AN ordinary-looking card at Annaghmore last Saturday actually served up some competitive enough racing.

Star of the show was 16-year-old Luke Timlin from Tempo who ran one of the bigger names in the sport, Sean Kane to a dead-heat in the concluding B to D trot. Sean was on his great favourite Uldiem Alfa, young Timlin was on the chesnut Avenir De Vauvert.

Luke gamely tried to make all and was only caught on the line. Your columnist got sight of the photo used by the stewards and thought that given the equipment at his disposal, the judge’s decision was a fair one.

“I drive him a mile and a half to Loch Erne. I swim him. I scrape him dry and then I jog him home again,” explained proud father Darren Timlin after racing. There won’t be too many copying the routine, but it’s working.

Improvement

An unusual occurrence was preceded by a highly unusual occurrence. As if it wasn’t unusual enough for the Timlins to find some improvement in a horse which came from the Loughrans, the Loughrans go and win with a Meadowbranch cast-off, the expensive to follow Alcazar De Sienne. It’s high season, time for plenty of stable hopping.

The time of 3.15 for a mile and a half won’t be spoiling the sleep of Jean Michele Bazire over in Paris.

Noely Ryan had to give North To Alaska a couple of cracks with the ‘oiler’ while warming up, as the three-year-old was acting a bit novicey. Sharp-eyed punters should have waded in as directly afterwards the pair warmed up nicely and in the G1 pace Ladyford Jim (Walter Stewart) never looked like getting near his fellow Kikicolt gelding. 2.02.1 shows that North To Alaska is starting to blossom.

Ryan had a quickfire double when Typhee, who feels like he has been around forever, upstaged the McAteer-trained favourite Cyclone Decouriere in the G to F trot. The runner-up lost nothing in defeat. Typhee is owned by Brendan Morgan of Omeath.

On a good day for the village of Tempo, Co Monaghan, there was another win for one of the smaller stables when the dependable Coalford Ollie was an all-the-way winner for driver Gabriel McDonogh. This winner was sold by the Loughrans. It’s like Love Island for horses!

The Duggans think a lot of Foxfield Magician and the mare put down a marker for the VDM weekend with a staying-on run for second.

Wayne and Ivan Swindle have a high opinion of Dollar Vert who won out of the park on his debut run in Ireland last year. A few disappointing runs since meant that there wasn’t as much as a green dollar for the six-year-old on the day. He won easily from Diablesse Jisce (Simon Duggan for Derek Montgomery).

Indeed, the layers had the better of the skirmishes at the orchard-lined venue.

Punters will be out for revenge tomorrow when the second legs of the All-Ireland series’ for both pacers and trotters will take place.

First race is at 2pm. Located at Junction 13 off the M1. As legendary US commentator Roger Huston says ‘be there’!.

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