Annaghmore Sunday

JONNY Cowden followed up his win the previous week aboard Sweet Caroline with a facile victory on his father’s Celui de Laye in the D to F trot at Annaghmore last Sunday.

The meeting had a quiet feel, presumably the owners are saving their big guns for the Bernie Kelly Memorial at Vicarstown on May 26th.

Celui De Laye led out, made all on an afternoon where such tactics were successful in four out of the five races. The likeable 12-year-old clocked 2.41.5 for the mile and a quarter and went off around 4/5 to 4/6.

Billy Roche filled second place with Devoir Math, who is a regular in his Cloghran barn.

“We were delighted with that run. We though he’d need the race, so he will only come on from it.” said last year’s runner up in the driving championship.

Former driving champion Patrick Kane jnr had a steering job with Bobby Barry’s Im Great Hanover in the grade F pace. The mare went off no bigger than 4/6 on a bad afternoon for the layers.

Pipe opener

The American import has missed a lot of racing and, therefore, is languishing in a lowly grade. The combination got to the front without much resistance and from that point on the race was really a pipe opener for the upcoming Appleby meeting, where she will be many people’s idea of an Irish banker. Meadowbranch Bobby (Charlie Flanagan) stayed on for second in a respectable 2.02.2.

Feline Des Noes compensated for a narrow defeat at the opening meeting as she took the closer, an A to D trot for owner Sean Duggan and driver his cousin Simon. The nine-year-old mare took full advantage of a ‘1 draw’ and won cosily.

Innis and Gunn ran well for second money with Buster Gilligan. Elysium D’Ostal and Ecrin De Grimault did their best work at the finish and should be followed.

“She has talent but can be tricky in the summer. We went to an open bridle and raced her without the ear plugs, and it worked,” was the comment from the Galbally-based driver, in effect the local stable at the venue.

Proceedings opened with an impressive first run of the season for Marias Blaze, owned by Shane O’ Neill from Donaghmede and driven by Noel Ryan. The pairing beat the well thought of Anglesey Hall (Patrick Kane jnr), who was nibbled at in the ring. A 2.05.3 was the time, although son of Kikicolt will go faster as he goes up the grades.

Noel Ryan told The Irish Field: “He’s following in the footsteps of his full-brother North To Alaska. He’s named for Shane’s late sister Maria, so it’s a sentimental thing too.”

Mark Kane, by his own admission, number two driver in the Kane, Summerhill yard, got the stable off the mark for 2024, when his Immortal John picked up the B to E pace in 2.03. Neil Mc Dermott’s Wasntexpectingthat was runner-up with Bernard Nicholson.

Mark did say in the pre-season preview that Immortal John grows an inch on a grass surface, so the win on the hard was a bonus and a pointer for Lyre and Vicarstown.

Racing continues at Annaghmore today and at Dunmanway or Manch (silage cutting permitting). For entries, results, see www.irishharnessracing.com

SOCIAL media during the week showed photos of Mark Kane heading off on the long journey from Summerhill to Solvalla, Sweden, with the stable star Harry Knows, in a comfortable two-horse van. Harry Knows was reared, broken and started by Paddy Kane snr. He is a ‘Trotteur Français with an Irish passport’, a true case of dual nationality. The gelding has already brought glory to this country with a successful campaign in the US during 2022, and recently a fourth in Belgium and a win in The Netherlands. Following a convincing win at Wolvega, Holland, a month ago, the Swedish trotting authorities extended an invite for the seven-year-old to race in the Swedish Cup, part of the undercard of the famous Elitelopp race. All the Irish trotting fraternity will be watching the live feed from Sweden on the weekend of May 26th. The venture is the most ambitious by an Irish-trained trotter in the history of the sport.

Harbour View Beach, Cork, Sunday

JAMIE Hurley from Reenascreena and Kevin Carey from Rathdowney, Co Laois, were the drivers to follow on the opening day of the 2024 Cork region harness racing season at the picturesque and unique Harbour View Beach on Sunday. Nature provides us with venues for sporting occasions and the beach at was at its brilliant best.

Once the tide had gone out, a track, just over the half-mile, was quickly assembled by the loyal band of volunteers and not a pebble or seashell was to be seen.

Jamie Hurley who juggles working in the National Hunt yard of Micheal Kennedy in Upton with his own string, collected the driving honours on the day.

In the opening Grade G pace, Hurley was away early with Benny The Legend. The well-built three-year-old was not for catching. Christy Brown ran on well to get to within a half-length of the winner, but the winning margin could have been a lot more.

Jamie came in for a catch drive in the Grade E and F pace on the Tadhg O’Reilly, owned Get Me Out Of Here. Hurley kept the English-bred within striking distance and led with 200m to win by a length and a half from Meadowbranch Aurora.

Goleen-based owner John O’Sullivan saw his Graal Du Dollar take the top-grade trot, thereby giving Hurley his third win of the meeting. Halloway Road looked to have everything right as they ‘passed Yonkers last time around’, but Graal Du Dollar took it up close home to land the spoils.

Pressure

“John is the best owner you could have. He leaves all the decisions to me, maybe this brings on pressure, but there is never a negative comment from him.

“Maybe today I get all the praise with three winners, but at home it’s a big team effort. Rebecca, my sister, probably does as much work as me and my parents, Kay and James, also merit a mention. Great start and hopefully we can continue,” Hurley told The Irish Field.

Kevin Carey from Rathdowney, Co Laois, had his first winner under rules with Hotesse Du Chassin and like Dublin buses, they always come in twos. Less than an hour later he doubled his tally.

Hotesse Du Chassin looked all class in his win. Biding his time, Carey made his move on the back straight and swooped the field to win on his Irish debut.

The winner is owned by Thomas Kiely from The Glen in Cork city’s north side. Kiely was also bullish about fellow Glen resident Patrick Horgan, who was inspirational for the Cork hurlers the night before.

Carey completed his double in the concluding top-grade pace. Oaks Breeze was given an easy lead by his three rivals, but to his credit, Carey really went for it and held on in a blanket finish.