IF the strength of a sport can be measured by the standard of young people coming through, then harness racing in this country is in rude health. Over the well-supported Barney Joyce Memorial weekend the headlines belonged to the youth.

On Saturday 18-year-old Eoin Joyce took the heat and final of the big handicap sponsored by M50 Skip Hire with Streamside Star. On Sunday 16-year-old Luke Kelleher of the well-known Macroom family outfoxed no less than John Richardson and Jonny Dunne as he took the Free For All with Meadowbranch Demon, some would say his family’s readymade pension fund.