FINBAR Quill, the Kenmare-based businessman won’t need to be rocked at bedtime these days. Finbar is jogging three trotters and a pacer. The stable will have four runners at tomorrow’s season opener.

Quill’s is a rare Kerry-based yard in harness racing and the Kingdom has been well represented in Dublin, Armagh and across the water.

Finbar and wife Rose have four sons who have all taken a turn with the horses.

As the boys have grown up and moved out, Finbar is doing a lot of the training himself with the help of Christine who comes in every morning. The horses are jogged and fed before Finbar starts his ‘proper job’ shortly after nine.

Finbar junior is currently in Australia. Seamus is training standardbreds with Noel Daly in New Jersey. Seamus owns a filly in that barn, Ann Harbour Hanover who will hopefully race this autumn.

Oisin was the main driver in the barn in 2022, notching up 22 wins. Oisin is a farrier based in Cashel, he was shoeing in Gosdens, Newmarket, last week.

Last but not least, Diarmuid is in the family business, retailing giftware to tourists and also has a motorcycle equipment business.

Newtown Killian (Ire)

5yo g Total Truth – Onyx Killeen

As the prefix would indicate he came from Alan Wallace. He could be one of the best by Total Truth so far, I think they will improve with age. He has strengthened up well and a grass track will suit him. He has won two races and is a grade F.

Final Mix(Fr)

8 yo m Full Account – Queen Mary Belle

She had a great year in 2022. She won her heat and was second in the final up at Annaghmore. She’s better on the grass than on the hard. She can be a bit hyper.

The first day we raced her she reared and smashed up a €2,000 sulky – but she has settled since. We’ll aim her at the Irish American weekend.

Destei De Larre (Fr)

10 yo g Saxo de Vandel – Last Action

He is a consistent type. He won five or six last year. He is straightforward to do, however, on the beach in his work, he’d pull like a train in an open bridle yet he relaxes in a closed bridle. He’ll be aimed at all the major meetings.

Cakinap (Fr)

11 yo g Gobernador – Pakina du Lombart

He had a ‘just ok’ season in 2022. He’s better on a hard track than on grass. He’s well up the grades so there are no easy races for him. If we can recapture his 2021 form, then we have a horse.

The late Joe Hanson has the regrettable fact of passing away as a result of a heart attack while racing Talkabout at Antrim in 1998. The horse and all the other runners were unharmed.

Joe did not race at Portmarnock as much as his brothers Bobby, Lawrence and George. However, the quiet spoken Joe had a great name for breaking a pacer and was much in demand for that task.

The gentle way with a horse has passed down to Joe’s son Eugene who has five in work this year. Two animals are with Eugene in Portrush and three are with nephew Ryan in Larne.

“The highlights of 2022 were EJ’s Dragoness showing her worth and Ryan winning with Esperanza Lou Lou who we claimed cheaply,” states Eugene, who is in admin at a local abattoir, when he is not jogging pacers on the White Rocks Beach.

EJ’s Dragoness (Ire)

5yo m Conors Dragon – Saunders Bliss

I suppose on what she has done, she’s the stable star. I raced the dam myself which is satisfying.

We’ll let her tell us what she can do, we’ll not over face her. She wears blinds and I’m going to take off the shadow roll (sheepskin noseband) this year.

EJ’s For A Little Bit More (Ire)

3yo f For A Few Dollars More – Saunders Bliss

A younger filly from the same mare. I got her started and Paddy Kane senior gave her the finishing touches. She hasn’t done any real fast work yet, but she is gaited very like the sire. Whether she has the same speed, who knows? But it would be handy.

Kiki’s May (GB)

6yo m My Panmar – Kikis Virtue

Ryan jogs her. We bought her from Edwin Fletcher in the north of England. She went around 2.00 in Britain. There’s a first-time owner in the syndicate, Bob Smyth from Antrim – so here’s hoping.

Oakwood Bandit (Ire)

6yo g Foreclosure – Olympic Sign

We were drawn to his breeding. He was part owned at one stage by Eric Witherspoon who runs Tir Prince track (North Wales). The last owner simply had too many horses. He has a 2.03 record and we be hoping to improve that.

Esperanza Lou Lou (Fr)

9yo m Punchy – Ursula Lou Lou

Our first foray into French Trotters. We got her in a claimer (like a selling plate) last year and she paid her way well. She won late last season. John Richardson was very open with how to train her, and we did a bit of tinkering ourselves. There’s more to come from her.