BELFAST driver Gavin Murdock and Tyrone owner Ruairi McNulty were the men in form last Sunday at Portmarnock Raceway where they recorded a treble. Ayr Balmoral beat two other O’Neil bred two-year-olds. Oakwood Paddy won by a distance and the big-framed Oakwood Cowboy finally showed what he is capable of with a sub two-minute rout in the top grade.

Ayr Balmoral won the two-year-old colts division. He was already eligible for the Graduate Sales Pace at York today. Ayr Corleone, driven by Patrick Kane, was second favourite but he is still green and made a babyish break at the start. He looks like he will be better at three and was not knocked about.

Oakwood Paddy was unbackable in the three-year-old pace which was for fillies and colts together as there were two non-runners. Patrick Kane junior came in for the catch drive on Sweet Sunset who ensured that ‘without’ and ‘forecast’ players got paid out. Paddy clocked an impressive 1m 58.2secs.

Cowboy

Oakwood Cowboy (4/6 fav) has been lightly campaigned this year which might be a sign of niggling problems. Ruairi confirmed that the five-year-old had a ‘tie forward’ procedure. On the day, the son of Foreclosure led out and made all to beat the two Kikicolts, North To Alaska and Beat The Clock.

Aged 44 and 32 respectively, Gavin and Ruairi are ‘new kids on the block’ as the older owners phase out and scale back. They are more likely to be in baseball caps and trainers than the old guard who wore overcoats and dealer boots. However, these connections and a few other owners on the Irish scene have contacts in the US and the world really is their oyster.

The two-year-old fillies saw Wayne McNevin’s judgement vindicated. He recently bought the promising IB Lily from the Murphys of Baltimore. If it works don’t fix it and Wayne kept the useful apprentice Oisin Quill in the bike and the daughter of Sweet Lou beat the US import Watch Me Now (Bernard Nicholson).

There were some fine performances by trotters at the meeting. The Cowdens based in Mallusk can certainly improve a horse. Emil Paco was the pick of the paddock, and he warmed up with his ears pricked.

It must have been a lovely feeling for Jonny Cowden who followed Brooklyn Trixie (Patrick Kane junior) past the railway. Cowden could sense what Brooklyn Trixie had little left in the tank late on, as he actually won with him two weeks previously. The trot was a Grade D affair Emil Paco won in 2m 05secs.

Joseph Caffrey has persevered with Finale Jihaime. After a long spell on the cold list, the mare now has two wins and two seconds from her last six runs. “Patrick Sheehy, the back specialist from Longford, worked well with her. Sean Kane was very helpful. I suppose a lot of it was my own patience,” was the comment after the Ashbourne man won the E and F Trot.

Epsom Des Corvees (4/1 to 6/1) is another who has made breaks on occasion but has loads of speed. He was tipped up in this column as a long shot for the Maven Trot in August but failed to fire. On Sunday he lowered the colours of the mighty Harry Knows in the A to C Trot. Luke Timlin from Derrylin, Fermanagh was in the sulky and his father Darren provided a confident statement: “He’s the boss of the trotters.”

The Harry Knows camp may differ, especially if the draws were reversed, but this was a day for The Lakeland County. The winner recorded 2m 03.1secs.

Good effect

Sean Kane was seen to good effect aboard Calvin Broughan’s Bingo De Connee (2/1 to 3/1) in the E and F Trot. Sean’s sister Mary (Gilligan) almost caused an upset with Chipie Des Landes. Mary energised her horse for the entire mile only to be mugged in the shadow of the post.

“You couldn’t print what I called Sean,’’ said the gallant runner-up.

The pacing entry is holding up well. As so often before, once the big hitters are left off for the season some of the lesser lights can pick up a bit of bold type. Bugsy Malone will never be sold to go to America, but he did pick up €448 for the Grade G pace. Mark Kane drove for Craig Malone and the winner was supported in the ring even though he went off around 7/2. Recent import Stateside Glory (Patrick Kane junior) was put in a position to win his race but came up short in a lively betting contest.

Rhyds Salsa was bred to win a better race than the D to F Pace. Eoin Joyce went on early with the daughter of sire of the moment See And Ski. She won cosily in 1min 59.4secs from cousin and rival Troy McAleer on Meadowbranch Duke. “She’s six now but lightly raced,” said a smiling Eoin. “We let her run in a field for a long time as she was big and growthy.”

Patrick Kane gained some consolation for a day of five second-placed finishes when Deuce Queen opened her Irish account with a win in the maiden. Mooreside Cassius (Stephen McHugh) was also well walloped in the ring but had no answer to the more experienced daughter of Armbro Deuce who had some solid English form.

Racing continues today at Annaghmore and tomorrow at Portmarnock with some decent entries, to be viewed at www.irishharnessracing.com.

As outlined last week the entire cast will be in York today for the Camden Equestrian Annual Sale where the UK record for a yearling of £75,000 could be bettered.

THE Irish and British industries received a nice late season boost recently with the news that some local agents were back buying ‘pacers of four years and older with consistent form and winning times of 1.59 and faster’. Oakwood Stud is said to be the buyer on behalf of the massive Ron Burke organisation in America which numbers 350 horses.

Details are sketchy but it seems Walter Stewart’s Ladyford Dollar and Clive Richardson’s The Gypsy Queen will join some British-based pacers for the flight out.

Why would a man with 350 horses want some more? For a number of reasons. Of the six similar horses which the same connections bought in 2020, they all managed to win in the States and collectively the consignment would have earned north of $500,000, although the air freight costs and American training fees, etc. are said to be expensive.

Burke and main owner Mark Weaver are buying stock by US-bred stallions or second-generation stallions so they will know the family traits. With US training methods, the warmer climate and better tracks, most British and Irish horses can improve by seven or eight seconds. Obviously, a tried racehorse is less of a lottery than an unbroken yearling. These horses can also enter the US system in a low handicap grade while on this occasion the timing is good, as the Irish season is still live – most horses will arrive race fit

On the eve of York sales, this is a major fillip for UK breeders. Outside of a classic-winning colt or three or four £4,000 races, many top-class older pacers in these islands struggle to break even. Therefore, the rumoured five-figure sums that are bandied about are a fair price and the connections might even own more of the same family.

Should The Gypsy Queen clock a 1’52 in America, Pettigo farmer Neville Martin will think more of the family of Cannae Diamond, his foundation mare.

THERE was a poignant moment on Sunday when Belfast mother of three Maeve Kelly sprinkled some of her late partner Sean McAleenan’s ashes near the winning post. Sean died around three months ago in a drowning accident in Spain.

The McAleenan’s raced the dependable Proud Star and Sandside Bandit at venues far and near.