Annaghmore Sunday
‘GIRL Power’ was the theme at Irish Harness Racing Association venues last weekend. Lyre on Saturday saw two records tumble as four-week-old Rosemarie Quill became the youngest person to feature in a winners’ circle photo, while mum Charlie (23) is now the quickest driver of a winner following maternity leave.
Meanwhile, at Annaghmore on Sunday, Leah McNevin (19) came from a tough handicap to win the first leg of the Liam Wallace Future Generation Series for young drivers. All the races mentioned herein can be seen on IHRA You Tube channel. Leah and Benny Camden (evs to 4/6) making up 50 yards in race seven is a sight to behold.
The race was sponsored by Leah’s father Wayne, although she got no favours on the track. John Boy Roche drove Always Be Puffin as if he had just stolen her. The daughter of Always B Puffin set fractions of .29, .58 and 1.29, which really made a race of it.
Benny Camden sticks to the track like a toy train set. Leah leaned back in the bike and the now veteran pacer reeled in the gallant John Boy, who had no choice but to kick on. The winning time was 2.00.3 and Benny must have clocked 1.58 ‘off his mark’ as the saying goes.
Never give up
“I thought John Boy had me, but Benny never gives up,” said Leah, who is currently studying Business at Tallaght Institute of Technology. Elsewhere at the Armagh fixture, Mark McKay’s Pan Cam Dynasty (Eoin Joyce) bolstered his reputation as an up-and-coming pacer with a 1.58.5 rout over Cork raider Teddy Camden (Derry McCarthy) in the B to E pace. Pan Cam Dynasty will be kept fresh for the big summer meetings.
At the other end of his career is the tough old Newtown Major (Troy McAleer), now 12, who proved that there is still life in those legs with a 2.04.6 win over Oakwood Mick (Gavin Murdock), who runs at Musselburgh today.
On the trotting front, Calvin Broughan’s Gentleman d’Alesa picked up the strong form he showed in 2024 with an all-the-way victory over decent company in the Grade D trot. Newcomer Ibiscus Du Jullie did not put a foot wrong in second for Joseph Caffrey.
“You’d always have a chance with a horse like him,” said Cabra-born Calvin. “He just wants to trot.”
Juvenile was the pick of the paddock as they warmed up for the Grade E to F trot. Forrest Jo (Cathal Kerrigan) and Ilda Machette (Martin Loughran for Kyle Hayes) briefly pestered Juvenile, but driver Bernard Nicholson always had their measure. The winner was well-supported in the ring and is jointly owned by the Duggans from Galbally.
Sweet redemption
The meeting opened with Little Sweet gaining compensation for her defeat the previous week in the hands of The Red Baron, Billy Roche. Joe Sheridan’s Springhill Lockdown was bridesmaid yet again. The winner went off at prohibitive odds of 1/2.
Race two saw a win for the Mooreside second string Little Miss Sarah (John Richardson) in the four-year-old trot. The jolly Lieutenant Dan did not trot a yard for Sean Kane and the run should be disregarded, as he is better than this running. The winner is owned by Sligo’s Alex Cuffe.
Lieutenant Dan was the only beaten favourite on the seven-race card, the punters got the better of exchanges on the day. The Irish Harness Racing Association season continues today at Lyre and tomorrow when Annaghmore will host the Bernie Kelly Memorial meeting, kindly sponsored by the Kelly family. Today sees the relaunch of the aptly-named Famous Musselburgh Pace on the racecourse proper. The meeting will see a few Irish entries from the McNulty barn and Patrick Kane junior will come in for some plum drives.
Runners, results and information can be viewed at www.irishharnessracing.com
Cork Saturday
JUST over a month after giving birth to her baby daughter, Charlie Flanagan was back in the sulky and gave a masterclass of driving with Immodesto in the first Cork leg of the IHRA National Apprentice Trot Series at Lyre on Saturday afternoon.
Hippie Sisu set the early fractions from Ilador and Hestia Malex. Nothing much changed for the opening mile. In the final two furlongs, Immodesto was making ground and was produced by Flanagan in the final 100 yards to get up on the line to deny Hippie Sisu by a length with Humour De Cosse back in third. The winner is owned by Finbarr Quill from Kenmare.
“Rosemary Elizabeth was born in early May and is named after Oisin’s (Quill, her partner) late mother and my own mother. Today was her first ever time at the races and I’m delighted she was here to cheer me on,” Flanagan said after her winner.
Murphy on the money
Donal Murphy, who in recent times has handed over the driving duties at the IB Stables to his nephew Eoin, donned his famous green and white colours, which he wore as champion driver on several occasions and showed all of the old sparkle when driving two winners on the day.
In the Grade G and G1 pace, Down By Crecora stole an early lead and led Totally Reily in the opening half-mile. Heading into the final lap, the leader looked to have slipped the field but Murphy produced IB Espresso with an impeccable timed run to get up by a head.
Murphy completed his double in the concluding B to D Grade pace. Teddy Camden was all the rage in the betting and was in front after half a lap from the early leader IB Felicity.
Out on the final lap, the leader looked to have gone five lengths to the good. But with two furlongs to pace, the chasing pack began to close and Murphy had IB Paddington on the premises to grab victory by a neck from Biggins. The handicapper must have been happy with two lengths separating the first four home.
“I’m kind of taking a back seat with the driving as Eoin is our first choice, but I was happy to step in for the spare drives,” said Murphy, modest as ever.
In the blood
Nephew Eoin Murphy was not to be outdone and steered Comete Des Landes to her fourth win of the season. Fairplay Briolais led for most of the contest, but was reeled in in the home straight for a length-winning run. IB Espresso, IB Paddington and Comete Des Landes made a training treble for Tadhg Murphy.
Get Me Out Of Here was reunited with usual partner Matthew O’Reilly and made light work of his rivals running them ragged to win by 12 lengths, following up on his previous win two weeks ago.
Brutenor for Pete Hill was another to impress in the Grade D to F trot. Given the office early by driver Patrick Hill, he never looked in any danger beating Irish Good Dream by two lengths.