Musselburgh, Scotland – The Scottish jewel in the crown of UK harness racing returned this weekend (24th & 25th June) after a year's sabbatical for the course management to carry out improvements to the turf track in 2015. Over the course of two days, there were 22 races for a variety of competitors, ranging from maidens to Free For All horses, trotters and juveniles.
The Friday night fixture saw the inaugural running of the newly-sponsored Hurricane Pace Heats and Final, in memory of 'Red' John O'Donovan, whose friends have worked tirelessly to raise money for the sport he loved.
And it was another young man, John Henry Nicholson, who lifted the trophy after producing the drive of his life to bring Cochise home in front of 2015 Leading Driver William 'Rocker' Laidler and Mikey Camden.
John Henry celebrated three wins on the night, which was made all the more impressive considering he is only 16 years old. What an achievement for this talented young man, whose mother, Georgina, drove alongside him in the final on stablemate Silver Alert who John Henry had also qualified for the final.
The first race went the way of the four-year-old Tom Wood in the hands of William Greenhorn, winning the Luca Ice Cream Maiden Pace in style for the Collinson/Eltringham duo.
Next up came the first of five heats for the Red John Memorial Hurricane Pace, and it was the Burton family's Blue Top Gun and Lee Morris who landed the spoils, from My Left Foot and George Drysdale who secured the second-placed spot in the final.
The winner was cheered home by British Light Heavyweight Champion boxer Hosea Burton, a relative of the owner and trainer.
The second heat was won by the eventual final winner Cochise, the first of three wins for young John Henry Nicholson, who battled it out against George Harrison's Articulation Hall and seasoned professional Mick Lord.
Heat three witnessed arguably the tightest finish of the weekend as the Kennedy family's Evenwood Ruthless just got up to deny Mick Lord again, as Gordon Gilvear urged his horse home in front of Desert Rose by the smallest of margins – the official distance being given as a short head but having seen the photo finish, was tighter than a nose.
William Laidler took the fourth heat with last weekend's Hellifield heat and final winner Mikey Camden for owner Raymond Huschka, with Raymond Allan's Joedan finishing runner up in the hands of Gregor Menzies.
The final heat saw John Henry Nicholson back in the winner's enclosure with Silver Alert, owned by sister Savannah and trained by father John, finishing ahead of Starzapan and Stuart Mackenzie who also drove for his father, Ally Mackenzie and Trackside Racing Stables.
The Alistair Smith Novice Pace, named after the 2015 BHRC Special Contribution award winner, was won by Ontop Big C, who just held on in the hands of owner/trainer/driver Chris Nicol ahead of Out Of This World and Scott Murray, who put in two good performances over the course of the weekend to be placed twice for owner Tina Brough.
The main event for the top class horses, the Hazel Kemp International FFA Pace, was won emphatically by seasoned FFA horse Brywinsmagicpotion in the hands of Alan Haythornthwaite, finishing ahead of stablemate Shades Of Grey and James Haythornthwaite, who displayed great staying power as the only mare in the race.
Whilst Friday night heralded success for the new generation of driver, Saturday celebrated experience in the form of Alan Haythornthwaite who stole the show with a horse who is fast-becoming a superstar of British harness racing, the four year old Sportswriter colt Sports Trick.
Having already notched up wins in the Senior Welsh Dragon at Tregaron and the Appleby Spring Sunday Final, Sports Trick won both his heat and final to provide owners Shane and Claire Fletcher and family a day that they may never forget, as their mare Shades Of Grey also won a heat of the Famous Musselburgh Pace.
It was the turn of John Henry's father, John Nicholson, to steer home a winner on the second day when landing the spoils in the William Smart Memorial Maiden Pace on board Epona Star. Next up was the Silver Division of the Le Trot which featured another close finish, with the judges nodding their hats to Thomas Ripley's Titan De Prelong and driver Phil O'Neill ahead of Emma Frieze and Thunder Jiel.
The main event on the second day was The Famous Musselburgh Pace, and the first of the five heats went the way of the Irish mare Coalford Silk with Simon Duggan driving for cousin Sean Duggan who owns and trains the mare. Happy Hands and William Laidler qualified in second, one of four horses which Laidler fielded in the ten-horse final.
Sports Trick netted the second heat finishing ahead of Laidler's second qualifier, Merrington Checkm8 for Raymond Huschka.
Welsh raider Wellfield Earl, owned and trained by BHRC Chairman Roy Sheedy, won the third heat in the hands of Andrew Cairns, a poignant win for the Cairns family as the race was a memorial to trainer Joanne's father, Joe Sowerby. Laidler's third qualifier, Daktar, finished second for catch driver William Greenhorn in a thrilling finish which saw four horses cross the line almost together.
Richard Haythornthwaite followed in his father's footsteps when steering Lyons Eryl Hall to victory for owner Geoff Mounds and trainer David Taff, one of two victories on the day for the trio who also fielded winner Lyons Starlight in the Musselburgh Novice Pace in what appeared to be very easy fashion. Brywins Picasso and John Richardson qualified as the second Irish runner for the final in the fourth heat.
The final heat went to yet another Haythornthwaite, this time Richard's younger brother James who went one better from the previous day's FFA with the mare Shades Of Grey, beating another mare Merrington Motion and William Laidler to conclude the ten runners for the final.
The Gold Division of the Le Trot was won by Sulky Du Blequin and owner/trainer/driver, trotting stalwart John Foy who had success here two years ago with top trotter Robec.
Ayr Trooper went one better from his SHRC 3YO Derby second place last week to win the Maiden and Novice combined event for Mick Lord and owner David Morton. The inaugural running of the Famous Musselburgh Sprint was won by speed merchant Meadowbranch Josh, owned by Welshman Trefor Morgans and trained and driven by William Laidler, from a game Western Lover and William Greenhorn.
The four-horse field in the Christopher Dunne 3YO Scottish Grass Derby reflected the dominance of Vincent Delaney Memorial 2016 winner Miraculous, who stamped his class to win convincingly for Patrick Kane Jnr and trainer Sally Teeboon.
Over the course of the two days, British harness racing fans were treated to a whole host of spectacular action, impressive performances and success stories. Musselburgh most definitely returned with a bang!
By Sarah Thomas, for Harnesslink