BUSINESSMAN Brian Redmond will rarely get such a return on his money than when his M50 Skip Hire was the main sponsor at Portmarnock last Saturday and Sunday, (July 14th and 15th). The meeting provided some top-class racing and was well attended.
The feature race was the M50 Skip Hire three-year-old championship. Redmond’s stable of choice, the Meadowbranch yard, had a quiet weekend, despite co-owning a three-year-old (Monsieur Bibeau) who can throw in a sub-58 second half. As a wise man once said, races are run over two halves.
Stakes On The Pan (Patrick Kane jnr) was the main beneficiary after Bibeau (John Richardson) and Teddy Camden (Jonny Dunne) folded in the stretch.
“He was unlucky as a two-year-old – he broke in the VDM,” confirmed the well-travelled Kane junior who drives and trains for wife Rachel (née Bousfield).
The Dunnes will be scratching their heads following the sacking of Teddy Camden but a “1.57 double” with arguably the best gelding and the best mare in Ireland is just the sort of show that the Kill-based academy enjoy putting on.
The Leaning Demon, Jonny Dunne is notoriously hard to impress yet it is easy to see that he is in love with Robyn Camden a winner in “57 and change”, as the Americans put it.
“She’s just a pleasure to drive and she goes to New York in five weeks’ time,” stated Jonny, who himself tried full-time in the USA before the lure of mother Carol’s Saturday stew brought him home.
Jonny’s other big-race win came when Porterstown Chris ran away from Welsh raider Coalford Tetrick with a locally-based Allan Wallace senior.
The excellent Declan Phelan, more accustomed to a Flemensfirth than a Foreclosure, has been commentating at the venue in recent weeks, and he seems to be picking up the jargon.
Also at the bumper 24-race double-header meeting, Epsom De Corvees moved a step closer to four-year-old trotter of the year for his wily owner/trainer Darren Timlin.
COUSINS GALORE
Day one belonged to the Roche/McAleer/Joyce alliance. The joke used to go “how many people can you fit into a Mini Cooper?” It should read how many cousins can you fit into a winners’ enclosure? Fifty-plus for a heat, 70-odd if it’s the final, is the answer.
The likeable Newtown Major (Marcus McAleer) took the opening Euro Oil Pace on the Saturday and later the final, leading throughout in both races.
The M50 Skip Hire Final turned out to be a Roche benefit with Billy Roche third to his protégés Marcus McAleer (Newtown Major) and Eoin Joyce who was on The Governor.
Billy Roche won the featured trotting handicap with Brian Redmond’s Belina Royale, therefore saving the sponsor some outlay.
A Kind Of Magic won a low grade pace for owner Rory Bridgette and driver Alan Wallace senior. The win sets the gelding up nicely for Musselburgh this weekend, where he is engaged.
Jonny Cowden defeated his tutor John Richardson for the third time in five weeks when Cliando Des Temps saw off the chesnut mare Umbratica.
Ballycoan Colt (Patrick Kane jnr) atoned for a costly trip to Wales when he beat the improving Ladyford Jim (Walter Stewart). Stewart’s fellow Derryman, Nigel Quigley owned the winner of the Junior Free For All, Heart Of Steel, a gelding who has been transformed by Alan Richardson, who also drove.
MUNSTER VISITORS
The Munster raiders did not go home empty-handed. Vigo De Bassiere took the trot for Skibbereen man Kieran Sherry. Tornao Josselyn (Seamus Quill) is unusual in that he can make up ground going right-handed. The pair took the clockwise trot. Seamus made it a double in winning the Numac Fabrications Pace aboard the useful Awesome Dude, the horse back from a spell of convalescence
Cork-trained, and owned in partnership with the “Rooney Tunes” of Ardee, Tenor Meslois won yet another high grade trot for driver Donal Murphy.
Martin Loughran gets a great tune out of 12-year-old Springhill Biscuit and the combination won the Truck and Trailer Works Pace in an impressive 1.58 for owner Joe Sheridan.
Newtown Jody may prove good enough to supplement for the Vincent Delaney Fillies and the organisers would be delighted as they stand her sire, Foreclosure.
On Sunday, Allan Richardson came in for the catch drive as Alan Wallace has two engaged. Jody duly won in 2.04.8 but will need to improve to trouble ante-post favourite Oakwood Starcam, another one connected to the Delaneys. The race was a heat of the Breeders Crown series.
An encouraging feature in recent weeks at Portmarnock has been the emergence of several new drivers, not so long with a full licence and yet knocking in the winners.
Bernard Nicholson (two winners at the weekend), Marcus McAleer, Wayne Swindle, are all drivers on less than 10 lifetime winners and yet these young men can still get on the scoresheet at ‘headquarters’.
While some of the big yards are quick with their hand at the sales, it is refreshing to see that the small man can still win on a big weekend.
Irish results can be seen at www.irisharnessracing.com
British results are at www.bhrc.org.co.uk
The famous Mussleburgh Pace
AROUND eight Irish runners were entered at Musselburgh, East Lothian over yesterday and today including Walter Stewart’s Porterstown Courage who has been carefully placed and will get every yard of the mile and three furlongs and 85 yards of the contest. The meeting has been going for over 100 years.
The Irish Field will keep you informed of developments at the prestigious meeting.
Good luck Grace
GRACE Kelly of Delvin, Westmeath will represent Ireland in a ladies’ driving competition at Solvalla, Sweden on Tuesday, July 25th, so all the best to her. Grace has a great bond with the pacer Lyons Super Nova, but obviously in Solvalla she will be on loaned horses of the trotting gait.
Portmarnock will also race today (3pm) and Annaghmore will be staged on Wednesday the 25th July (7pm). The Cork region offers The Balinese meeting at the cornfield Minch, Sunday (2.30pm)