SEAN Kane (27) is the well-travelled trainer and driver based at Mooreside Equestrian near The Naul.

He was the leading driver of specifically Trotteur Français horses in 2021. He has won races in France, Spain and New Zealand.

Jonny Cowden (22) has also been around the world of harness racing. He has also won in New Zealand and been placed Spain. In Ireland, he has driven more winners than any other apprentice in each of the past four seasons. (Under the French definition a driver can remain an apprentice for several years.)

Sean’s father Ger favoured trotters over pacers long before the Irish Harness Racing Association formalised links with France where pacers are ‘non grata’.

The hard yards driven with Manab Star, Kavalier Hoff and Actress Star gave Ger an advantage when the square goers became more prevalent.

Ger brought in a quantity of the ‘Launcher’ breeding from Sweden, not least Baltaj Launcher who was eventually exported to Canada where he won €500,000.

The Cowdens from North Belfast have come at the sport a different way. Jonny’s great uncle David raced the talented but battle-weary pacer C U Later in the trotting revival of the 1960s.

His father Noel campaigned pacers including the impeccably bred Saunders Bianca, during in the 1990s. Only recently did the family take the plunge into French waters, but they are quick learners.

Jonny was at pains to acknowledge Kevin Corey who owns the Mallusk yard where he and his father run a separate stable block. Jonny has driven frequently for the Coreys in recent years, although young Adam Corey came on well last year.

SEAN Kane was having a bad run in 2015 when he went down to New Zealand for a working pupil role with trainer Jay Abernethy. “I won a handful of races in New Zealand and came home and won 11 races the following season. The large fields of 18 runners helped my driving.”

In between times Sean has worked for the American Jerry Riordan in Sweden, and the Finn Jarmo Niskanen in France amongst others.

“It’s amazing the different approaches to training in various countries,” Sean told The Irish Field during the week.

“I have tried to take the best bits out of what I saw in each place and make it into my own routine.”

After a slow start in 2021 Sean finished fifth in the overall drivers’ title with 28 winners so he must be doing something right.

Sean listed his father Ger, mum Antoinette, sisters Mary and Emma and girlfriend Rebecca as cogs in the Mooreside machine.

Currently he juggles training a string of 15 potential entries with a job in catering distribution. Sean took time out of a full schedule to mention six horses he hopes will grace this page in 2022.

Sean Kane’s horses to follow

BINGO DE CONNEE (FR)

11yo g Quel Amour Dudel – Noblesse d’Ize

Calvin Broughan’s war horse. The horse was the backbone of Calvin’s leading apprentice success in 2021. We think he is the best handicapped horse in the country at the moment.

He is a grade F with a run banked because of Calvin’s claim. He is a super genuine horse with no soundness issues at all.

ÉCLAIR DE LIMON (FR)

8yo g Kinder Jet – Lisa de Touques

By contrast a bit of a basket case. Stephen Coleman owns him and gave him one more chance.

He was pulling hard due to a wind problem, or had a wind problem due to pulling hard, I haven’t quite worked it out yet.

I do know Mary rode him in the winter and he is a lot more relaxed now.

JUST IN TIME (IRE)

3yo g Aladin d’Ecajeul – Ella Lou Lou.

His mother won the inaugural French three-year-old gold division for us. We had to geld him as he was a bit of a lad.

He’s just back on the walker after a bit of a break. He’s typical French horse with an open bridle and no head check.

EUREKA D’ ERONVILLE (FR)

8yo m Kaisy Dream – Quenza d’Eronville

I bought her when we needed a fresh racehorse, and she duly obliged by winning three races.

She can be a bit strong and will pace behind the car. Jerry (Riordan) says that trotters who are inclined to pace nearly all have good speed.

DRAGEE DU LYS (FR)

9yo m Jam Pridem – Gigi de Mormal.

A grand strong mare. She was winless in 2020 but improved last year to win three races. Each win was at a big meeting, she seems to sense it! She led the field out of the ‘5 hole’ down in Lyre which takes a bit of doing.

I’M FROM OAKWOOD (IRE)

4yo g Rachmaninov Seven – Quality du Pouy

He was a smashing prospect as a three-year-old. He was not in the habit of galloping.

He got a wee knock so we backed off his training, I think he’ll repay our patience.

He wears a head pole on his off side which is unusual for one of mine. Calvin Broughan owns him also and he has something to look forward to.

JONNY Cowden rides out with the Stuart Crawford thoroughbred string near Larne every day before doing the following four harness horses in the afternoons.

“The Crawford family follow my ‘other job’ in The Irish Field reports,” stated Jonny. “They have always questions about how Portmarnock went.” He has some interesting observations around the two codes.“If anything, pacers and trotters are harder to keep sound, the National Hunt surfaces are kinder to legs.

“It’s funny that harness trainers tend to work over the same distance as the races, whereas a lot of the thoroughbred work seems to be snatches of two and three furlongs. I suppose you could call it interval training. The feeding regimes are very similar.”

Jonny said that his father Noel deserves a lot of the credit for the 29 winners he drove in 2021. “Dad is really the trainer. We rarely disagree. He organises our trips to the beach or the Equine Rehabilitation Centre at Ballinderry.” Jonny commented on three trotters and a pacer they in current work:

Johnny Cowden’s horses to follow

CELUI DE LAYE (FR)

10yo g Nil du Rib – Pelaye de Montfort

We took him from the bottom grade to the top last year. He reached the final at the Irish American, the M50, the Red John and the All-Ireland. He’ll race in the apprentice series, He’s a 3.05 or 3.06 performer over a mile and a half.

JUST LOOK AT ME (IRE)

3yo g Ut D’Erable - Vodka Griotte

French but foaled in this country. We broke him in January. So far the dream is still alive.

He has still to do a piece of fast work so he could be a hit or a flop. We like his attitude. The big target is in July so we are in no rush.

CILANDO DU TEMPS (FR)

10yo g Milando – Orka de Beer

We just simply weren’t happy with him last year. Admittedly he was off some tough trails but he just wasn’t himself.

We’ve changed things around this year in a bid to freshen him up. He’ll get slow work on the beach and more swimming.

BEAT THE CLOCK (IRE)

8yo g Kikicolt – Gee n Tee

He was very consistent last year. He won two or three and was just touched off a few times.

He is what you are looking for in a pacer and he will be entered for all the high-grade races.

Irish success at British awards

TWENTY-two-year-old Chelsie O’Driscoll from Drimoleague and the Cootehill-trained Churchview Frankel kept the tricolour flying at the 2021 British Harness Racing Club awards held at the Mercure Hotel, Haydock on Saturday, March 12th.

Chelsie picked up Drive of The Year for her cool-as-a-cucumber performance aboard GDs Honey at Appleby in August.

Churchview Frankel is trained by the husband-and-wife team of Bernard (also driver) and Gail Nicholson and he carried all before him in the three-year-old colts’ divisions both here and in Britain last season. The gelding was awarded ‘Overseas Horse of the Year’.

Sarah Thomas, originally from Wales and a constant source of information and photos of the British scene was a deserving recipient of a special achievement award. Sarah’s photography has featured in our UK coverage.

Well done to all the award winners.