JOHN Richardson is the most successful driver of any era in Irish harness racing.

The 58-year-old is one of the sport’s best-known figures and his background and early career have been covered at length in this column.

To keep things topical, 2023 saw him wrest the national drivers’ title back from Patrick Kane jnr, who chose to campaign a smaller stable.

JR was made to work for The Irish Field silver salver as young Jonny Cowden from Belfast kept at John’s heels until the final meeting of the year.

It’s always nice to win on the big stage and John selected his driving double with the two home-bred mares Rugadh Me Reidh and Shesnoaprilfool at the Vincent Delaney Memorial and the latter’s win in the Breeders Crown as his high points in 2023. Both meetings were in North Wales.

Most Irish and UK breeders consider breeding a horse good enough to race in America the ultimate achievement. The options are usually to sell to one of the specialist brokers, or if the owner can afford the air freight costs and the US training bills, to retain the horse and gamble on sending him.

John was in a position to ship Gentleman Jim to his ex-assistant trainer Robbie Cleary (from West Cork) who is carving out a huge reputation in New Jersey.

John was asked about Gentleman Jim’s latest form: “He won on January 13th while I was over in the States myself. He was a decent third and a second recently. He was second in the fastest time of the night. He has won 18 or more races in three seasons; I couldn’t ask for more. At one stage he got claimed but I bought him back.”

JR has inherited his father Hughie’s wonderful turn of phrase. It’s not every day that we hear a horse with bold white markings described as “with plenty of chrome”.

Here follows two older campaigners and three unexposed types which will no doubt earn their keep through the upcoming season.

Good Wine du Layon (FR)

8yo g Tango Quick – Sagesse du Layon

He came in late last year and won a few races. He is still only a middle grade. He is a chestnut; the French breed seems to be full of them while in the States they are not popular.

He’s a nice natural trotter and doesn’t need a lot of equipment. The French owners said he suffered from stress, so we treated him accordingly. He ran plenty on grass over there, so that is where we’ll head with him.

Cash All (GB)

10yo g Kikicolt – Yoko Hall

It feels like he has been around for a while. He won a big final at the Red John meeting last year which was a huge buzz for us all. I always knew it would be hard to improve a horse out of Hamish Muirhead’s.

The big challenge has been getting his head right. He can make breaks at the start but thankfully I had him sweet on the big day last year. He’ll be aimed at all the major races.

Meadowbranch Rí (Ire)

4yo g Sweet Lou – Meadowbranch Queen

We had high hopes for him last year and then he picked up an injury in the stable. We had to give him a long period of box rest but the vet recently gave him the all- clear. He goes back to the great Churchill Queen.

We’ll probably aim him at a maiden at one of the gala meetings. With a bit of luck, he should go up the grades. As you know Rí is Irish for ‘king’ so they’ve named him positively.

Meadowbranch Adios (Ire)

3yo g Sweet Lou – Meadowbranch Milli

He was started at two, but he wouldn’t have broken 2.45 for the mile. The dam was a tough little mare, she was a 1.59 type. Being a Sweet Lou he has plenty of chrome about him. He hasn’t done much yet, but he is giving me a nice feel.

Marias Blaze (Ire)

4yo g Kikicolt – Fifth Avenue

He is a full-brother to my nephew Noel Ryan’s North To Alaska, and if he is half as genuine he’ll do. He got a gentle introduction last year and will only go forwards. The owner, Shane O’ Neill, has raced some nice types.

THE gawdy day-glo posters for harness racing in the 1970s used to proclaim “The Family Sport That’s Catching On”. Whether the sport ever caught on is debatable but what is indisputable is that Philip ‘Buster’ Gilligan and his wife, Mary, epitomise the family feel of the game.

The pedigrees are deep. Philip’s father also Philip, was a fixture in the Liam Wallace yard growing up, before joining the army where he looked after some top-class show jumpers at McKee Barracks. Mary’s dad is Ger Kane, trainer, dealer, stallion master and all-round ‘Mister Fix It’ for Irish trotting.

Both Mary and her twin sister, Emma, run about with endless energy. Emma is a key cog in the works at the Karl Thornton National Hunt yard.

Add it all up and it’s no surprise that the Gilligan house is a horse mad set up. The family even holiday in their own bow top horse drawn wagons in some of Ireland’s beauty spots.

No preview of the Gilligan horses would be complete without mentioning Blippi, the adorable little 10hh palomino shared between the children Jason (7) and Rosie (4).

Mary explains Blippi’s training regime: “Between yoking him to a bow top, to a training cart or towing him with a quad bike, Blippi has some patience with the kids.

“He neighs when he sees them, some ponies would run a mile. Rosie even took Blippi to a hunt.”

We hear from mum and dad about the larger ‘ponies’:

Buster gives the first update:

Coalford Billy Batts (GB)

4yo g Henry Hill – Coalford Jewel

We bought him after York sale last year. We asked Gary Maw had he anything in the money. He was 15.3 at three so we threw him out. He came back in at 16.3 and I said I wouldn’t wait around anymore. His granddam was the first mare to pace two minutes at York.

We haven’t pushed him yet, but he is doing things nicely. Mention to Fergus Gosson who does our lunchtime feeds and is in charge of the kettle – a key role.

Mary knows more on the two trotters:

Innis and Gunn (Fr)

6yo m Arpent d’ Ostal – Ruse du Digeon.

I’m riding her a lot because she is very strong to jog in a cart. My brother, Sean, thought she was one of the nicest in her batch. I’m training and Buster will drive.

She wasn’t running straight last year. We had the back man out lately and he says she is 100%. We’ll race away for prize money. Most of her runs in France were right-handed.

Hot To Trot (Ire)

7yo m Hulk des Champs – Aube de Champigny.

My beloved Lolly. I’ve knocked some fun out of her. Her biggest achievement was a close second behind Oisin Quill’s good horse. She is a wicked witch with the blacksmith, dentist and the physio man.

There’s no point in protecting her mark as she will lie up with top class horses or middling ones. She went from an E to a B last year but she’s back down to a D. With my allowance she will race off E again.