THE Heffernan family’s 12-furlong track at Vicarstown welcomed the harness racing community for the third time this season last Sunday.

Limerick may have been the team in form up the road at Croke Park, however near Portlaoise it was the turn of the Cork horsemen to dominate. The home side had a quiet Phelan Memorial in Clonakilty, but turned out four of the nine winners in Laois. Jamie Hurley from Reenascreena and Tadhg Murphy from Baltimore both trained a double.

Inevitably the meeting had a flatter feel coming after the razzmatazz of the Richard Phelan meeting and before a few larger meetings scheduled for August. The weather did not help as a dank old mizzle settled over the region. The meeting at The Curragh (26km to the north) was called off so credit to stewards and landowners. The ground does take a lot of rain, although there were some puddles splashing up around the horses as the starting jeep preceded the horses.

The land was planted with maize before the Irish Harness Racing Association were introduced to the Heffernans. Pony racing could cope with a crop of maize (the tallest crop there is) more so than harness racing as with ridden races the jockeys are perched on the horses back. As anyone who has ever seen a harness race will know, the drivers are lowly slung near the horse’s tail. Visibility was difficult. Even commentator James Griffin with the benefit of a cherry picker had difficulty picking out some runners.

One source said that due to the viewing situation, this would be the last harness meeting at Vicarstown this year. However, the parties look forward to 2024 when hopefully the crop might be a shorter growing type of cereal. The experiment of trotting in the O’Moore County has been a success, and certainly something to build on.

Rain, tall crops, competing meetings or not, the show must go on. Nine winning owners went home happy from the venue, with some nice runs also by beaten horses for the notebook. The IHRA arranged for some memorial trophies to be contested.

Double

Tadhg Murphy’s two winners were driven by his brother Donal and Joe Caffrey. The double opened when Helios De Larra left his galloping head at home and knuckled down well for his Ashbourne-based coachman. Joe was driving as Donal Murphy stuck with Hippie Sizu. Hippie Sizu came up the hill well and should be followed.

The winner is owned by Joe’s cousin Aidan Caffrey. The cup was in honour of Christy Reid, a pillar of old Portmarnock. Destin De Larre (Oisin Quill) put in 100% as usual and picks up €850 for second.

Donal Murphy, an animal nutritionist at Drinagh Co-op, drove the other leg with IB Paddington (3/1).

The brothers will concede that Paddington will never win a crock of gold but he has “three wins and four seconds this year” as Donal told The Irish Field. Foxfield Ranger rallied well for second with John Boy Roche.

Just to cause confusion the wily Corkmen played musical chairs with the driving arrangements. Tadhg’s son Eoin drove his sixth winner of 2023 when he guided Oakwood Maestro to secure the Tommy Doyle Cup for young trainer Jamie Hurley. Meadowbranch Bobby continued his education with JR in second.

“Eoin drives fast work for me,” said Jamie. “This will be his last winner with his C class allowance.”

An hour later Jamie drove Fandango De Nile (6/1) to win the Joe Haide Memorial Trophy. Eoin Murphy tried to make all with Bibi Dairpet but their friendship was forgotten as Fandango responded well to Jamie’s urging. The eight-year-old is part owned by Hannah Richardson, daughter of John and Jackie, who does not need any more trophies to polish.

Ecrin De Grimault (Noel Ryan) and Elysium d’Ostal (Martin Loughran) fought out the finish of the high-grade trot as they had done at the previous Vicarstown meeting.

Both runners race out of the Cooley Peninsula, and it is 2-0 to John Morgan over his Greenore neighbours the Loughrans. 2.13.4 was the clock, respectable for a mile on grass of a rainy day.

Rachael Stewart showed that she can switch driving styles if need be. The previous day at Lyre she arrived late with Iron Paddy. On Sunday the Longford-based driver kicked on at the half aboard the even money shot and could be called the winner a long way from home.

Superiority

The Murphy runners Homa (Donal) and Galant De Loire (Michael O’Mahony) went in pursuit but 10 lengths summed up the winner’s superiority. Iron Paddy, a five-year-old, is arguably the best young Trotteur Français in the country,

The highest grades of pacers on show ranged from Grade D to Grade A. The framers put six runners in together for the John Smith Trophy. John Smith had a common name but an uncommon talent on the track.

The horses ranged from a row on the gate (or ‘Go’ as it used to be known) back to Cash All and Teddy Camden giving 30 yards. The money came for Rhyds Salsa (Eoin Joyce) with Newtown Major (Troy McAleer) friendless in the market. An upset nearly occurred as Newtown Major came alive in the dying strides to run Rhyds Salsa to a head.

Rhyds Salsa is by emerging sire See And Ski out of the proven broodmare Brown Shoes. Brown Shoes has already given Ireland the stout trooper Rhyds Boots and the talented but lightly raced Rhyds Rival.

Rhyds Salsa is an unexposed seven-year-old and she certainly made amends for an off-day at Lyre a week previously. ‘Salsa’ is an exciting broodmare prospect for young Eoin Joyce. She clocked the fastest time of the day in 2.10.4. The mile times were normal whereas at the last meeting the course produced clocks reminiscent of The Meadowlands.

The Rhyds Stud, based at Dyserth, is run by John and Grethe Wright. The stud near Tir Prince Raceway in North Wales will always be associated with the remarkable Hasty Hall (now deceased) who was a production line of classic winners in his day. Have the Wrights done it again with See and Ski?

The Oakwood, Coalford and Stateside prefixes have all strong claims as leading breeders but John and Grethe (both over 70) are hanging on doggedly like the pacers they produce.

As if to prove a point, Rhyds Shady Affair (1/2 favourite) made it two in a row for Paddy Kane senior in taking the Grade G pace from Streams Of Whiskey (Donal Murphy) and Be In My Shoes (Gui McCullough). The third horse is another daughter of Brown Shoes. The winner is by See and Ski who in turn is by the famous Some Beach Somewhere p, 1.46.4 $3.2 Million.

Rhyds Shady Affair was well backed. Over the nine-race card the punters won the battle.

“He adapted well to racing on grass and should make up into a stakes calibre colt,” commented the 2022 leading driver.

Just Like Mam (Sean Kane) comfortably beat Jezzabella Greggane (Billy Roche) in the two-runner four-year-old trot, which was not much of a spectacle.

The Cork region races today with Annaghmore, Co Armagh, on tomorrow.

Full results, race cards and information can be seen at www.irishharnessracing.com

A comprehensive catalogue of race replays can be watched on the IHRA Facebook page.