HARNESS RACING: Kane kicks clear in title race 07 May 2021 Premium

THE 2021 harness racing season came alive for the Bernie Kelly Memorial Weekend at Portmarnock last weekend.

The crowd (limited by Covid-19 restrictions) may have seen a change from the old order as Patrick Kane junior kicked four clear in The Irish Field National Drivers Championship.

The silver salver has been on John Richardson’s sideboard for four years. Indeed, he has been champion more than 20 times.

Other stories to emerge from the gala weekend were a big race win for Comete Des Landes, co-owned by thoroughbred agent Thomond O’Mara, a well-deserved win for Ned Stafford and the Moorside Stud finally breaking their duck in the apprentice trot.

Patrick Kane is a 34-year-old father of two. Life is just a blink as it seems like yesterday when, as a skinny teenager, he showed precocious talent behind Denton John Joe and Cams Best.

Who would have predicted that the boy who watched ‘JR’ drive Must Fly and Rippling Skipper might one day be closing in on Richardson’s title?

Richardson, Billy Roche and Donal Murphy will not lie down without a fight. However, in the early days of the new season Richardson and Roche have no obvious stars, while Kane and Murphy have a nice book of drives each Sunday. We live in interesting times.

Five-timer

Patrick’s five-timer commenced on day one of the two-day meeting. He won heat two of the pacing competition with his wife Rachel’s Stakes On The Pan.

Rachel’s father is the grand old man of British trotting, the respected Kit Bousfield of Home Farm, Appleby, home of the fabled meeting. On a happy note the horse comes from Kit’s long years of breeding.

Patrick’s other winner on the opening day, Harry Knows, is a French trotter but is named after Patrick’s maternal grandfather.

Patrick’s cousin Mary Gilligan drove the runner-up, Hot To Trot, and was beaten in a photo-finish for the second time in three weeks.

Day two saw Patrick win with two from his own stable, namely Anglesey Gayle and Pixie Camden (both pacers). He also came in for a glamourous catch drive on Comete Des Landes as Donal Murphy had qualified two for the trotting final.

Anglesey Gayle picked up a lesser race for owner Ned Stafford but did it well. “I’ve waited a long time for one as decent as her,” was Ned’s comment. The popular Swords man got a good-natured cheer from those present.

The other pacing winner was Pixie Camden, owned by Buddy Donaghy.

Made all

In the six-runner Bernie Kelly Memorial Trot Final, Patrick ‘led out, made all’ with Comete Des Landes.

However, the race was actually more exciting than this sounds. The gutsy combination of Martin Loughran and Eddy Marceaux hassled the winner for the entire final lap. Stable companion Bibi Dairpet was tucked in the pocket with Donal Murphy but was not good enough to catch Comete Des Landes.

The word at the track was that Donal thought that Patrick’s style of driving would suit the mare better than Bibi Dairpet. He called it correctly. The winner is owned by the Murphys and Tipperary based thoroughbred men Thomond O’Mara and John Madigan.

Like all proper shrewdies Thomond eschewed publicity but he did ask his partner to speak to The Irish Field. “That was some buzz’,” said Madigan. “We are very impressed with how the meeting is organised.”

Clonakilty

Who would bet against the Murphys aiming Comete Des Landes at the Red John Memorial near Clonakilty in August? A win in Thomond’s West Cork homeplace? You can see the headline already, and the celebrations.

One final note on Patrick Kane junior’s successful weekend: five winners and three placed horses over the weekend accumulated over €5,500 for connections. The Irish Harness Racing Association deserve great credit for the progress the sport has made.

Racing continues tomorrow (Sunday, start time to be confirmed) at Annaghmore, Co Armagh. Readers can see the action (delayed footage) on the IHRA’s Facebook page.

See full results and racecards on irishharnessracing.com

2021 National Leading Harness Driver Award*