THE curtain came down on the 2023 Cork region harness racing season at Lyre last Sunday.

Young Limerick driver Jamie Cross ended the year on a high as he won the first race of his career with Storm Trooper. The victory came in the three-runner grade G1 pace. Storm Trooper led from the start in this mile contest and, despite a late challenge from Christy Brown, the son of Foreclosure held on for a one-length win for owners John Cross and Patrick Crawford.

Eoin Murphy from Baltimore celebrated his 20th birthday on the previous night. On Sunday he gave Hippie Sisu a well-timed drive to land the spoils in the grade F trot. Irish Good Dream, a winner two weeks ago, set the early fractions and led until the bell lap.

On the run to the two-furlong pole he went off-stride, allowing Eddy Marceaux to lead. Turning for home the leader looked to have the race in the bag but Murphy produced Hippie Sisu who got up on the line to win by half a length.

“He always seems to be in the shake-up but, at times, can be a bit of a rogue. Today he was spot-on,” Murphy commented. The winner is jointly owned by Enniskeane publican Angelo Hannon and IB Stables.

The high grade trot has produced some fantastic fare all season and Duc D’Arry got it right on the day to beat old rival Comete Des Landes. Denis O’Reilly from Drimoleague, who owns and trains the winner, allowed Fandango De Nile to lead for the opening half mile. Heading down the back straight O’Reilly was oozing confidence on Duc D’Arry. They went to the front in the dip and the pair were always holding Comete Des Landes. Three quarters of a length was the official distance.

“He’s a horse with exceptional speed,” O’Reilly said afterwards. “Okay, sometimes he can make a mistake but I didn’t rush him today and he showed his talent out there. We had a great year with him - unlucky not to win a few more but that’s racing.”

Halloway Road, owned by Patrick Hill from Leap, is another trotter with great talent and was on his A game at Ger Hegarty’s field. Dedicace De Rhuys and Bibi Dairpet battled it out for the opening lap. Bibi Dairpet won that duel and led turning for home but Hill produced Halloway Road with an impeccably timed run to chin the leader on the line by a neck.

Oisin Quill from Kenmare is another driver who enjoyed a good year in Cork. Oisin notched up another win on Sunday, this time teaming up with Co Tipperary based Pa Manning’s Llywns Delight. Manning drove Zipcar One, his other runner, and led early, but Quill sent Llywns Delight to the front heading out on the final lap and was tracked by GDs Honey who could not peg back the winner.

The village of Drimoleague has always been a hotbed for pacers and trotters. The top grade pace saw three runners from that very parish battling out the finish. Blue Showdown, owned by the Tara Stables and driven by Cian O’Reilly, led home his cousin Chris O’Reilly aboard Biggins, with Teddy Camden and Derry McCarthy back in third.

The summer season in West Cork was another successful year with 16 meetings, starting in Harbour View Beach in May. Racing returned to The Cornfield Oval in Manch after a five-year hiatus with meetings in Lyre including the Red John Memorial Weekend and the Richie Phelan Memorial.

Dunmanway also staged racing, with the Ballabuidhe Festival and the George Deane Memorial the highlights at that venue.