Annaghmore Saturday

THE battle for The Irish Field silver salver, a cheque and most important of all, the kudos as ‘Leading Irish Driver 2023’ took an exciting turn last weekend as Jonny Cowden hit the front for the first time since the season opened back in April.

The situation is complicated by the fact that Cowden will miss the closing meeting on October 29th as he will be driving in the European Apprentice Championship in Malta.

There was a buzz about Clive Richardson’s sprawling complex over the two-day meeting. Saturday was busier than usual with some ordinary races and heats for the Jack Galway and Gerry Keenan trophies. Overnight the nearby town of Moy was painted a nice shade of red. Sunday really came alive with the public very complimentary about the racing on offer and the spacious bar was busy.

On day one, the circumstances conspired to give Jonny Cowden two bites at the cherry. The rule states that where there are heats for a competition then horses from the same trainer are automatically separated in the draw or ‘division’ as they call it in point-to-points.

Lawrence Stewart was on the programme as trainer of both Beat The Clock and Sweet Caroline. Jonny drove both horses to win.

Beat The Clock has been in the form of his life this season, and a spell on the beach at Benone could only help those nine-year-old legs. An all-the-way victory over his neighbour Double Deuce rewarded favourite backers.

In the other heat, Jonny had Sweet Caroline (6/4 to 4/6) further forward than usual. The mare had too much class for Cork raider IB Paddington (Eoin Murphy) and she could be called the winner a long way from home.

The win was the seventh of the current campaign for the Coleraine-based daughter of Sweet Lou.

The Nortons could win a race with the stable cat at the moment. Inspire Me has shown glimpses of ability since her three-year-old days, but has also fluffed her lines on occasions. It helps when the trainer is a farrier, and the daughter of Rachmaninov Seven returned to form, winning the Grade F trot for Cork owners Healy and O’Farrell.

Wily winner

The wily Martin Loughran loves a winner on a big weekend. He had Deuce Queen perfectly tuned. The mare was nibbled at around 2/1 and upset the grey Beat The Clock who has been driven recently by John Richardson.

The lowly Grade F pace went 2.04.6, not fast by modern standards. Let There Be Rock and Peter Lyttle got the money for runner-up yet again.

The latest draft of Trotteur français to come in via Le TROT scheme look to be generally decent. Omagh man Cathal Kerrigan is based at the hallowed Danescroft yard at Lisburn. In the first heat, Cathal’s only problem with Forrest Jo was getting the eight-year-old pulled up! Another newcomer Good Win du Layon was second for John Richardson. Welsh owner Allan Davies was present.

Feerie des Brouets and Oisin Quill were similarly dominant in heat two, setting up an interesting final the next day. John Richardson was second with Funky de Noyer, on a day where he kept hitting the crossbar.

Joe Caffrey came to the aid of the bookies when he won the D to F trot aboard Helios de Lara, who was friendless in the betting. Gamin de Marandais was a promising second for owner Keith McCullough and driver Sean Kane.

Proceedings opened with an overdue win for the likeable EJ’s Dragoness, driven by Ryan Hanson for his uncle Eugene. The mare always gives her all, and being by Conors Dragon will make a nice broodmare in time.

Day Two - Sunday

JONNY Cowden and Oisin Quill may be from opposite ends of the country but they came up through the apprentice ranks together.

The two younger drivers were seen to good effect in Sunday’s two major finals. Jonny let Beat The Clock (4/5 favourite) roll out of the gate in the Gerry Keenan Pace final. The homebred was on the bridle all the way and the 1.58.4 was a lifetime best.

“He can be a bit ignorant,” said Jonny of the strong pulling son of Kikicolt, “so sometimes it’s best to let him go on.”

In the Jack Galway trot final the backers were torn between the Kerry runner Feerie des Brouets and Cathal Kerrigan’s Forrest Jo. Oisin Quill produced Feerie des Brouets with a well-timed run to take the laurels.

“He’s a nice horse, I’m only learning about him,” said Oisin, a qualified farrier.

Best performances

Two of the best performances of the weekend were from beaten horses. IB Paddington (second in the pace at 6/1) and Hot To Trot (beaten two lengths in the trot at 10/1) should make drivers Eoin Murphy and Mary Gilligan very proud.

The Black Horse juvenile championships featured small fields but quality nonetheless. Gavin Murdock conjured some improvement out of Vinnie Camden who won the three-year-old colts.

Oakwood Mick franked his consistent form from the summer in winning the two-year-old colts at prohibitive odds for driver Gavin Murdock and owner Ruairi McNulty.

The two-year-old fillies could have been controversial.

On the first turn Billy Roche, on Always Be Puffing misjudged his distance in passing Anglesey Hall (Patrick Kane jnr). Roche went in a bit close, prompting onlookers to mutter ‘’this will be an inquiry.”

However, the stewards did not alter the placings as Billy’s sulky had obtained a puncture, obviously from the brief impact and as a result his filly stopped almost to a walk. You’d be forgiven for saying karma is a strange thing.

Burst the bubble

“Always back the outsider of three,” is an old saying. Adam Corey and Arts Princess paid no heed to their SP and burst the bubble of the well-regarded Maid Sweet in the three-year-old fillies. A clock of 2.00.5 makes the filly valuable.

The Murphy/O’Reilly team got a just reward for the long trek from West Cork when the classy Duc d’Arry landed the odds in the free-for-all trot of €6,000 with Donal Murphy in the bike. The win was Duc’s eighth in 2023.

Gui McCullough, a typical stable-at-the-back-of-the-house trainer, brought the house down with a win in the Grade F pace with his own Be In My Shoes. Compere Sean Duggan previously owned the doughty Rhyds Boots from the same dam (Brown Shoes).

Gui’s grandfather Eddie was absent but we are reliably informed that The Irish Fieldreports of Gui’s wins are cut out and pinned up in the yard.

Thanks go to the Galway and Keenan families, Black Horse Equine Supplements, Le TROT, Grafton Barbers and others for sponsorship.

Web: www.irishharnessracing.com

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Latest Standings

National Leading Driver -

at October 18th

Driver Wins

Jonny Cowden, Glengormley 23

John Richardson, Ballyboughal 22

Patrick Kane jnr, Trim 14

Troy Mc Aleer, St Margaret’s 14

Billy Roche, Cloghran 14

Donal Murphy, Baltimore 14

Oisin Quill, Kenmare 14