THREE West Cork drivers recorded doubles at the Lyre harness races on Saturday afternoon. Matthew O’Reilly from Drimoleague, Baltimore’s Eoin Murphy, and Patrick Hill from Leap all drove two winners each.
O’Reilly kicked off his brace of winners with Spartan Warrior in the Grade F Pace. The son of Earned Income, bred by the O’Reillys, got the better of Rhyds Panache by five lengths. Get Me Out Of Here gave O’Reilly his second winner of the afternoon when landing the spoils in the Grade F & E Pace.
Eoin Murphy from Baltimore is one of the up-and-coming drivers on the circuit and the 18-year-old was twice on the score-sheet. Brywins Starship is always a big danger when drawn in pole position and took advantage of the number one draw in the Grade C-A Pace. Murphy, who has forged a strong partnership with Brywins Starship, wasn't waiting on his three rivals, and was the class act in the field; the winner is trained by Conor Hurley for Dunmanway-based Mike Healy.
Murphy had earlier guided Streams Of Whiskey to break his maiden tag in the four-runner Grade G & G1 Pace. Moorside Jason was an uneasy favourite here and led for six furlongs of this mile contest, but Streams Of Whiskey went on to win by two lengths. The winner is owned and trained by Eoin's father Tadhg.
Patrick Hill from Leap partially made up for the disappointment of Humour De Cosses disqualification in The Irish American Final the previous weekend with two winners on the day.
Halloway Road has proven a bit of an enigma for the Leap-based Hill family but the six-year-old never put a foot wrong last weekend, leading from the start and never saw another rival and eventually winning by eight lengths.
‘Last week Humour De Cosse had done everything right but just lost his stride in the last 100 yards and it was too late to get him back trotting. Look, that's racing. When Holloway Road is on his A Game he's a tough nut to crack,’ Hill remarked.
The top-grade trot had only three runners and it was built up as the clash of Duc D'Arry and Comete Des Landes. Bibi Dairpet had a 20-yard advantage in the handicap and went about his business, leading out for the opening lap. On the back straight the big two joined issue with Comete Des Landes first to commit. The pair were as one heading into the final quarter but Duc D'Arry went off stride, handing the advantage to Comete Des Landes who won by two lengths from his arch rival. Patrick Hill came in for the ‘spare’ drive on the winner, while regular driver Donal Murphy was tuning in to the action while on holidays.
Jamie Hurley from Reenascreena got on the winner’s list with Dedicace De Rhuys in the Grade E Trot, holding on to win by a length from Homa who put in his best seasonal performance and is one for the notebook.
‘We had a few issues with her so she is now trained out of the paddock and that's two in a row. John O’Sullivan from Schull owns her and, to be fair, he lets us do our job. Rebecca had her first drive today and it went really well for her. Our yard manager Timmy O’Donovan says we have plenty of options for drivers now,’ Hurley said.
