Portmarnock Sunday \

Dan Carlin

PORTMARNOCK Raceway hosted some excellent racing on Sunday last, July 17th. The meeting was run in uncommon heat, but there were no reports of ill effects to horses. The only species in discomfort were the bookies, on a day where the punters had the better of exchanges.

The card produced a nice cross section of winners with five winners from Greater Dublin, three from the north and one from the border region. Only Billy Roche drove more than one winner with eight others on the score sheet.

Billy’s supporters like to put down their money. The afternoon started well when odds-on shot Cartouche Jemiska annihilated the field in an A to E handicap.

John Moloney’s mare definitely kept to her 60 yard trail. However, she was travelling so sweetly that Billy let her roll and she was in from front with a lap to go. Easy game this.

John Richardson stoked up Biniou du Beuvron for second but Cartouche Jemiska won as she liked.

Facile win

The Red Baron (Roche) had another facile win in the concluding B to F pace. Bits N Pieces did not see a rival. Sligo runner Earnies Dream put up a fight but Billy was counting the prize money in his head from the paddock bend to the line.

Gavin Murdock has timed it that his string are coming good for the mid-summer classics. Both the public and the layers were unsure just how good Oakwood Paddy (4/6 to 2/5) could be as he has been lightly campaigned.

On the day, Ruairi McNulty’s four-year-old silenced any doubters when he showed a blistering turn of foot at Peters Paddock to put daylight between himself and the field. Ray Sheridan and House Party outran their odds of 6/1 for a creditable second. The winner clocked 2’01.6.

Trotting specialist

Proceedings opened with trotting specialist Sean Kane yoking three of the four runners in the ‘French Trotters bred in Ireland ‘contest for three-year-olds.

Sean and his father Ger have made it clear that would welcome a wider pool of owners in this division. It is important that more horsemen embrace this scheme, which boasts decent prize money. I personally have a yearling and a 2022 foal for the scheme and it should not be allowed to flounder.

On the day it was Mooreside first string from second string as Just In Time (Sean Kane) beat Just Like Mum (Patrick Kane). Both look like nice prospects, and the winner is out of Ella Lou Lou, winner of the inaugural LeTROT Gold Division for three year olds before injury ended her career.

Two-year-olds do things differently from one day to the next. At Annaghmore’s big launch meeting a month ago, Vinnie Camden raced well while Ayr Balmoral made babyish breaks.

Last Sunday, Ayr Balmoral (Martin Loughran) sat behind Vinnie Camden (Alan Wallace jnr) then pulled out to win cosily. Martin Maughan bought the son of See And Ski at York sales last autumn.

Dimunitive

John Richardson rarely goes home without a winner. The dimunitive Meadowbranch Aurora delivered in the Grade F pace. Cousins John Boy Roche and Troy McAleer indulged in what the Americans term a ‘speed duel’ and this played into JR’s hands as he moved when One Cool Touch and Meadowbranch Duke were spent. John Boy has the talent and he will have better days.

Redeem

Troy had only to wait an hour and a half to redeem himself. In the All-Ireland Series heat, he produced Northern Pride with a well-timed run to get revenge on John Richardson, who drove Cash All, in 2’31 for a mile and a quarter. Yet again a horse bought out of the Gilvear yard in Stirling blossoms in Ireland. The Gilvears and Ron Caddies look after them well.

Trottin’ Joe Sheridan lived up to his name when he sent out Boyardo (7/2) to win the grade F trot. The good-looking chesnut kept piling on the pressure from the front end. The well-backed newcomer Helios de Lara (John Richardson) ran well but could not peg back Freddie Kavanagh on Boyardo.

The Duggans from Galbally are missing the doughty Rhyds Boots and have had bad luck with some French Trotters. Go For Silk restores some Tyrone pride when she took the grade G pace on the card. Hopper Foran was second with Sweet Rock. The third horse Meadowbranch Bobby (John Richardson) is bred more for Delaware than Dublin and will probably come on for the run.

Another northern stable won a heat of the All-Ireland Trotting series when Jonny Cowden gave his father Noel’s Celui la Laye an enterprising drive to see off Harry Knows (Patrick Kane jnr) and the ‘jolly’ Devoir Math (Billy Roche). The race went a respectable 3’10.1.

Portmarnock resumes on Sunday, July 24th. Full results, race cards, etc. can be seen at www.irishharnessracing.com. The track is off the R107 Malahide Road at Chapel Road, Kinsealy.

IHRA National

Leading Driver Award

Latest standings at July 18th

Driver Wins

John Richardson, Dublin 20

Patrick Kane jnr, Trim 16

Billy Roche, Dublin 16

Sean Kane, The Naul 11

Donal Murphy, Baltimore 7

Gavin Murdock, Belfast 7

Jonny Cowden, Belfast 7

Cyrano gets Mark off the mark

Lyre Saturday \

Tim Kelleher

THE Kane family from Co Meath made another successful raid to Lyre last Saturday taking home two winners.

Patrick, who drove three winners the previous week drew a blank this time with his brother Mark and cousin Sean getting the winning drives.

Mark, an equine dentist, doesn’t get the plum drives in the Kane yard but is a good reinsman in his own right. Cyrano De Liton gave Mark his first winner of the 2022 campaign when landing the Grade F Trot. On the final lap, Empereur Souverian went off stride and Cyrano De Liton was waiting in the wings and ran out an easy eight-length winner.

The D to E Trot produced a great finish. Brutenor had come off the back of the draw and led from Banderillo Piya. On the final circuit, race favourite Halloway Road moved into contention as did Eureka d’Eronville. On the run to the line, Sean Kane’s Dublin raider battled on and had a neck to spare from Brutenor with Banderillo Piya third.

Battle

The concluding Grade E Pace threw up another blanket finish. Rodney Camden controlled matters up front. Royal Armbro joined the leader turning for home and in a battle royale got up in the dying strides to win by a neck.

The winner, a five-year-old by Armbro Deuce is owned/trained and was driven by Drimoleague-based Chris O’Reilly.

“We had no luck with Rhyds Panache earlier as he got a puncture but this fellow was on his A game today. Racing is so competitive here in Cork and we can look forward to The Red John Memorial,” O’Reilly commented after racing.

Bounced back

Baltimore-based Donal Murphy bounced back to a winning drive taking the Grade A trot aboard Comete des Landes. The winner is jointly owned by IB Stables, Thomond O’Mara and John Madigan.

John had a busy seven days as on the previous Saturday he owned Kodi Red, winner of a five-furlong, two-year-old contest at Navan, a double which is unlikely to be repeated.

King Wills Arrival has been a great servant to the Quills of Kenmare and the son of Cams Card Shark notched up another win on the day. Foxfield Ranger tried to make every post a winner here but King Wills Arrival and Oisin Quill were never too far away and eased to the front in the home straight winning by two lengths.

The top grade pace saw punters latch on to last week’s winner Miss Pantastic.

Heading out on the final lap, Miss Pantastic led and was followed by Blue Showdown and Brywins Starship. Turning for home, Blue Showdown hit the front and despite a late rally Blue Showdown got the nod by half a length.

Porterstown Aled made his debut for Derry McCarthy a winning one. This five-year-old son of Doonbeg was quickly away from the car. Derry dictated the pace then held off the late challenge of Spartan Warrior to win by a neck.

Racing continues in Cork next Friday night, the 22nd at Bishopsland with a 6.30pm start.