Quality rather than quantity was the order of the day at Annaghmore, County Antrim in Ireland on Wednesday with 2 four-horse races being the first and second events.
In the first race, young Aber McCullough from Carrowdore gained his first racetrack success with his own Credit Crunch. It seems like only yesterday that his uncles were scooting around Antrim Stadium with Roadway Rochester and Decoy Susans Way and, as ever, it is nice to see the Trotting Bug passing from generation to generation.
The flashy skewbald Kauto Star was the vanquished favourite in a time of 2.04.7
The second race was a thriller as Mark Kane led out on Wingman, at the 3/4 pole Nigel Quigley came with a rattle on last week’s winner Western Lover, but Kane boys do not surrender the lead tamely and the Equine Dentist kept Quigley parked for a good furlong.
Meanwhile the Cock o’ The North with Walter Stewart was quietly biding his time. The speed duel played into Stewart’s hands and his charge Frisco Hold Up came with wet sail to win going away in 2.03.
This was the first win of the season for the 4yo – bought at York Sales in 2012. Frisco has not been overly lucky for Walter and Carmel, but maybe this is his year!
Walter Stewart’s flowing locks were in the winner’s enclosure after race 3 as well. Wily Walter gave son Lawrence’s Camden Vito a different style of a drive altogether, flying the gate and letting out a notch of rein every time the pack came at him. The official time was 2.01 with Mahogany Montana and Belfast Cam being the bridesmaids.
Vito has been the subject of good support for the Paul Murtagh 4yo Stakes to be held at Portmarnock in August.
It’s a far cry from the bright lights of the Big M in New Jersey to a quiet Wednesday night at Annaghmore, but they all come the same for the Iceman Alan Richardson, the only driver competing in the British Isles to have registered a win ( or was it two?) at the fabled East Rutherford circuit.
Ricky Hanson was the winning owner on a night when connections from the Triangle area won 3 out of 4 contests. As for the race report, it was as easy a win as we will ever see as the imposingly built Trotteur Francais Vichy de Moem whipped 7 of his compatriots with consummate ease.
Vichy looked like he could go round again, and nearly did. Intriguingly the winner galloped for maybe 400 yards after the winning post.
Is there a chink in his armour or was this the Old Timers trick? Vichy would appear to be the best of the French Imports to be seen this season so far.
Martin Loughran was the gallant runner – up with Urmine de Mai which came from another parish, while Verdri de Crouay put in his trademark dependable performance and Typhee again impressed. A scorching 3.06.7 was recorded.
Live racing resumes next Wednesday, June 3. And as USA track announcer Roger Huston would say…”BE THERE!”
By Dan Carlin