“HAVE horse will travel,” is an old cliché which could have been composed for the Mannings from Limerick. The late Paddy Manning thought nothing of racing a horse mid-week in Cork and again in Dublin on the Sunday.

The modern generation are a bit more selective but nonetheless are great supporters of Portmarnock Raceway.

Last Sunday, the Welsh-bred 10-year-old Llwyns Delight kept up the Limerick family’s long association with the venue. John Manning made a last-to-first move when he sensed a lull in the pace.

The move proved to be a decisive one, the pairing ran out a 2.03.8 winner. Llwyns Delight runs well fresh and certainly looked well in the preliminaries.

Share A Smile, from neighbouring Cork ran well for second with Timmy Moloney in the bike. The contest was an A to F contest due to a paucity of entries in the early season.

Banderillero Piya, despite his usual dancing performance behind the gate, won yet another low grade trot for the Murphys from Baltimore and owner Aidan Hayes.

“He’s a great old campaigner so long as you can put up with his antics at the start,” was the comment from winning coachman Donal Murphy. Destin de Larre (Oisin Quill) showed improved form to be second.

Billy Roche’s good start to 2022 continues as Buliano took out the D to F trot. The Kerry runner Fina Mix looked ominous at the three-quarter pole and was only mugged on the line. Prolific apprentice Oisin Quill did the steering.

The Red Baron, Billy Roche was typically matter-of-fact about the winner. “He didn’t win a race in 2022 but he won four or five the previous year. He started in Ireland like a nice horse.”

Oisin Quill’s luck finally turned when Cakinap (5/2 to 3/1) battled well to win the A and B trot. John Richardson tried to make every post a winning post with Biniou Du Beuvron but the son of Gobernador has a strong finishing kick and wore down the Meadowbranch entry.

Duc d’Arry (Patrick Kane jnr) was nibbled at around evens. He blew his chance with an uncharacteristic break on the first turn. Yet again we make the point - “that’s why it’s called trotting.”

Compensation

Patrick got swift compensation when Ski From The Top took out a three-runner grade G pace which was the concluding race. The three-year-old is by the same stallion as last year’s sensation Rhyds Scoundrel.

The beleaguered bookies will be hoping that lightning does not strike twice in the same place.

Ski From The Top clocked 2m 4.3s. He can patently go faster but Patrick had the race won from the three-quarter pole and just gave the colt a hand drive down the straight.

It is still early days but this was the reigning leading driver’s first winner of the new campaign.

Harness action is meant to resume this afternoon at the orchard-lined track at Annaghmore, Co Armagh.

Hopefully there will be enough entries to stage a card, as the northern yards seem to be weeks behind the Dublin outfits in terms of preparedness.

Full results and confirmation of today’s fixture can be viewed at www.irishharnessracing.com. Annaghmore Raceway is at J13, M1 and the new club house is nearly complete.