BY TIM KELLEHER
FIVE feature races were headlined by the Cahalane Brothers’ Free For All Pace at the 2023 Ballabuidhe Harness Racing Festival on bank holiday Monday in Dunmanway.
Four of Ireland's leading pacers went to post in this with Northern Pride a very warm favorite in the betting ring, and showed why to pull clear on the final circuit. The winner is owned by Tom Heavy from Dublin and goes to the Red John Memorial as a leading player for the big August festival double.
The Richard Phelan Memorial Golden Mile had two elimination heats. In the opening heat Rhyds Panache clocked up another win for father and son team Chris and Fionn O’Reilly from Drimoleague who got the better of Yankee George by three lengths with Louis Vuitton securing the third qualifying spot. In the second heat Biggins followed up on his win on Sunday with another polished performance to lead home Limerick raider Ceiron Jack and Clare-based runner Well Cuz. In the final Well Cuz jumped out in front. Donal Murphy had come in for the drive on the Clare-owned five-year-old, and on the final lap turned on the style pulling away. Yankee George ran on to finish second with Biggins also making the frame.
‘I got a late call to drive the winner and, to be fair, the owners told me to go for broke early and that’s how it played out,’ winning Baltimore-based driver Donal Murphy said.
The Parkway Hotel & Tar Isteach Free For All Trot saw the big three – Fina Mix, Comete Des Landes and Duc D’Arry – go to battle. Denis O’Reilly on Duc D’Arry made an early move, going to pole position after a circuit and the Drimoleague-based trotter was too good for his two rivals.
‘No doubt these big guns will meet again. He makes the odd mistake but he got it right today. It's great to win here in Ballabuidhe and The Maven Trot in Lyre is well on the radar,’ O’Reilly commented.
The Paddy Connolly Memorial Trot had two eliminations on Sunday. Fandango De Nile followed up on his Vicarstown win with another facile victory for joint owners Jamie Hurley from Reenascreena and Hannah Richardson from Dublin. Niall Forbes from Leap and Empereur Souverain chalked up another win in the second heat.
Six went to post in the final on Monday with Patrick Hill from Leap having three of the finalists. He chose to drive Holloway Road with Sean Kane on Humour De Cosse and Donal Murphy coming in for the spare on veteran Brutenor. It was Humour De Cosse who triumphed, winning the classic for the Hill family from Leap.
On Sunday there was a one-two for the Chris O’Reilly stable in the Grade F Pace. Rhyds Panache with Fionn O’Reilly made the early running but Biggins driven by Chris took up the running after a lap and was never in any danger, eventually leading home Panache’ by a length and a half.
GDs Honey and Chelsie O’Driscoll from Drimoleague created a bit of an upset in Grade E pace. DiMaggio was all the rage in the betting after his win in Manch, but GDs Honey sprinted clear to win by three lengths. Winning driver Chelsie has been learning her trade with the powerful John Gill stable in the UK and of late with Oakwood Stud. After the race John Boyle announced that Supreme Sunshine had ran her last race and is heading to the breeding paddock after a ten-year racing career.
The Baltimore-based IB Stables turned out two winners on the day. Firstly, Eoin Murphy teamed up with BiBi Dairpet to land the odds in the Grade E Trot. Donal Murphy, an uncle of Eoin, employed similar tactics with Hippie Sisu, who is jointly owned by the Murphy’s and Enniskeane publican Angelo Hannon. They led from the start and despite a challenge from Inspire Me, Hippie Sisu never put a hoof wrong and ensured a double on the day for trainer Tadhg Murphy.
Next up for harness racing fans is the 2023 Red John Memorial in Lyre on Saturday, 19th and Sunday, 20th with another bumper weekend of racing.
