TIANA Mai Mullan from the Colin Glen above Belfast was a welcome addition to the roster of winning drivers at Annaghmore last Sunday. The 17-year-old won a conditioned Grade F race aboard Ilador, who has been in more different homes than a chimney sweep.
Tiana drove a patient race on Ilador (3/1) swooping to outstay long-time leader Hestia Malex (Troy McAleer) and Jalna Lou Lou, driven by another lady, Charlie Flanagan. Tiana’s grandfather is Barney ‘Pipe’ Mullan, a familiar face at horse fairs near and far. The win was Tiana Mai’s lifetime first.
Calvin Broughan’s strong run of form continues. His Making Memories is different gravy amongst the three-year-old trotters. He beat Mr Castlewood easily.
Calvin, a HGV mechanic by day, had to work harder on Shes Hungry in the Grade F pace, One Cool Touch and John Boy Roche ensured a strong pace as usual, but in the end, Shes Hungry’s class prevailed in 2.02.1, the fastest mile of the day.
Shes Hungry’s owner Clive Kavanagh enjoyed his second owner’s double in as many weeks, when The Professor took out the Grade B to E pace. The win meant that ‘The Leaning Demon’, Jonny Dunne, got on the scoreboard on his first day driving after a long absence of five years. He said: “It felt good.”
The pedestrian time of 2.04.7 raises questions as regards how hard the placed horses were pushed.
Warm favourite
The top grade trot provided the rare sight of warm order favourite Harry Knows being beaten. Gingko Du Carbon (3/1) and Joseph Caffrey were the heroes of the hour, winning in 2.03.8. Gingko and Joseph incurred the wrath of the stewards at Lyre the previous week, probably not Joseph’s finest drive, but they did everything right here.
Kickingupthesand took a while to get the swing of things for the Richardson/Cowden partnership, but the three-year-old daughter of Irish American Bill Donovan’s Cattlewash is improving with every race.
The filly paced as straight as a gun barrel to see off Coalford Danceman (Bernard Mullan) and another Cattlewash, Wots A Wash with Bernard Nicholson.
Kapricia Marboula (4/1) had uninspiring form figures coming into the meeting, but has a big fat ‘1’ on her record following the Grade F trot.
Longford-based farrier Ronan Norton gets results with most of his horses and the mare showed a nice gait to hold off Elysium d’Ostal (John Boy Roche) and Irish Good Dream (Ciaran Morrison).
Pinged the gate
The runners from the Corey yard in Mallusk are running well. Young Adam Corey pinged the gate aboard Isba Quick (6/4) in the Grade E to F trot and they did not see a rival.
Jonquille De Via (Joseph Reenaghan) came late, but the winner likes to lead and was gone for all money.
Similarily, Kirio Scott (Martin Loughran) made every post a winning post in the Grade C to D race. Jalna Lou (Charlie Flanagan) and Fiesta Tejay (Troy McAleer) made a race of it, but The Cooley Magician always looked comfortable.
The Loughrans have a great record at the upcoming Red John Memorial.
Racing continues today at Annaghmore. Runners and results are available at www.irishharnessracing,com with replays on the IHRA YouTube channel.
Murphy keeps the spark
BALTIMORE-based reinsman Donal Murphy, who is in “semi-retirement”, brushed away the cobwebs to drive two winners at Dunmanway on Sunday and in both races beat his nephew Eoin.
Murphy (Donal) was at his brilliant best when landing both divisions of the Department Of Food And Marine-sponsored Future Broodmares races. The division for trotters saw Hippie Sisu in her usual pitch as front runner from Inspire Me and Comete Des Landes.
Inspire Me made a break at the road crossing to scupper her chances. The mistake allowed Comete Des Landes to zone in on the leader arriving in the final 100 metres with a perfectly-timed run to win by two lengths from Hippie Sisu.
Only two went to post in the pacing division of the mares’ race. Eoin Murphy chose to drive Always Skye, despite a 50-yard handicap with Uncle Donal on Anglesey Hall. The latter led out of the gate. Always Skye challenged after a lap, but made a break and had to sit in.
The mistake proved costly as Anglesey Hall was not for catching for a length and a half win.
Wrong one
“The number one driver picked the wrong one, but it’s great that we finished first and second in both. (Thoughts of Ryan Moore and Wayne Lordan come to mind). It’s nice to have a double when least expected,” Murphy said, as modest as ever.
Thomas Martin from Limerick enjoyed the spin back to the Treaty City after recording his first winner under rules with Coalford Billybats in the Grade E to F pace. Martin only purchased the five-year-old son of Henry Hill during the week. The pair made all the running, holding off Christy Brown by three lengths.
Graal Du Dollar. owned by John O’Sullivan from Goleen, came back to winning ways in the top grade trot for trainer/driver Jamie Hurley. The pair allowed Duc d’Arry to lead for the opening lap.
On the final lap, Hurley hit the front and ran out an eight-length winner. “He ran well against Harry Knows last week. Even though the conditions weren’t to his liking today, he was very impressive,” Hurley commented after the win.
Best season
Get Me Out Of Here has been having his best season and notched up another win for Drimoleague-based owner/trainer Tadhg O’Reilly. Matthew, a son of Tadhg, was in the driving seat this time and he was able to control matters up front, leading all the way to see off a spirited challenge from Biggins by one and a half lengths.
It was a good day for Drimoleague owners when Empereur Souverain for Niall Forbes was another to make all the running in the Grade D to F trot. Forbes sent his 10-year-old to the front from the number one draw and had High Speed Efbe for company then fended off Gentleman Coglais and eventually went on to win by a length and a half.
“Sometimes he gives the odd skip, but the softer conditions might have suited him,” Forbes was quoted after racing.
The five-runner Grade G to G2 pace produced the best finish of the day. Beach Dragon and Miki Taker traded blows early here with Beach Dragon holding his position on the rail. Turning for home, Shut The Front Door saw daylight on the outside and collared Miki Taker close home for a half a length victory. Liam Power from Bandon owns the winner, who was driven by Schull man Mike O’Mahony.
The meeting at Dunmanway due for tomorrow is cancelled due to lack of entries, which bodes well for The Red John Memorial weekend at Lyre, September 13th and 14th.
No surprises at Tregaron
TREGARON in Ceredigionshire has a track like a bowling green.
The venue has been dubbed ‘the only flat field for miles around’.
The superbly-organised committee welcomed English and Scottish and regrettably few Irish runners to Pontrhydfendigaid (a fiver if you can pronounce it) last weekend.
The high grade Welsh Classic went to the unstoppable Laidler yard with Coalford Top Guy.
The winner is said to be sold to the USA,
The lower grade Strata Florida Handicap was won by the Harrops from Bishop Auckland, Durham, who have been trotting since at least the 1940s.
Good weekend
Coalford One Of Us was the victor on a good weekend for the Coalford Stud of Sunderland. Coalford One Of Us is owned by veteran horseman Alf Swinbank.
The Harrops were unlucky in a Sunday maiden. Sales-topping yearling Oakwood Louis, bred in The Faithful County, was a wide-margin winner, but was adjudged to have gone ‘inside the pegs’ and also to have caused interference.
Sligo-born but Welsh-based farrier Garry O’Grady gave Chamboro Fromentero, by all accounts a headcase to ride, a great steer to win the monté (saddle) race.
There was exciting news that the Manning family from Limerick will sponsor the 2026 Welsh Classic in memory of Jack Manning, who never missed the meeting.