THE Covid situation and it’s recent escalation in Dublin continues to p!ay havoc with the harness racing at Portmarnock Raceway. There were several top-class performances on the day and it’s hard not to feel sorry for connections who can’t get to really celebrate a win.

The bar was closed last Sunday, attendance restricted, and the organisers were at pains to encourage social distancing.

James Griffin commentated at the venue for the first time and was accurate and calm. The unique jargon will come with practice for this race-caller.

The Duggan yard based at Galbally in Tyrone bounced back to form with a vengeance as principal driver Simon Duggan enjoyed a treble on the day. Simon’s three-timer began when the attractive black mare Diablese Jisce moved early to take the G to F trot. Ella De Fosse and Patrick Kane jnr were on the premises in this when she broke. That’s why it’s called trotting.

Duggan used similar pace setting tactics in the C to E trot with another mare, Fortune De Ginai.

The Duggans are one of the most frequent users of the track at Annaghmore, so it’s no wonder that their runners are always fighting fit.

The treble was capped off when Pat McDonogh’s Foxfield Stephen took the D to E pace in a shade over two minutes. The six-year-old gelding is currently for sale and this run was a nice advert.

Beat The Clock was unusual in that he was caught after John Richardson set his own fractions.

Marathon card

The marathon 13-race card saw doubles for Johnny Cowden and Alan Wallace snr. Jonny gets on well with the Coreys’ Fairdays Western and for the second time in three weeks, he blasted the 10-year-old out of the gate.

Patrick Kane jnr and Stakes On The Pan tried to follow the winner but they never looked like catching this natural front-runner. The 1.58.4 was the fastest mile of the day.

The Grade G pace was an instance of pupil outdoing the master as Jonny and Arts Closure kicked away from John Richardson who was on Meadowbranch Dynasty. Stakes On The Pan and Patrick Kane jnr eventually took the blue rosette.

Kane jnr had earlier erased the memories of some disappointing runs with Harry Knows when the pair picked up the lesser division of the three-year-old trot.

Alan Wallace snr is having a better season than in recent years. He won the better grade three-year-old trot with the beautiful Hi Fidelity.

With her flaxen mane and tail and bold white face, this filly would make a nice mount for the hero in a cowboy film.

On Sunday, she shed her maiden tag at last – showing ability to match her looks. Favourite Hibernia with Alan Richardson looked to have the race at their mercy but skipped at the top turn.

Wallace made no secret of his admiration for Newtown Rock at two and three. High praise from a man who has started dozens of pacers.

The loping-gaited stallion, now eight, has repaid Alan’s faith in recent weeks and annihilated the other three runners in his division of the All-Ireland pacing series. The official times was 2.00.2.

First winner

Many of the regulars at Portmarnock were drivers themselves and remember the thrill of that first winner.

Eoin Murphy from Baltimore got off the mark with stable stalwart Silvano Bello in the apprentice race. The handful of people in the enclosure managed a generous cheer for the 17-year-old student of Community College, Skibbereen.

As things stand, the horse is about 35 ahead of driver in lifetime wins, but Eoin looks like he will soon catch up.

It takes more than seven beaten runs to put backers off a John Richardson horse and Besame Mucho came back to form in his All-Ireland qualifier. Part-owner Maxie Collins also provided a winner at Mullingar dogs the previous evening.

Billy Roche kept up his challenge for The Irish Field silver salver for leading driver when Bingo Speed ran out the convincing winner of the clockwise race.

Curly Du Layon is yet another decent export by M. Didier Lepage of the Loire valley to Ireland.

The eight-year-old looks like the driver only has to point him in the right direction and go, which is what Martin Loughran did in their leg of the All-Ireland. A 3.09 was the clock with Joe Sheridan’s Boyardo a staying on second for JR.

‘The Iceman’ Alan Richardson gained compensation for the defeat of Hibernia when Amy Camden won the concluding Grade F pace. Amy Camden is owned by Ricky Hanson of Coleraine, his family have been a long-standing fixture at Portmarnock over the years.

The season continues (regulations permitting) with Ladies Day tomorrow. Certain Norther- based National Hunt lady jockeys have been spotted in both saddle and sulky around Annaghmore so the Flanagan and Kane girls might have some competition on the day.

See www.portmarnockraceway.ie for more details.