JOHN Richardson scored a driving double at Annaghmore last Sunday to go two clear in the battle for The Irish Field silver salver for national leading driver.

Coleraine lady Carmel Stewart also recorded a ‘treble’ of sorts when sons Wattie and Jimmy drove winners, one of which is trained by youngest son Lawrence.

The weather gods sent a fresh autumnal day and tee-shirts and shorts were in view once more, by contrast with the torrential rain of the previous meeting.

Beat The Clock mimicked his name in posting the day’s fastest time a 1.59.6. Generally, the times of races tail off by an average of one or two seconds per grade in the autumn, whether this is due to the horses getting tired after a long season or a cooler climatic.

People come and go, the seasons change, life goes on and John Richardson stays at the top of harness racing in Ireland.

The 57-year-old driver who was literally reared at Portmarnock track, has lost none of his hunger for winners. The 20-time champion opened his double when Immaculata (3/1) trotted level to take out the Grade F trot.

The daughter of Rachmaninov Seven looked like she would go straight to the top grades when she went through her three-year-old season with eight wins from nine runs.

At four, she started putting in frequent breaks which would cause her backers to call her names which are far from saintly. She is now five.

Not give up

Richardson does not give up easily and will have tried training her lightly, training her harder, with horses, on her own and so on. Equipment changes, some obvious, some subtle, will have been used.

However, JR arrived at it, the mare looked like her old self on Sunday. She left the ‘4 hole’ trotting sweetly and John did not check her. Job done. Franchan de Roche (4/5 favourite) with John’s closest pursuer Jonny Cowden stuck at it for second.

The free-for-all-pace looked an open contest on paper. However, the betting market had a one-sided feel with Cash All quickly backed from evens to 4/6. The 2023 Red John high grade final winner was always on the bridle.

JR took a lead from young Leah McNevin on IB A Magician and picked the leader off in the final quarter. Rhyds Rival and usual driver Billy Roche offered some resistance without looking like they would get to the Flanagan/Redmond runner.

Jonny Cowden came into the meeting with a nice book of drives including two for the in-form Corey barn. In the end, it was his father’s old faithful Beat The Clock who was the Glengormley driver’s sole winner.

Jonny made good use of his front-line draw with his dark bay homebred. Mooreside Captain (Stephen McHugh) was a noble second yet again, while odd-on shot Shesnoaprilfool’s run was too bad to be true.

John has put a cushion between himself and the young pretender, but don’t bet against Cowden just yet.

Blue and gold

Elsewhere on the card, the blue and gold colours of the Stewart, Coleraine yard added two more winners to the dozens since Winter Time first represented Walter and Carmel.

These days Walter seems to be leaving the sulky seat to the boys and is nice to see the Hanson (Walter’s mother’s maiden name) dynasty still going strong.

Alexander Camden once sustained a career ending injury. As was reported herein in May, Wattie Stewart and his girlfriend Stacey employed vet John Warwick and a whole lot of TLC to get the former York sales topper back to the winner’s circle.

Wattie did tell The Irish Field after ‘Alex’s’ first win, “this is one sound old horse now” and his words have rung true as the son of Cambest has lasted all year.

Wattie led out, made all to win the Grade E and F pace. Similarly, Jimmy Stewart made every post a winning post with Letsgettoit in his division, going on to score in 2.04.3

“Letsgettoit has turned inside out in recent weeks,” said Lawrence Stewart,” she got a whole year off last year and it has stood to her.”

Newtownards runner Let There Be Rock (Peter Lyttle) was second for the second time in three runs, surely their day will come soon.

Dimunitive

Another pacer who has improved leaps and bounds is the Longford-based Ayr Harbour. The dimunitive son of See And Ski caused an upset at 4/1 when he outstayed the Gavin Murdock-driven Maid Sweet (evens favourite) in the Grade G pace. Usual driver Ronan Norton was in the bike.

“He’s a small horse with a big attitude,” stated the winning driver, “he had some niggly issues but we think we have him sorted now. He’ll be a nice pony next season.”

On the trotting front, the Murphys made the long trek from Baltimore a worthwhile journey when Bibi Dairpet (Eoin Murphy, 4/6 favourite) trotted on dourly to see off Homa with Eoin’s uncle Donal doing the steering.

The race was a Grade F trot and carried €5,300 across six places. In the same breath, the entry fee is a hefty € 620.

Followers of the trotting gait will be delighted that the infinitely likeable Christy ‘Hopper’ Foran won the top grade trot with Ha’penny Chance nurtured and broken with patience by Hopper at Ashbourne. Effectively this was a case of an Irish produced Trotteur Français out gunning those that were brought in as made horses. The gutsy chestnut mare must be in the running for Trotter Of The Year.

Cork raider Duc d’Arry (Donal Murphy) went off in pursuit but the further they went the more Ha’penny Chance was loving it.

The meeting was a 10-race card. Unfortunately, the conditions of the Irish Sire Stakes are such that very few horses are eligible. A two-runner fillies’ contest saw Always Be Puffing and Billy Roche see off Anglesey Hall with Patrick Kane jnr. The race went 2.04.6.

Walk-over

The colts’ division was a walk over for Oakwood Mick (Gavin Murdock) who is eligible for the Graduate Pace at York today.

Annaghmore Raceway (Junction 13, M1) is scheduled to race tomorrow but the fields might be small as the trotting afficionados will be in York for the annual yearling sale and a competitive race card.

The Jack Galway/Gerry Keenan Memorial race day will be held Saturday, 14th and Sunday, October 15th at the same venue.

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Latest Standings

National Leading Driver

Driver Wins

John Richardson, Ballyboughal 20

Jonny Cowden, Glengormley 18

Troy McAleer, St Margaret’s 14

Billy Roche, Cloghran 14

Donal Murphy, Baltimore 13

Patrick Kane junior, Trim 12

Oisin Quill, Kenmare 12

Sean Kane, The Naul 11