PATRICK Kane jnr looks a long odds-on shot to retain his The Irish Field silver salver as national driving champion. He reeled off another treble on Sunday at Annaghmore.
The young pretender Troy McAleer, his nearest challenger, also drove a treble.
The meeting was well attended with Red Mills-sponsored All-Ireland Finals for trotters and pacers and the continuation of the DAFM/HSI series for young horses.
Patrick’s treble was capped by an all-the-way victory by Harry Knows in the All-Ireland Trot. It’s a measure of how much Harry has improved with age when we consider that Patrick used to nurse him out of the gate, whereas on Sunday, the combination led out and did not see a rival.
The time of 2.32 was just outside the national record, and could well be a track record. Graal Du Dollar (Jamie Hurley) was not disgraced in second.
John Ball jnr from Brentford, London was in attendance to see Patrick and Ayrodrome sluice up in the two-year-old fillies futurity. The Londoner also shares Stateside Phoenix with the Kanes. The son of Tom Hill is the reformed character of the season.
The bookies were keen to get him (he touched evens), as he has galloped in the past. Horses are not allowed to break in the Kane camp and some nice bets were landed.
“With the flights into Belfast, we can get here as quickly as we can get up to York,” explained John. Stateside Phoenix was made to work for it by I’m Great Hanover (David Curtin), heartily cheered by the driver’s young daughters.
Mark Kane’s season has been quiet. The chesnut Kepi Du Chrisni (6/4 best) was impressive on Irish debut at this time last year, but has been costly to follow since. Therefore, the equine dentist will be delighted with Kepi Du Chrismi’s straightforward win in the Grade F trot.
Troy McAleer is driving out of his skin at the moment. Northern Pride (1/2 to 4/6 favourite) in the All-Ireland Pace had to contend with some traffic early in the race, but once the diminutive American-bred saw daylight, the war was over.
Lady Lou had shown a tremendous finishing kick in her wins on the grass in Cork. The hard track is a different ball game, but Anthony O’Donnell’s mare showed that all surfaces come the same to her.
Lady Lou caused something of an upset in the four-year-old mares, as John Cross junior’s Fun In The Sun is highly thought of.
Enlivened
Commentator James Griifin enlivened a three-horse race and this or Ayr Beach’s win are probably two of the best to review on the IHRA You Tube channel.
Troy’s treble came when Fiesta Tejy picked up the Grade B to C trot. The mare has bundles of speed and saw off Kirio Scott (Martin Loughran) and Kaline Des Raques (Billy Roche). The runner-up will improve at the Galway/Keenan weekend today and tomorrow.
Adam Corey’s productive year continues. He comfortably won the apprentice trot with Isba Quick. “She’s turning out to be a great mare for us,” said Adam, “that’s five she has won this year.”
Jamie Hurley covered the diesel costs from Reenascreena to Portadown when the likeable Hotesse Du Chassin won the E to F trot. The eight-year-old was nibbled at from 5/1.
Another Cork raider, Derry McCarthy’s Ayr Beach also visited the winners’ enclosure, albeit with a ‘Market’ (an area in Belfast) man in the bike, namely Ciaran Morrison. They took out the C to E pace in 2.02.6, which was decent as the track was heavy enough.
Strong hand
The Joyce outfit at Ashbourne can go into winter quarters knowing they have a strong hand for 2026. The boys have one of the best two-year-olds (Another Smile) in these islands and also a top-class four-year-old in No Small Talk.
Eoin Joyce drove this double, clocking 2.02.3 and 2.03.8 respectively. Both are by the winner conveyor belt that is Sweet Lou.
Another Smile has an Armbro Deuce half-brother catalogued for York sales next weekend and all the usual suspects will be viewing and bidding.
Iron Paddy returned to form for Longford farrier Ronan Norton in winning the Grade D trot. Ilda Manchotte (Martin Loughran) trotted well for second.
Mayfellden Kane (Bernard Nicholson), a recent import from the UK, took out the closer for Newtownbutler owner Neil McDermott.
“He is still green, so I’m delighted to win,” was the owner’s comment. The winner was short in the ring as his English win read well.
Some hard-working fundraisers have gathered up strong prize money for an intended two-day meeting at the venue today and tomorrow. The fixture commemorates Jack Galway, Gerry Keenan and Paul Boyle.
Whether this will be one or two days is entry dependant. Definite race cards and results etc. can be seen at www.irishharnessracing.com The track is at Junction 13 M1 or eight miles west of Richhill.
Who will win the battle of York yearling sales?
MICK Welling, the squire of the well-kept track at Green Hammerton, York deserves great credit for keeping the facility open.
As in Ireland, there is no TV rights money to help support harness racing. Mick also runs Camden Stud. The ‘Crafty Cockney’ will proceed with the 2026 York yearling sale, despite some difficult problems in the run-up.
Irish and UK breeding has improved beyond recognition in recent years. The 2026 sale will see nine Henry Hills, seven See And Skis, five yearlings by Matador Hall, three by Sweet Lou, three by Always B Miki and three Tom Hills, amongst others. The sale will see the first crop by Bloodline, owned by Dubliner Jason O’Sullivan.
In all, 50 lots will go forward. Coalford Stud of Sunderland and Ayr Standardbreds will have yearlings with strong maternal families.
Scottish
Charles ‘Chico’ Inglis is a died-in-the-wool Bannockburn trotting man. Scottish harness trainers learn early how to adjust a set of hobbles and that you never go into the first bend three wide.
Charles has been a commentator and racing steward. The Inglis family owned the great Hurricane, the star of post-war British pacing.
We asked Charles to pick out a few lots and to avoid some of the obvious ones. Here follows Charles’s observations:
“There are some really wonderfully-bred horses, whose siblings have this year won the top juvenile races, for example Red Emperor, Lucky Smile, Always A Secret, Ayrospace, and Coalford Sugardaddy. Personally, I look beyond the juvenile racing having grown up at Corbie Wood, where we had racing week in week out, mainly handicaps.
This is where I feel the grass roots of the racing in Britain lies and this laid the foundations for the juvenile horses who have been successful here and were exported to North America.”
Ayr Maximus: Out of Ayr Queen who has produced juvenile winners, but also genuine gutsy racehorses including Ayr Emperor who won an Appleby final this season. He is by Foreclosure like Cash Is King, who has been a nice two-year-old for the Holgate’s this season.
Sea Of Flames: Is a half-brother to the Tregaron maiden winner Closure, who is a very promising horse for connections here in Scotland.
Matts Best: He is a full-brother to the exported Toreador who won the Senior Dragon at four and won a heat of the Welsh classic at Tregaron. He is by the Matador Hall who needs no introduction and out of Lady Clare’s Best who won around Corbiewood and Tregaron.
The Rosa’s:
Prima Rosa - yearling out of Baby Rosa a full-sister to a 1.56 mare.
Testarosa – two-year-old out of Baby Rosa
Vino Rioja – yearling out of Vino Rosa
Baby Rosa and Vino Rosa were exceptionally talented and had tremendous speed.