AT long last the harness racing fraternity got to dust off their race bikes, best harness and new sheepskin accessories on Monday, June 29th.

A sense of relief prevailed although Monday is a bad day for part-time horsemen. The Covid-19 rules meant the place was deserted but the protocol procedure was well advertised and enforced.

Eight happy owners went up the road whistling, while three others were touched off by less than a neck in an afternoon of close finishes.

Philip ‘Buster’ Gilligan wears his heart on his sleeve. Stabled at the track, Buster and his squad of ordinary working fellows are a good advert for the sport.

They purchased Tarawood CJ last autumn and the deal was risky because the six-year-old gelding has been in some ‘good hotels’ in his career. Buster’s hard work paid off as the son of Arts Conquest outslugged Llwyns Delight (John Manning) in 2.01.4. The distance was a neck.

The horse had not run for 300 days. “He’s back. He’s done his time and he’s back,” stated a buoyant Buster. “The dinner is on Buster,” added his wife Mary.

As for the runner-up, the form watchers in the UK thought that the former Welsh-based runner, on his Irish debut, was in very deep. Yet again the Mannings proved that Limerick is not just full of hurlers. Full credit to Jack Manning and the family for a fantastic training performance.

Another fine training performance came from the Kane yard. The Naul outfit picked up Batingo last year after several handlers found the nine-year-old to be ‘challenging’. Ger and Sean Kane call these jaded geldings ‘project horses’. Whatever tricks Ger used, they worked. Owner Emma Kane was beaming as driver Sean told compere John McDonnell ‘this was the horse nobody wanted’ after his win in the C and D trot.

The favourite Dahyla De Massara and John Richardson made a costly break at the start. The fixture was rare winnerless meeting for the reigning champion driver. Buliano (Billy Roche) was runner-up here.

Online result

Officially there were no layers at the meeting. McCartan Bet of Lurgan priced the races on their website for the first time. They got an online result in the D to F pace when the highly thought of Oakwood Starcam (John Richardson) (4/6 to 1/2) was caught napping by an enterprising drive by stablemates North To Alaska (4/1) and Noel Ryan. A case of pupil outdoing the tutor.

In an unusual driver booking, the Murphys from Baltimore put up Billy Roche aboard Epopee Du Layon in the clockwise trot. Billy made all to hold off the right-handed specialist Alcazar De Sienne (Martin Loughran).

The winner is a nice deep-chested mare and wouldn’t look out of place in a middleweight hunter class. The win brought up an opening day double for The Red Baron, Billy Roche.

The Murphys farmed out an earlier winner when one of last year’s ‘joint leading apprentices’ Oisin Quill drove Silvano Bello (2/1 at the off) to an all-the-way success in the F and G trot.

Donal Murphy stayed with the enigmatic Banderillero Piya. I have it on good authority that the judge had to go to ‘one thousand pixels’ to separate the two stablemates. The victory by a nose takes Silvano Bello’s Irish earnings over the €41,000 mark.

Walter Stewart had his horses ready for the original start date in March. He had to let them down a bit and start again. The tall and rugged Ladyford Dollar (4/7 - 6/4 - 4/6) made short work of the opposition in the first pace of the season.

The race will throw up several winners. IB Notorious and Sharpasatack were not abused once the jolly went on.

Walter is in the enviable position of owning the sire For A Few Dollars More who has been busy serving mares with Dermot Dunne at Cappagh, Dublin.

Valanzana is as game as a pebble and was the subject of some market support ‘on the app’. The Kenmare-based mare led everywhere but the line in the D and E trot and was only denied by a finely-timed run by Billy Roche on Urbano Des Selles.

As Urbano Des Selles has won for three visiting French drivers, maybe Billy was shouting ‘Allez!’ up the straight. In the end, another tight finish got last year’s runner-up in the drivers’ standings off the mark.

The top grade trot saw a return to form by the Tyrone runner Abraham (7/4 to 4/7) and usual driver Simon Duggan.

The Meadowbranch newcomer Biniou De Beuvron with JR, briefly flattered but had no answer to Abraham who has looked well tucked up in recent weeks. Nine lengths was the official margin. Tougher tasks lie ahead: Abraham’s nemesis, Besame Mucho comes out tomorrow.

In terms of progress the IHRA launched live streaming at the meeting (see www.portmarnockraceway.ie). The cost is €10 per meeting or €100 for the season. Feedback was largely positive although at the track the microphones played up all day. Most regions reported clear pictures but some sound problems. Some viewers felt the camera wobbled a bit. No doubt the resourceful IHRA will address these issues.

The other trial concept of online betting was well received. Malachy McCartan jnr of McCartanBet reported: “We were pleased with the number of accounts opened and the turnover was strong especially on the pacing races.”

Daniel McAteer from Randalstown watched at home. “The coverage was enjoyable all day and the betting app was easy to use. I backed Walter’s horse, he touched 6/4.”

Next meeting is tomorrow at 2pm. The meeting is ‘behind closed doors’ once more. Live streaming and online betting will be available again.