BY TIM KELLEHER
THE curtain came down on the 2023 harness racing season in Lyre and it included a birthday to remember for Eoin Murphy from Baltimore.
He celebrated his 20th birthday on Saturday and the following day gave Hippie Sisu a well-timed drive to land the spoils in the Grade F trot. Irish Good Dream, a winner two weeks ago, set the early fractions and led to the bell lap. On the run to the two furlong pole he went off stride, allowing Eddy Marceaux to lead. Turning for home the leader looked to have the race in the bag but Murphy produced Hippie Sisu, who got up on the line to win by a half a length.
‘He always seems to be in the shake-up, at times can be a bit of a rogue but today he was spot on,’ Murphy said. The winner is jointly owned by Enniskeane publican Angelo Hannon and IB Stables.
The action at Lyre saw another young driver, Jamie Cross from Limerick, drive his first winner, on Storm Trooper in the three-runner Grade G1 Pace.
The high grade trot has produced some fantastic fare all season and Duc D’Arry got it right on the day to beat old rival Comete Des Landes. Denis O’Reilly from Drimoleague, who owns and trains the winner, allowed Fandango De Nile to lead for the opening half mile. Heading down the back straight, O’Reilly oozed confidence on Duc D’Arry, going to the front in the dip and was always holding Comete Des Landes, three quarters of a length the winning distance.
‘He’s a horse with exceptional speed. Okay, sometimes he can make a mistake but I didn’t rush him today and he showed his talent out there. We had a great year with him, unlucky not to win a few more but that’s racing,’ O’Reilly commented.
Hallow Way Road, owned by Patrick Hill from Leap, is another trotter with great talent and was on his A-game on Sunday. Dedicace De Rhuys and Bibi Dairpet battled it out for the opening lap. Bibi Dairpet won that duel and led turning for home but Hill produced Hallow Way Road with an impeccably-timed run to edge the leader on the line by a neck.
Oisin Quill from Kenmare is another driver after a good year in Cork and he notched up another win, this time teaming up with Tipperary-based Pa Manning on Llywns Delight.
The village of Drimoleague has always been a hotbed for pacers and trotters and the top grade pace saw three runners from parish battling out the finish with Blue Showdown owned by the Tara Stables and driven by Cian O’Reilly leading home Biggins and Chris O’Reilly (a cousin of Cian), with Teddy Camden and Derry McCarthy back in third.
The summer season in West Cork was another successful year with 16 race meetings starting off in Harbour View beach in May. Racing returned to The Cornfield Oval in Manch after a five-year hiatus with meetings in Lyre including The Red John Memorial weekend and The Richie Phelan Memorial. Dunmanway also staged racing, with the Ballabuidhe Festival and The George Deane Memorial the highlights at that venue.
