The Irish Champion Stakes weekend was dominated by Ederney, Co Fermanagh trainer Neville Martin and Jonny Cowden from Belfast. Martin has a fantastic strike rate with young horses. The pair took out the two-year-old fillies' division with Aine Story owned by Neville’s nephew Jason Ligget and the three-year-old colts' with Sweet Pa owned by David Curtin of Limerick. The two-year-old clocked 2.03.4 while the older horse went 2.00.1.
"Neville and his brother Edward manage these horses superbly," stated Jonny.
"Both horses got a great drive," said Neville as the trainer and driver exchanged compliments.
The series is the most obvious measure of how far the breeding of pacers has come in this country. I am showing my age when admitting that I remember four Gold Visions and a Pipers Gold hitching, hopping and pacing around in the first two-year-old contest in 1977.
On Saturday past, Stay Hungry, Cattlewash, Huntsville, Sweet Lou and Papi Rob Hanover had offspring gliding around Annaghmore, bloodlines which also grace the American ‘Grand Circuit’.
The €50,000 prize money was enriched by the Department of Agriculture/Horse Sport Ireland. Crucially breeders prizes are now part of the pot.
The Ball/Kane/Grabber syndicate continued their good run with animals bred by Ryan O’Neil of Ayr. Ayroplane (no offers on the straight) had a facile win in 1.58.5 in the four-year-old colts. Ayrodrome, reportedly a generous 4/5 in a place, beat the promising Shes No Angel (Eoin Joyce) by two lengths in 1.59.4. The Londoners’ double was driven by their man Patrick Kane junior.
Tough trip
“What a tough mare,” enthused John Ball junior in the winner’s circle, “she got a tough trip last week in York and a tough trip again today, but she seems to relish it.”
The other juvenile divisions were shared between north and south Dublin. Troy McAleer from St Margarets picked up where he left off last season with the brilliant Coalford Annabelle, now four. Clive Kavanagh’s She’s Hungry made Annabelle work for it, running to a respectable neck. Clive went one better in the two-year-old colts, as he won with Hunt Me Down (4/5 favourite).
Hunt Me Down was conceived when Kavanagh’s successful race mare Robyn Camden was in America. Get the mare served by Huntsville and ship her back with foal in utero, it’s two for the price of one travel!
The winner deserved the €5,000, but there were some hard luck stories in the race. Bunny Station (Noel Ryan) was away to a flyer at the first attempt, but a false start was called. John Richardson’s horses are usually impeccably behaved, however Martinez The Knife played up badly, heaving at the cart a bit, and looked hard to steer. My gut feeling is that this crop of two-year-old colts will beat each other as they mature.
Trotting double
Sean Kane likes to specialise in trotters and he had a double on that gait. The win by Lieutenant Dan in the Grade F trot was more important than the bare result. The 2.39.3 performance over 10 furlongs is the first win by a 2021 Irish-bred foal (they are nearly all by Apprenti Sourcier) against imported French Trotters.
“He’s learning how to march in open company,” commented Kane. The sire is still active at Mooreside Stud, The Naul.
Sean’s double came in the closing D and E grade trot, where the ultra-dependable Hot To Trot (4/1) swooped late after Epsom Des Corvees (Luke Timlin) and Kaos De La Cote (Calvin Broughan) set sharp fractions. The bookies were cheering heartily as at least two of the beaten horses were well backed.
Freddie Kavanagh and his enthusiastic supporters are good for the game. The steady Sweet Rock (3/1) finally got his day in the sun in the maiden pace. “He has been running well, but was in with some nice young horses in recent weeks,” said Freddie.
Calvin Broughan’s Making Memories remains unbeaten amongst four-year-old trotters, while Joe Sheridan’s Moet Of Springhill keeps chipping away at the deficit.
Racing resumes today at Annaghmore. Results and entries can be seen at www.irishharnessracing.com Replays can be seen on IHRA YouTube channel.
Top Dollar and Ayr Harbour go head to head in the John D Crowley Cup \ Lydia Kelleher Shine
Dunmanway Sunday
TOP Dollar returned to winning ways, when taking the John D Crowley Cup at the Old Chapel Memorial day in Dunmanway last Sunday, giving driver Jamie Hurley three winners on the day.
Ayr Harbour and Top Dollar were quickly away, with Ayr Harbour holding the rail position as both drivers vied for supremacy.
The pair were setting quick fractions up front and the battle continued out on the final circuit, where Top Dollar finally got pole position and stayed on to beat Larry Camden (who was unlucky in running), with Biggins back in third.
Pippa The Terror set the ball rolling for Reenascreena-based Hurley, when breaking her maiden tag in the Mick Twomey and Donie Barry Memorial Cup. The four-year-old daughter of Cattlewash hit the front from the start and saw off race favourite IB Queen Bee by a length and a half.
Fandango De Nile, who Hurley owns with his partner Hannah Richardson, led all the way to land the spoils in the Deceased Members Cup. Humour De Cosse and Instinct De Jomax both tried in vain to catch the winner, who eventually had two lengths in hand at the finish.
Two winners
Schull-based reinsman Mike O’Mahony weighed in with two winners on the day. O’Mahony was at his best on Shut The Front Door in the Noel Ryan Memorial Cup. Emily Rose led early from Shut The Front Door and Christy Brown.
Nothing much changed for most of the contest, with race favourite Newtown Major joining the leaders, but Shut The Front Door prevailed in the best finish of the day from Emily Rose and Newtown Major.
O’Mahony teamed up with Drimoleague native Niall Forbes to take the Paddy Desmond and Jerry O’Mahony Memorial with Empereur Souverain.
The veteran Brutenor made the going and looked to have done enough to win, but Empereur Souverain got up in the dying strides to nab the long-time leader.
Dylan O’Neill from Charleville drove his first winner under rules, taking the Willy Twist Plate with Pan Cam Corona, who is owned by his father Alan. Rewrite Sport was quickly away and was five lengths clear from Coalford Belief on the second circuit.
Out on the final lap, Pan Cam Corona began to improve and kicked on the final turn to win by two lengths.
Kyo Ferfay gave owner Gavin Harrington from Caheragh his second win from only three starts here in Ireland, when picking up the PJ Collins Cup for driver James O’Driscoll. The pair were always comfortable up front and held off the late challenges of Comete Des Landes and Gentleman Coglais.
To the sword
The top-grade trot for the Donie Ellis Cup was a five-horse contest, with Inspire Me and Hallow Way Road the market leaders.
However, it was I Want You Back who put his four rivals to the sword, putting in a perfect round of trotting to give Co Clare-based owner, trainer and driver Paul McInerney a well-overdue success.
Racing opened with the Bryan Wilson Cup and Matthew O’Reilly from Drimoleague, who is having a great run with his horses, got another one on the scoresheet, as Spartan Warrior made every yard of the running for a four-length winning margin from Sexxy Socks.
As outlined in detail by Dan Carlin on page 68 of this newspaper, a watershed for harness racing in West Cork will be reached on Saturday, July 11th with the opening of the brand new Lyre Stadium half-mile all-weather track.
It is fitting that the inauguration of the new track will coincide with the opening day of The Red John Memorial Weekend.