THE Paddy and Jason Kane raceday is usually one of the best meetings in the calendar at Portmarnock.

The Kanes are through and through trotting people and a huge effort goes into putting on a good show. In previous years Mary Kane provided two lovely grey ponies with outriders decked out in Kane red and black – this year she turned out two lovely solid bays.

Willie Flanagan was the man in form, being the official trainer of no less than seven winners on the 13-race card. Willie’s seven timer used three drivers, two old stagers and a smiling schoolboy.

The two drivers with a few grey hairs were John Richardson (New London Hanover, Meadowbranch Milli and Shesgotanattitude and Best Of Burois) and Noely Ryan (Beach De Bellouet and Bath Lane) and finally a driver who got a bigger cheer than the other two, Jonathan Cowden from Belfast who took the Grade C drivers contest with his own Sarahs Gift.

In the C drivers, Stephen Wallace attempted to make all with Newtown Major. Marcus McAleer, last week’s winner in this series, came and tortured the leader on The Governor. Young Cowden sat quietly out the back and did not make his move until the three quarter pole. “That felt good” confirmed the 17-year-old, “it was close at the end.” Half a length to be exact.

CREST OF THE WAVE

Sean Kane is on the crest of a wave at the moment, buoyed by his big success with Ella Lou Lou last week.

Last Sunday Sean scraped home aboard O’Mahony, Crowley and O’ Brien’s Ecrin De Bussiere after a great dogfight with fellow Cork runner Empereur Souverain (D O’Reilly). Sean later brought up his double with Soprano Gede in the clockwise trot.

Meadowbranch Milli has been knocking on the door with Shannon Flanagan including a “so near and yet so far” second at Musselburgh. JR took the first heat aboard “Milli” with Lisburn runner Lucky Cam (G Dean) in second.

Rhyds Rambler (E Joyce) knocked the bookies for six in the next heat, while the runner-up Porterstown Courage was nibbled at in the “without” market. Heat three went to Richardson with Shesgotanattitude, a full-sister to Bath Lane.

Jack Killeen always has the crowd rooting for him, he and Rocky Atout upstaged Brasilia Match (S Kane) in a decent 2.02.8 to take the Little Simpson Trot. The classy Bolero De La Fye gave Patrick Kane a winner in the D and E trot as usual pilot Donal Murphy was absent.

Incidentally, Baltimore-based Murphy was over at the Red Mile, Lexington, Kentucky. The American industry traditionally converges on the Red Mile for the “fall trot”. It’s a chance to hang a good time on a stallion’s record before he retires as the huge track is one of America’s fastest. Donal’s presence at the nearby yearling sales is another sign of Ireland emerging on the international scene.

Silvano Bello, one of Donal’s usual drives, is rarely beaten when he gets a front draw. Stand-in for the day, Patrick Kane junior, took the chesnut to the front. Jack Killeen (on Verdi De Crouay) kept nipping at the leaders’ heels. The wily John Richardson watched the duel and then produced Best Of Burois in the straight. The Meadowbranch runner prevailed in a head bobber of a finish.

Maxie Collins has gained great fun out of his first trotter, and Beach De Bellouet made it four wins this term under Noel Ryan who moved early and ran the pace out of Ultimo d’Ouville who had a spill in the straight with Alan Wallace jnr, although they looked beaten at the time. The ‘jolly’ in this, Alineka Darche, galloped quite early.

INCIDENT

Aside from the pageantry there was an unfortunate incident in the day’s highlight, a final featuring the qualifiers from three heats.

In a very unusual move, but not completely unprecedented, an announcement came from the commentary box that a runner (Rhyds Rambler) had been disqualified for going in advance of his mark. The race continued with the ‘disqualified’ horse prominent throughout and eventually winning the race.

In the minutes after the race the stewards reversed their decision, which meant that Meadowbranch Milli (John Richardson), which had literally been called the winner, was now placed second.

I have huge respect for the stewards who do a lot more for the sport than their detractors. The stewards have since apologised via social media for the confusion caused.

The 2017 Paddy and Jason Kane winner will forever read ‘Rhyds Rambler driven by Eoin Joyce’ and no doubt the Joyce’s did not let the controversial nature of the win dampen the celebration.