THE 2022 harness racing season flew along much the same as previous years. There were desperate battles for the lead on the first turn, lucky runs up the inside rail, beaten favourites that couldn’t get out, big money purchases some which were flops, some that blossomed.

However, the fact that Portmarnock Raceway closed for good in December casts a massive shadow over this review.

The 30-acre site has been sold with planning permission to become a memorial park for the Fingal region. A well-placed source has confirmed that there were bids by the IHRA and at least two other private parties who would have kept racing as part of the complex. Between the hopping and the trotting, if we excuse the pun, the track was lost.

I have heard the argument that ‘we’ should not have missed buying the track. At the same time, LeTROT of France (a massive backer in Ireland) has long intimated that they would prefer an 1100-metre track (Portmarnock was 800 metres) and there is a sense that a new hard track in the North Dublin region could take trotting to a new level in Ireland.

In December, this column stated that Annaghmore in Armagh will be used more in 2023. A field has been secured near Ashbourne for the short term.

Planning permission has been applied for at the track in Lyre, West Cork. Dublin is the main pocket of horse owners and funding is being sought for a hard track near the capital.

On The Track

On the track Billy Roche guided Vaillant de Gueham to win back-to-back races during small cards in March. The Treaty County was well represented by Llwyns Delight who won at the third meeting. Father and daughter combination Wayne and Leah McNevin, always immaculate in matching purple and white, were keen participants all season long and reeled off plenty of wins with Newtown Alana, IB A Magician, IB Notorious and other horses.

The Co Clare-owned Ayr Paparazzi won the first major pace of the season, the Bernie Kelly Pace, while Colombia d’Oysse started off a big-race training double for John Richardson. Colombia d’Oysse would later win the Maven Trot in Lyre driven by French ‘crack’ Franck Ouvrie.

John began the year like he would regain the drivers title from Patrick Kane. However, just as in football, strength in depth in the ‘squad’ is everything and as the season wore on the Kanes kept producing well-handicapped, unexposed types who won more often that not.

All the usual suspects descended upon idyllic Inchydoney in May. The locals who happily walk their terriers of a Sunday morning had the pleasure of seeing four Cork-based winners from a six-race card. Dunmanway-based Dan O’Mahony scored a double.

At time of writing there are dark mornings and dark evenings. The glorious sunshine of Appleby’s ‘Spring Trot’ in June seems to be a million miles away. The natural amphitheatre is the perfect place to watch the best pacers in Ireland and Britain. Ice cream and short trousers are the order of the day.

The Irish raiders left their mark when Patrick Kane junior won the final with Bobby Barry’s Ladyford Buck. Interestingly, the form was well franked in December when the second, I’m A Happy Fella, won his first two starts in the US.

Our American readers will be tempted to whale in at ‘the windows’ as Ladyford Buck has also been sent to race Stateside (see accompanying article).

Bernard Nicholson of Cavan began a great year by winning the Irish American Trot with Duca de l’Eau for owner Willie John Cook. John Boyle (78) showed that he still has what it takes by scoring at Lyre’s opening meeting. Ger Heggarty had his venue in great order.

Volunteers,

In early July, the feature photo was of a hardy band of volunteers, led by Ivan Swindle, cutting the ribbon on Annaghmore’s new clubhouse. Hopefully, the facility will be well supported in 2023.

Jonny Cowden and Billy Roche both drove trebles at this two-day meeting while bars in nearby The Moy recorded nice takings.

At Bishopsland, Tim Kelleher reported a win by Get Me Out Of Here with four generations of the O’Reilly clan in the photo. Derry McCarthy provides the track.

One man only was in the photo of July 23rd, Kit Bousfield of Cumbria who was celebrating his 100th birthday and spoke of trotting from 1925 to a win in Cork in June 2022.

Red John

The visitors stole the headlines at Ireland’s premier meeting The Red John Memorial in late August. Durham-based Rocker Laidler won the Red John Pace with Evenwood Son of A Gun. Franck Ouvrie of France came in for the catch drive on Colombia d’Oysse for the Meadowbranch yard, they won the Bill Donovan-sponsored Maven Trot.

Coincidentally, Ouvrie drives in blue and yellow in similar hues to the Ukrainian flag. Remarkably, horsemen at the Kiev Hippodrome have been trying to maintain racing going during the conflict.

Gavin Murdock keeps the Delaney Memorial in North Wales as his priority. He was leading driver at the 2022 renewal including the two-year-old fillies’ division with Maid Sweet.

Patrick Kane junior took the three-year-old colts’ with the ill-fated Rhyds Scoundrel, while Bernard Nicholson picked up the four-year-old trophy with Churchview Frankel.

Apologies go to Emma Roche, proud groom of Urbano des Selles, the tough 14-year-old gelding who was retired in October. The news that this old warrior had hung up his sulky for the last time was omitted at the time.

A winner of 45 races over seven seasons, he held an unusual statistic in that he won races with three different visiting French drivers.

Came of age

Eoin Murphy of Baltimore really came of age in 2022. He won the George Deane Memorial at Dunmanway with Brywins Starship and then drove his first ever three-timer in the dying weeks of the season.

IB Notorious was a successful catch drive for Eoin’s uncle Donal Murphy in the Governors Cup of November 5th. Owner Wayne McNevin chose IB A Magician in the race but won’t be complaining.

In the high season, Wayne bought IB Sweetcandygirl from long term allies the Murphys of Baltimore. In total, the filly was undefeated in five starts including three classics.

The Northern yards of Duggans, Coreys, Galway and Timlins all had highlights in the season, pressures of space do not allow the full stories.

Harry Knows on his last start before going to New York \ Nadina Ironia

Churchview Frankel and Harry Knows showed no mercy to the layers on All-Ireland day in November.

It was unclear whether the meeting of December 4th was to be the swansong or not. However, the regulars seemed to know that there would be insufficient entries for December 11th.

The last ever winner at the venue will forever be North To Alaska, a descendant of Grand Prix. The gelding was driven by Noel Ryan who is a grandson of Grand Prix’s owner, Hughie Richardson. Hughie founded the track; you couldn’t make it up.

Patrick Kane junior won The Irish Field silver salver for leading driver and a generous cheque.

He was nine clear of John Richardson (second) who in turn was six ahead of Sean Kane (third). Sean drove and trained the leading Trotteur Français, Just In Time.

The 2022 leading apprentice was Jonathan Cowden. Jonny was due to work a winter with Robbie Cleary in New Jersey but a mix-up with his visa scuppered that plan.