FINALS day of the M50 Weekend was blessed with good weather once more.

The headline must surely be a comeback win by Newtown Rock a horse who has endured nothing but bad luck and setbacks.

On the trotting front the remarkable Cartouche Jemiska added the M50 Trot to the Irish American Trot title won recently..

Sean Kane finally broke his Portmarnock jinx at the meeting when the game little mare Dragee Du Lys kept on well over a distance probably at the bounds of her stamina. Baltimore raider Geribia De Laval (Donal Murphy) got second.

Murphy had better luck when Bequest won a match (Churchview Frankel was withdrawn on veterinary grounds) for the Black Horse three-year-old pace. StarsnStripes with Gavin Murdock put up some resistance but the Betting Line colt had the inside draw.

Two-year-old pacers, even regally bred ones, are a volatile commodity. The 2/5 ‘jolly’ Rhyds Scoundrel made a novicey break early and then Oakwood Paddy (Gavin Murdock) did the same when in contention. Scoundrel had the class to creep back into the race for season leader Patrick Kane jnr.

Kane’s bonanza with Harry Knows continues and the top four-year-old trotter picked up another €5,000 to go with the €13,673 he had amassed going into the race.

Gavin saw the other side of the coin when another Oakwood, this time Oakwood Paddy, won the four-year-old pace of €1,500.

The son of American Ideal saw off stable companion All Bets Are Off with catch driver Martin Loughran. The winner is owned by Ruairi McNulty.

Silver division

The four-year-old silver division trot saw Cavan trainer Bernard Nicholson draw some consolation for the absence of Churchview Frankel, as he drove his wife Gail’s Harley Lee to a convincing win.

Spills or accidents are relatively rare at the circuit. When they do occur they are a stark reminder how dangerous eight horses and sulkies at 30mph can be.

For some reason two sulkies got hooked up at the start of the Grade D trot. “Pull them up”, was called, the drivers were bruised but safe and the horses were caught quickly.

The fallers, Emil Paco and Epopee de Layon, were adjudged to have come under starters’ orders by the stewards and therefore backers of those lost their stake. A re-start without the fallers was arranged.

The main beneficiaries were the backers of Carre Chic, driven by John Richardson. The nine-year-old was smartly away the first time and got ‘top’ (the lead) in the depleted race. As the two fallers were live contenders in the original race, Carre Chic’s job was made easier, however he did trot well.

Likely favourite Pixie Camden was a non-runner in the Black Horse three-year-old pace. She was due to be driven by Patrick Kane jnr but family honour was upheld by younger brother Mark who drove Neville Martin’s Meadowbranch Aine to victory. Walter Stewart’s Letsgetoit put in a gutsy performance going down by a quarter length.

Trotting final

The public made the trotting final to be between Extrem Ryld (Jonny Cowden), Cakinap (Oisin Quill) and Cartouche Jemiska (Billy Roche). In the end, the former prevailed to take home €4,000 of €7,500 on offer.

The winner’s circle was alive with the combined forces of the Limerick owners and the Dublin friends of driver Billy Roche.

Feugeres Erem (Sean Kane for Andy McTaggart) out-ran her starting price to finish second.

The pacing final was race seven but we ‘leave the best to last’ in the report. Eight top-class pacers, each of them capable of beating two minutes went to post.

Donal Murphy attempted to make all with IB Notorious. Cash All was not helped when he appeared to be impeded on the top turn first time around.

In any case, Transparency had been tracking IB Notorious and the other McNevin runner Benny Camden.

Alan Richardson sent Transparency to go and win his race on the final bend, but all the while, Alan Wallace snr was creeping into it with Newtown Rock. The replay in the IHRA Facebook page will prove that Newtown Rock was any price at the three-quarter pole.

The rejuvenated eight-year-old responded gamely to Wallace’s urging. Alan was actually celebrating before he wore down the gallant Transparency. The distance was half a length.

‘”He probably would have made the grade in the states but that would have entailed gelding him and I didn’t want to do that. His mother is closely related to Art Official so I’m happy to serve mares with him,” stated the trainer/driver.

Several regulars at the venue commented that the race was one of the best they had ever seen. The prize fund over the weekend exceeded €75,000.

AMONGST all the cut-throat driving and gamesmanship of the harness racing community, it was nice to borrow a phrase from a well-known newspaper, “it’s all about the horse”.

Fifteen-year-old Springhill Biscuit was afforded a rare honour. He was not entered to race but was granted a little retirement ceremony, in the red and yellow headcollar of the Sheridan family.

Springhill Biscuit, p, 1.57.8 won 40 races over 12 years and was driven by 17 different drivers, several of those joined the photograph.

IHRA National Leading Driver Award 2021

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To August 4th

Pat Kane jnr Trim, 26

John Richardson, Dublin 18

Donal Murphy, Baltimore 17

Jonny Cowden, Belfast 16

Billy Roche, Dublin 15

Sean Kane, The Naul 15

Gavin Murdock, Belfast 12

Darren Timlin, Derrylin 9

Luke Kelleher, Macroom 9

Oisin Quill, Kenmare 8

Patrick Hill, Leap 7