Portmarnock Sunday

JOSEPH Caffrey from The Ward and Troy McAleer from nearby St Margarets became the latest drivers to record a double at Portmarnock last Sunday. The wide cross section of drivers to record a brace at the venue is a sign that the racing is competitive.

Well-travelled drivers have commented that the ‘drivers’ colony’ at Portmarnock is as tough as anywhere in the world. The Ontario Jockey Club, Yonkers Raceway, Vincennes in Paris all have a top 10 of drivers fighting it out.

The pecking order at Portmarnock is tough to break into. Regrettably the Irish drivers are playing for a lot less money than those mentioned – even though the wet days and the track dust down the back of the shirt are the same.

Joseph Caffrey is a quiet man to know in person and also possesses a quiet style in the sulky and his horses are never given a hard time. He won the A to E trot with Niall Maguire’s Finale Jihaime who has gone from unpredictable mare to well-backed favourite in recent weeks. 3.14.3 for the mile and a half was the clock on a day where the track had to be three seconds slow.

Joseph’s double came up when the striking grey Nineteen Forty Seven (5/4 fav) out battled the tiny Newtown Alana (Leah McNevin) to win by a flared nostril.

Nineteen Forty Seven is named because Joseph’s grandfather Hughie Richardson often talked about the great snow of that year.

Joseph’s mum Catherine was in the crowd. For many years Catherine handled the admin at the venue.

Making an impression

Troy McAleer is making an impression amongst the drivers’ ranks. On Sunday he had a simple enough task in guiding Northern Pride (1/5 at the off) to win the top grade pace in 2.01.2. Morning favourite Churchview Frankel was a non-runner. The sporting McAleers will not be scared to take on the Cavan runner should he re-appear for the All-Ireland Final.

Troy faced a tougher assignment in the E to F pace where the well regarded Stateside Cody (Jonny Cowden) opened favourite. Troy got first run over Gareth Galway’s four-year-old and went on for a length and a quarter victory.

‘TV Tom’ Heavey is one of the great characters of the game. The weather was awful in the morning and Tom produced a unique pair of yellow wellies, the subject of much teasing in the winner’s circle.

The Galway camp got sweet revenge when the natural looking Forever At It (3/1) took out the grade G pace. Long-time Galway confidante ‘Hopper’ Foran was in the bike. Oakwood Amari was a disappointing favourite and was reported sold later that day.

Harry Knows (Patrick Kane jnr) won his heat of the All-Ireland series without turning a hair.

The five-year-old has filled into his frame well and seems to be improving with racing. He was backed into 2/5 on a day where the punters beat the satchel men.

Andy McTaggart’s Feugeres Erem had a hard race. She tried her heart out for driver Sean Kane but the big son of Armstrong Jet was too hot to handle. A 2.37.2 was respectable in the conditions.

The other leg also went to the ‘jolly’. The Murphys from Baltimore don’t make sorties from West Cork unless they have a lorry load of live chances.

A one-two was achieved as Duc d’Arry (Donal Murphy) held off Bibi Dairpet with nephew Donal. The fish and chips at Cashel went down better with the thought of €2,250 heading to the bank account.

The final of the All-Ireland Trotting series (November 20th) is shaping up to be a strong race.

West Cork got another turn in the Grade F trot when Hianca HA finally came of age for the Sheehys from Skibbereen.

John Richardson was the driver and the Meadowbranch outfit are listed as trainers. The Sheehys bred the mare themselves.

Fitting victory

Darragh’s grandfather Jimmy Sheehy was a pioneer of French Trotters in this country so this was a fitting victory. Darragh’s father David is another example of a tireless volunteer, he is a steward and commentator.

The Meadowbranch yard at Ballyboughal has a strong strike rate, but they simply cannot keep all the pacers which they produce. Sunday’s meeting threw up the unusual spectacle of two horses from the ‘Ballydoyle of Trotting’ improving on their form for new owners.

Meadowbranch Duke was one such winner. The other was Meadowbranch Dynasty who hacked up to win the C to D pace in 2.01 and change. Crack apprentice Oisin Quill was in the bike. Limerick man Anthony O’Donnell is the owner.

John Roche helped Anthony to celebrate and the theories as to how Anthony improved the horse got more outlandish as the party wore on. The owner hopes to run Dynasty against the best around in a free-for-all before shipping him to America where cousin James will race the five year old in New Jersey.

The right-handed races at the venue were an innovation introduced by our French benefactors. The clockwise races are not to everyone’s taste but Mary Kane and Hot To Trot are now two-for-two going the ‘wrong’ way. Mary led out and made all. Her toughest competition came from her husband Buster Gilligan who threw everything at Gamba de Tithais, eventually third. So much for married bliss!

THE IHRA, the Wallace family, the Mc Nevins and other friends have come together to sponsor a memorial meeting for Liam Wallace who passed in October 2021.

The fixture runs today and tomorrow. Unfortunately, the parties have publicised this meeting at short notice, and this giant of the sport deserves more fanfare.

What has emerged is that a brand new Cobra sulky and €2,000 will go to the winner of a pace for the eight highest-graded horses on the day. A special race for young drivers will be held also. Billy Roche, Alan Richardson, Trevor Arkins, Leah McNevin are some of the local drivers to learn from ‘The Governor’ as Liam was known.

Credit

Felix Marion of France, Marc Jones from Wales both credit Liam for starting them off. Jim Whelan of the Ontario Harness Horsemen’s Association came over last year for the funeral.

Tomorrow’s race could see North To Alaska, Beat The Clock, Churchview Frankel and Northern Pride battling for that shiny new sulky. Meadowbranch Dynasty might get in and what a story it would be if newcomer Anthony O’Donnell could upset the big guns.

Realistically, Dynasty is running into a bit of form while the others listed have been to all the dances all summer. If the Limerick runner were to cause an upset The Governor will give a wry smile at the great trotting track in the sky.