IT seems like only yesterday that the late season runners at Portmarnock were sweating more than usual due to their ‘teddy bear’ coats and horse men’s thoughts were turning to whereabouts to find good sheltered grazing for their Standardbreds and Trotteurs Francais.
Now refreshed from a few months rest, those horses and of course the young stock are ready to be unleashed.
Most yards will have horses clipped and in work since early January, in fact before Christmas in many cases.
Soon the mucky mornings with quarry dust from the various tracks flying up into the faces of hardy trainers will be past and the summer sport of harness racing will resume once more.
The traditional opening day (Easter Sunday, April 1st) will be observed for the first time in decades.
My informants in Portmarnock, Cloghran, Annaghmore and even on Innis Beg Island (home of the reclusive Murphy species) report plenty of horses in work so the early season cards will hopefully be well filled.
Within a few meetings the horsemen will know what can beat two minutes and what is not worth two bob.
Over the next five weeks The Irish Field intends to list some horses to follow from some of the country’s most experienced trainers.
Whether you are a hardened enthusiast or a curious first-timer (there were a good few new faces in 2017) these pearls of wisdom can help you beat the bookies.
We start with the multiple champion driver John Richardson who is the first choice driver at the Meadowbranch yard and has a major say in the training of the runners, and go south to Mr All-Ireland John Shanahan.
John Richardson, Ballyboughal, Co Dublin
PACERS
MEADOWBRANCH TITUS (IRE)
5yo g Kikicolt - Meadowbranch Gigolo.
He missed the whole of last season. He got a nasty bang on his pelvis but the vets say there is no rough-edged bone to worry about. He was a lovely two-year-old. The crop that came up with him (Miraculous, Newtown Rock, Party At The Spa etc) was a good year and he was within a length of any of them but for the way a few races unfolded.
I didn’t slaughter him trying to beat those smart types as you have to think of their later career too. The upshot of it all is he is pitched in as ‘novice’ grade now.
OAKWOOD STARCAM (USA)
2yo f Sportswriter - Camadian.
She’s the dearest filly (£28,000) the Delaney’s have consigned to the sales so far. Fair play to Derek and James she had some physique in the ring. She is nice gaited and has been in work since she came off the boat, with three weeks on the easy list at Christmas. She’s the first Sportswriter I have trained but I loved Rewrite History and Sportstrick. So far so good.
MONSIEUR BIBEAU (USA)
3yo g Better Than Cheddar - Disney Pan.
He was very unlucky in the Delaney final. We got left at the start. That was ironic as people always say I get ‘help’ at the starts around Portmarnock - there wasn’t a word when I got left.
He still finished on top of them. As much as I respect Matticulous and Merrington Moving Up, Monsiuer Bibeau will give them all they want in 2018.
TROTTERS
COREO FLIGNY (FR)
6yo g Nuage De Lait – Moreo Des Picanes
He only came in last back-end. He’s another chesnut, that French breed seems to be full of them. I worked him at Portmarnock during the last trot and he gave me a nice feel.
I would say whoever had him in France minded him well. He wears very little equipment and wants to get up in the mornings.
BEACH DE BELLOUET (FR)
7yo m Mon Bellouet – Kalima Des Sables
I’ve a problem in that about five of mine are A or A1 class and I can’t drive all of them. Luckily Noely Ryan (John’s nephew and stable number two driver ) gets on great with her. She belongs to Maxie Collins who winters a lot of stock for us. She has been a great first horse for Maxie. He’s a 74-year-old apprentice driver in the making. This mare never runs a bad race, she’d be a lovely one to take a foal off.
John Shanahan, Leap, Co Cork
AT the southern end of the country is John Shanahan whose main income is farming. He is based at picturesque Leap, right in the heart of West Cork trotting country.
Shanahan has never been scared to travel with his horses. The precocious two-year-old Cams Best ran rampant in England in 2003 and Shanahan has often mounted raids on Portmarnock.
John is proud to tell The Irish Field that he has won 23 All-Ireland titles. This encompasses road, field and track titles. ‘All-Ireland’ is a grand name although the majority of the participants are local to West Cork. Still, the racing is fiercely competitive and his huge tally of wins is testimony to Shanahan’s ability to do a horse.
John Shanahan has no trotter for the 2018 season so gave readers four pacers starting with an old favourite.
PACERS
RHYDS DESTINY (GB)
12yo g Hasty Hall - CPR.
He won last year’s Red John Memorial and I fancy him to do it again this year. In 30 years of owning Standardbreds I’d have to say he’s the perfect racehorse. My daughter Mary Rose (20) does him at home. I think he was a bit sick in the UK meeting so many top class horses. Even though he was off a massive trail in the handicaps in Ireland he made it look easy. He’ll be starting to swim soon.
AMERICAN REBEL (GB)
2yo g Rogue Hall- American Beauty.
We got him from Gwenan Thomas of Wales who raced the dam. Gwenan has put some lovely horses into this country. I sent him over to Johnny Gill in York and Gilly loves him. He is nice gaited and Vicky Gill has some strike-rate at Portmarnock. These Rogue Halls can be a bit hot but at the same time they have a bit of heart.
MAJOR JEMMY B (GB)
4yo g Rogue Hall - Pretty Special.
He’s named after Jemmy Barry. He did a suspensory as a two-year-old so I’m going very easy with him. We are lucky to have Glandore harbour just down the road, that’s where we swim them. There’s a lovely gentle slipway into the water and the salt water works wonders. I’m halfers with Paddy Kane on him and that means we get a decent driver in the shape of Junior or Mark.
COALFORD BRUCE (GB)
5yo g Rogue Hall - Blackwell Minogue.
He’s another one that had niggly problems and the harbour treatment will help him as well. He’s already won a few races and I like him a lot.