JOHN Richardson (57) has been leading harness racing driver in Ireland at least 20 times. Records from his early career are sketchy. JR got back to the top spot in 2023 following two years where Patrick Kane jnr took the coveted The Irish Fieldsilver salver.

The Richardson name has been associated with trotting since the days of racing in Raheny. Happily, there were signs of green shoots and some newer names coming up through the ranks to challenge JR.

The runner-up in the drivers’ title was a ‘mere’ 23-year-old, Jonny Cowden from North Belfast, who was beaten by the narrowest of margins.

The sponsors should be pleased that the top drivers in the country take the leading driver award seriously. John seemed to have plenty of entries in a close-run contest. Jonny would have taken the drive on ‘Blippi’ if he thought the pony had a live chance.

The battle came down to the final meeting where Jonny was doubly out of luck. Cowden had to miss the season closer at Annaghmore as he had the honour of representing Ireland in the European Apprentice Championships in Malta.

Richardson, who taught Jonny much about driving, pipped the younger man by one winner while he was also chinned by a single point on The Mediterranean.

The overall Horse Of The Year, Sweet Caroline, was trained by the latest generation of the Hanson clan from the Causeway Coast, namely 36-year-old Lawrence Stewart.Sweet Caroline contributed eight wins to driver Jonny Cowden’s total of 24.

Encouragingly, Trotter Of The Year goes to Iron Paddy, conceived, foaled and broken in Ireland.

The five-year-old was campaigned by Ronan and Rachel Stewart. The couple hail from Killashee, Longford, not exactly a harness racing hotbed.

The trainer (Ronan) and driver (Rachel) have only held licences for seven years, a good advert for anyone thinking of getting involved.

Down south

The Munster Brigade were not to be outdone on the track in 2023. The O’Reillys from Drimoleague went to every dance from April to October and remarkably owned runner-up trotter Duc d’Arry and the second and third placed pacers Biggins and the veteran Rhyds Panache.

Finbar Quill of Kenmare trained Fina Mix for five wins, four seconds and a third.

Jay and Gavin Murdock lost their father, the stylish Harry in January of the year. The boys managed to keep the family name in the headlines as they raced Ruairi McNulty’s Oakwood Mick, Irish Two-Year-Old Colt Of The Year. He was a decent third in the Vincent Delaney Memorial in North Wales during August.

The 18-year-old Adam Corey had a quieter start to the season but rounded the year off with some nice performances with Extrem Ryld, Double Deuce and the exciting filly Arts Princess. The latter was named as Three-Year-Old Filly Of The Year. She benefitted from a nice grounding at Alan Wallace’s yard near Dublin Airport.

Always Be Puffin did not sell in the ring at York Sales in 2022. The shrewd team of John Roche, Darragh Mitchell and Joe Gannon bought the daughter of Always B Miki privately and entrusted her to the care of John’s brother, Billy, AKA The Red Baron.

The nicely gaited filly enjoyed some tough scraps with Anglesey Hall from the Kane barn, and takes the title Two-Year-Old Filly Of The Year.

Sweet Jeff is a big old-fashioned pacer and John Richardson wisely decided not to race him at two. The ploy paid back in spades as the home-bred (out of the Mannings’ mare Maddie) won three major stakes in Ireland. The wins sealed Three-Year-Old Colt Of The Year.

A dealer is always a dealer and Jack Manning accepted a late season offer for the gelding to go to the 250 strong Ron Burke Stable in the USA.

Finally, a word of appreciation to photographers Chloe Nelson and Andy Gibson for their quality shots of the action and Tim Kelleher for his contribution from Cork.

Popular veteran Hopper Foran won five races in 2023 with Ha’penny Chance \ Chloe Nelson

SOARING travel costs and deflation in real terms of prize money meant that in 2023, the number of Irish runners in Britain was less than in the heady days of the 90s. All the same, there were some nice Irish wins across the water.

Bobby Barry’s Ayr Corleone was a much-needed saver at the Tregaron Welsh Classic meeting in July wherein several Kane runners and Timlin horses endured some freakish bad luck.

The Vincent Delaney Festival at Tir Prince, North Wales, was basically an Irish affair as the Delaneys of Oakwood Stud in Offaly chose to commemorate their brother and also to give a massive focal point to the breeding of two- and three-year-old pacers.

Unlike other aspects in Ireland and Britain, the VDM prize fund keeps growing. The prize fund for the weekend touched £140,000 as Derek Delaney steadily networks on behalf of the race in the USA and Australia.

The Irish contingent won eight of the 21 races. Ayr Corleone paced 1.59.6 for Patrick Kane junior and owner Bobby Barry in winning the three-year-old colts division. Kane also won the opening race of the meeting when IB Lily came in at 8/1 from a horrible draw.

John Richardson had a double with two home-bred mares, Shesnoaprilfool (out of She’s Got Attitude) and Rugadh Me Reidh who proved that she was indeed, born ready.

The Vincent Delaney Memorial will move to Dunstall Park, Wolverhampton, in 2024.

On the American scene – a three- or four-year-old pacer that can clock 1.59 or faster on a British or Irish track is worth north of €20,000 as they will win races in the USA. The same Derek Delaney is buying away on behalf of the Ron Burke stable, a firm which already has 250 to feed.

The British Harness Racing Club published in December some stats around the UK and Irish horses currently racing Stateside. Gentleman Jim, The Gypsy Queen, Ladyford Dollar, Oakwood Paddy and Oakwood Cowboy all won several races in 2023 – which can only help the trade.

At time of writing, Oakwood Ardan (€19,000 at Mullingar Sales in 2021) is two for two at The Meadowlands in New Jersey. He was retained by his British owner Shane Fletcher and is trained by Robbie Cleary, originally from Ballydehob.

Postscript

AS this piece was going to press news arrived that the matriarch of the Quill family from Kenmare, Rose Quill, had passed away after a short battle with cancer. Rose was a regular spectator at harness fixtures always dressed with understated elegance.

Sympathy goes to husband, Finbar, and sons Seamus, Finbar junior and Oisin and Diarmuid. Rose was buried on Wednesday, January 2nd.