PORTMARNOCK on Sunday last put on an ordinary card, a bit of a break between some bumper meetings recently.

Now we enter the lead up to the Vincent Delaney Weekend, the highlight of the Irish calendar (August 12th and 13th). A win’s a win, nonetheless and commentator Declan Phelan was animated enough in some of the races where there was a good old scrap to the line.

Jonny Dunne’s style of driving is probably more suited to pacers than trotters although he still holds the mile track record for the non-hobbled gait (with Yke Starlake).

Ulysee Perrine is the epitome of ‘big, old fashioned trotter’. The Leaning Demon (Dunne) raced Ulysee Perrine behind horses before producing the dark brown gelding in the final eighth to score.

In the pacing divisions, John Richardson had to be quite forceful with Meadowbranch Milli as the filly took the C to F pace. Shannon Flanagan drove Milli over the last two seasons but the young lady driver is now engaged to be married to Yorkshire man James Haythornthwaite. The wedding budget received a boost on Saturday 22nd as Barnoldswick-based James drove the winner of the Famous Musselburgh Pace, Rhyds Passion.

The trotter Coreo Fligny took a while to adapt to Portmarnock. He showed improved form to make it a double on the day for JR. Coreo Fligny was clear a long way from home, one of several ‘easy’ winners on the day. They beat useful yardstick Vaillant De Gueham (Billy Roche).

KANE YARD

The opener went to Cork-owned Empereur Souverain (driven by Patrick Kane jnr) in 2.43.6 for a mile and a quarter. Race two went the way of that great favourite in the Kane yard, the ungainly but effective Saxo De Marrancourt (Emma Kane). The pair led early and despite being hassled throughout by the free-sweating Twist Du Layon, the Naul-based duo toughed it out. “Everything comes to he who waits” proved prophetic in the G to G1 pace. Patrick Kane, on Isabella Camden, didn’t panic when every door closed out the backside. He sat cool and the gap came in the stretch as tired horses veered off the rail. Thank you very much!

Jonny Cowden’s brilliant first season in ‘open handicap’ continues. He drove usual partner Cilando Des Temps to fend off Viv Du Layon (Kane jnr) in 2.33.5.

MUSSLEBURGH WINNER

THE Irish visitors could only manage one winner around the difficult Edinburgh circuit last weekend.

A combination of a fearless gambler (Bobby Barry) as owner and the deep thinking trainer/driver Gavin Murdock, left the 13 bookies at the meeting with a nasty headache. “She popped a splint as a two-year-old so we had to rest her,” confirmed Gavin “and then she had problems with her mouth this year. I couldn’t see her getting beaten.”

Elsewhere, the same driver had a second in his heat and third in the final with Camden Tino, owned by the Cranes of Killough, Co Down.

Porterstown Courage, carrying the burden of a tip in this column last week was beaten a neck in his heat and did not count in the final. The stewarts reported the US import as being a ‘bit flat’ on the day.

Portmarnock and Cork results are available on www.irishharnessracing.com

Musselburgh results can be seen on www.bhrc.org,co.uk

Grace Kelly second in Sweden

THE harness racing sport, to a man, (or to a person in these PC days) felt for Grace Kelly as they watched the footage of Grace’s run in the International Ladies Race at Solvalla, Sweden on Tuesday, July 24th. Grace made a gutsy move with Titan Igiro and took four lengths out of the field with 600 metres to go.

Unfortunately, Australian driver Himma Frenning had saved a bit for the stretch aboard Harley Zon to run the Irish representative out of it on the line.

“We are so proud of Grace,” mother Bernie told The Irish Field, Ireland has sent the great Brenda Hudson, the Queen of the Track to international competitions for many years. Maybe it’s the turn of “Princess” Grace Kelly?” joked Bernie when contacted.