT silver division, a typical scrappy affair as the youngsters learn on the job. Patrick Carberry’s Irish Good Dream was about the only ‘baby’ to stay level and they were spread out all over the county.
Kane took the following Equine Tendon Grade E Pace wherein Immortal John upset the odds in deposing the Kerry-based favourite King Wills Arrival (Oisin Quill). Generally speaking the betting public play harder on pacing races as opposed to trots and this was no exception.
Patrick’s cousin Sean Kane has turned around a horrible start to the season. The Naul-based reinsman now sits second to Patrick in the table. Sean and father Ger tend to concentrate on square trotters as they are often called.
Sean’s win on the day came via his own Dragee Du Lys, a sharp little sort who obviously liked a turf course. Aidan Caffrey’s Bella d’Espana was runner-up under Luke Kelleher. Keohanes Ready Mix were the race sponsors.
Gold
The gold division of LeTROT was a noticeably better contest than the silver. John Richardson’s Immaculata hovered between 4/5 and 4/6. However Lyre is not Portmarnock and the lighter made filly succumbed to the strapping Iron Paddy driven by Ronan Norton of Roscommon for Rachel Stewart.
Rocker Laidler gained swift compensation for the sacking of Merrington Moving Up in the other heat of the big pace. Robert Hall’s Bobby Camden saw off the Belfast runner Beat The Clock (Jonny Cowden). The win repaid the couple’s decision to give Bobby Camden his stall on the lorry, as he had been winless in 2021 up to that point.
To the Maven Trot next, where Cartouche Jemiska and Curly Du Layon from heat one and Extrem Ryld from the other heat were all put up short by John Mooney who bet ‘long odds’.
In heat one Curly Du Layon bounced back to form with a convincing win for Martin Loughran. Cartouche Jemiska managed to mess up her ticket to the final by breaking in the home straight (automatic disqualification) which allowed Colombia d’Oyse and John Richardson to collect €1,035 for second.
Favourite backers got a better spin in the second heat. Jonny Cowden sat as cool as a cucumber in mid division, probably as Extrem Ryld does not like to be rushed. Heading towards the farmhouse last time Cowden let out an inch of rein and the KTR syndicate-owned seven-year-old trotted away from the dour stayer Brutenor with Patrick Hill from Leap.
The Red Baron Billy Roche had a quiet weekend by his lofty standards. The notorious gambling yard had two winners with only one driven by Billy himself. Billy’s winner was the newly purchased West End Illusion who won the M50 Grade F pace for owner Joe Gannon. The after race celebrations produced one of those hilarious moments only seen at a trot. Billy’s friend Mark McAleer could not conceal his delight and was perched alongside Billy on the bridge of the cart. Mark even belted out a folk song to the bookies, who were still smarting.
The Malones from Blanchardstown have endured a few average horses in recent seasons. However, when they get a good horse they make the most it. Anthony Malone looks to have found an able replacement for Epsom d’Occagnes in the shape of another seven-year-old Eliano Love. The winner must have been showing something at home as there were reports of support at some big prices. Tyrone raider Coumbaya Wind was an admirable second for trainer driver Cathal Kerrigan in the Quills of Kenmare trot.
The Mervue Equine Grade F pace produced the loudest cheer of the day when Sligo-based Alex Cuffe hit the jackpot with his own Earnies Dream. The nine-year-old was formerly driven by the highly rated James Murdock and Alex gave the horse a drive worthy of James when producing the son of Earned Income at the only post that matters.
“The slower surface of a field suits him these days and I was able to keep him covered up,” commented Alex. The result was another upset on a day that favoured the bookmakers.
Sunday
The second day of the Red John Memorial was blessed with bright sunshine. On the track Rocker Laidler shone in the sulky while his wife Alexis was her usual gracious self when interviewed.
Rocker is one of a number of drivers in the British Isles and America to wear a combination of claret and white. The 11-time British champion leans back as it suits the modern sulkies, and can be picked out by his slightly rounded shoulders.
The couple had a one-two in the feature race, the Red John Memorial Pace of €10,000. Rocker drove the winner Merrington Moving Up. The stallion was reared on a bottle by Alexis after the dam died.
The runner-up was the gutsy Bobby Camden, a catch drive for Donal Murphy. The Murphy family did much to help the Laidlers during their short stay.
Also on the card Rocker picked up the Astra Construction four-year-old pace with Oakwood Coral, consigned to the sales in 2014 by the Delaney brothers.
Laidler did concede in the post race interview that he thought Coral was lucky not to be left at the first time of asking. A ‘false start’ was called and at the second attempt, the pair pinged the gate and were never in trouble.
The two-day fixture closed with another bloodless win this time for The Lion King who is actually owned by the couple’s granddaughter Neaveah.
Harness racing transcends the old tribal rivalries. The local fans complimented Rocker and Alexis in the same way that the crowds at the Curragh applaud Frankie Dettori or at the RDS they greet Nick Skelton.
At the same time it is nice when the home side gets a win against the Old Enemy. The atmosphere was palpable as the five well bred pacers went behind the gate for the Red Mills three-year-old championship.
Rocker often moves early in his races, believing that the fitness of his runners will carry him home. He went for top accordingly with Yerkes Hanover and with a lap to go it looked like the tactic had paid off.
However, Bernard Nicholson had other ideas on the Irish hope Churchview Frankel. A brief duel ensued until the Cavan man went two lengths clear at the line.
“We were beaten by the better horse on the day,” said Alexis sportingly.
“He’s the best we have trained so far,” confirmed Bernard Nicholson, who has a superb strike rate for a relative newcomer to harness racing.
Another big pot went to the border region when the Cooley-based Curly Du Layon led out and made all in the Maven Trot final. “He was sick a couple of months back and we nearly lost him,” stated jubilant driver Martin Loughran.
The only sickness on the day was amongst the bookies on duty who laid a succession of well-supported favourites.
The supporting races saw four winners which could be defined as local. Foxfield Ranger won the PJI Engineering Grade G pace for up-and-coming driver Jamie Hurley. Another young coachman Matthew O’Reilly from Drimoleague scored in the Bet Harness at McCartanBet.com pace. Matthew drove the catchily named Get Me Out of Here. The favourite Bits and Pieces (Alan Richardson) did not act.
Permanent
The Quills from Kenmare are a permanent fixture on the Cork circuit. The canny Roches from Dublin figured that a spell in the Kingdom would freshen up Beach De Bellouet. The decision was a good call and the well-travelled 10-year-old mare won the Dublin Digger Hire trot driven by Seamus Quill. Seamus intends to continue his driving career in New Zealand soon.
Finally, the last local cheers on the day were for Derry McCarthy’s Teddy Camden. The six-year-old was owner driven and collected the Red John Consolation pace, following a tough trip in Saturday’s eliminator.
Avenir De Vauvert and Darren Timlin became the first horse and driver combination to win three years in a row at Lyre. They prevailed in the Track Bookmakers Grade F trot from Banderillero Piya and the luckless Donal Murphy. Derrylin to Clonakilty is quite a trek and therefore a well-earned €1,800.
Ballyclare in Co Antrim is more known as a centre for point-to-pointers than standardbreds. The Liam Carlin Memorial Cup went back to its northern roots when Andy McTaggart’s diminutive Feugeres Erem won the trophy which was awarded for the Maven consolation.
Full results and information can be seen on www.irishharnessracing.com.
There is a meeting in Cork today and Ladies Day (primarily races for lady drivers) takes place tomorrow at Portmarnock Raceway. First race is at 2pm. Take the R107 road out of Dublin and turn right at Kinsealy Chapel.