In the absence of the Scottish jewel in the crown, Musselburgh Fair Day Races, the Scottish Harness Racing Club committee stepped up to the plate to stage a showcase of harness racing at Corbiewood Stadium on Friday 24th and Saturday 25th July. Thanks to the sponsorship from the friends and family of the late Matt Turner and the family of the late Alex Thomson, the crowds at Corbiewood were able to enjoy a bumper 16-race meeting split across two days, with two finals each with a purse of £1420.
The first win on Friday night belonged to William Greenhorn with Little Lyon Man, the home-bred full brother to the impressive Jack Swagger, who burst onto the scene two years ago this weekend at Musselburgh. This was the first half of his driving double on the night, with his second coming in the third elimination partnering Corbiewood stalwart, Pantihistamine on behalf of Gary and Tony Allan. This was a popular victory for the locally-trained campaigner, who has been luckless in his last 40 starts, but perseverance paid off and he returned to the winner’s circle after nearly three years in the wilderness.
Tony Allan returned to the winner’s circle later in the evening but this time having steered Lyons Pass to victory himself in the first of the two C Class Drivers races, with an impressive time to boot. The second of these races went to the sole winning lady driver of the weekend, Lauren Moran, partnering Coalford Feel Good to its first victory of the 2015 season, holding on by half a length from the up and coming young driver John Henry Nicholson and Daylon Flyer.
Grant Cullen kick-started a weekend of wins in the Novice pace with the fastest time of the entire weekend on the family-trained Iliana, trained by his uncle Gavin Keith. This followed up an impressive maiden win at Appleby earlier in the season. Corbiewood specialists Ally and Stuart Mackenzie also started their weekend on the right foot with victory in the first elimination over the extended distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs, with their charge Styx N Stones returning to winning ways. The second elimination belonged to locally-trained Camden Massino for the Alex Taylor/Les Donaldson stable, with William Drysdale in the bike.
The English raiders were only able to steal one race from the Scots on the first day in the second of the maiden races over a mile, with Andrew Cairns and Western Gift maintaining a three quarter length lead over Wild Bill Hickok and John Smart as they passed the post.
The night however belonged to York 4YO Champion Robhall having finished second in his elimination to Styx N Stones, the Hamish Muirhead-bred gelding won the Matt Turner Memorial Final over the extended distance (1m3f) in the hands of Hugh Menzies, and was a popular winner for owner Robert Craw who was gifted the horse for his 21st birthday.
Day two saw the tables turn in favour of the English raiders, with top trainer/driver combination Alexis and William ‘Rocker’ Laidler taking four of the seven races, including the competitive Mares’ race. The first victory for Team Laidler came in the saddle race, with Alexis donning her colours to guide the home-bred mare Merrington Motion to a comfortable victory over a mile and three, and reversed the placings from Appleby where the second-placed Coalford Sharp Cat and Charlene Collingwood came out on top. Keen to not be outshone by his wife, Rocker immediately notched up a second win for the stable with another home-bred, Merrington Checkm8 in the first of the three eliminations, and secured a victory in the third elimination with Burning Dust who continues to improve with his new connections. The fourth and final visit to the winner’s circle came in the hotly contested Mares’ event, with Desert Star beating course winners Sureamsomething and Live In Beauty.
Stuart Mackenzie echoed the previous day with another winner for the stable, this time in the form of Starzapan in the second elimination. Having qualified Evenwood Coolsting for the final (second behind Merrington Checkm8) Stuart had a big decision to make regarding his choice of drive in the feature event, eventually settling for Evenwood Coolsting who has shown good form at Corbiewood this season.
Fresh from his success in the Matt Turner Memorial Final, Hugh Menzies was keen to visit the winner’s circle again and achieved his goal when partnering Evenwood Sonofagun to victory in the Maiden & Novice pace, beating an impressive Mayrita who appears to have settled into her new home in Scotland following a change of stable.
Rarely a meeting goes by at Corbiewood that Grant Cullen does not set foot in the winner’s circle and having settled for two yellow rosettes earlier in the day, he was hungry for a win and as such made good use of his pole position with the recently-purchased Reverend Run in the Alex Thomson Snr Memorial Rosebowl Final over a mile and three furlongs. Heading through the mile in a well-calculated 2.11, he timed the race to perfection to hold off a late, and strong, challenge from Evenwood Coolsting and Stuart Mackenzie, with Heathers Girl and William Greenhorn securing third.
The SHRC committee would like to thank the Thomson family and the friends and family of Corbiewood legend Matt Turner for their tremendous support in this feature meeting. Thanks must also go to Vinney and his staff for providing refreshments in the café and bar late into both evenings, and also for organising entertainment for those celebrating. Our thanks are also extended to the owners, trainers and drivers who took part, and to the spectators who made the atmosphere across the two days magical.
The next meeting at Corbiewood is scheduled for Thursday 30th July, featuring the Stirling Infirmary Final.
Results – Friday 24th July
Race 1 (1 Mile)
1st Little Lyon Man (Soulofthematter-Lyons Kellie Ann) – W Greenhorn
2nd Beth Lily (The One Night Pan-Too Hot To Handle) – V Gill
3rd Betterthantherest (Dreamfair Vogel-Bettorbynine) – G Gilvear
7 Ran
Time: 2.10.0 / Dist: 2L & 4L
Race 2 (1 Mile)
1st Iliana (Dream Work-Cherokee) – G Cullen
2nd Springhill Dustin (His Alibi-Onenightinpangkok) – A Cairns
3rd Regal Sensation (Stonebridge Regal-Western Sensation) – W Greenhorn
7 Ran
Time: 2.04.55 / Dist: 6L & 6L
Race 3 (1 Mile 3 Furlongs)
1st Styx N Stones (Daylon Alert-Styx Soprano) – S Mackenzie
2nd Robhall (Dreamfair Vogel-Yoko Hall) – H Menzies
3rd Vyrnwy Saddleapan (Backnthesaddleapan-Vyrnwy Victory) – G Cullen
6 Ran
Time: 2.57.68 / Dist: 3/4L & Nose
Race 4 (1 Mile 3 Furlongs)
1st Camden Massino (Art Major-Sheeza Sakra) – W Drysdale
2nd Rhyds Solution (Hasty Hall-CPs Village Jigsaw) – W Laidler
3rd Coalford Chief (Coalford Laag-Life Sign’s Image) – A Cairns
7 Ran
Time: 2.54.94 / Dist: 1 1/2L & 1 1/2L
Race 5 (1 Mile 3 Furlongs)
1st Pantihistamine (The Panderosa-Panic Depressive) – W Greenhorn
2nd Mr Brightside (Dreamfair Vogel-Dillys Eyes On You) – G Gilvear
3rd No Regrets (Genghis Pan-Allamerican Bootie) – W Laidler
6 Ran
Time: 2.56.8 / Dist: 2 1/2L & 3/4L
Race 6 (1 Mile)
1st Western Gift (The One Night Pan-Farewell Gift) – A Cairns
2nd Wild Bill Hickok (Daylon Alert-Dark Velvet) – J Smart
3rd Dreamaway Carrie (Net Pool Pricing-Dreamfair Carrie) – G Paterson
7 Ran
Time: 2.10.21 / Dist: 3/4L & Neck
Race 7 (1 Mile)
1st Lyons Pass (Jimmy Long-Lyons Montana) – T Allan
2nd Ayr Confusion (Daylon Alert-Poudine Du Pan) – N McGregor
3rd Shes Some Deal (Make A Deal-Newtown Playmate) – H O’Neil Jr Jr
4 Ran
Time: 2.05.18 / Dist: 11L & 10L
Race 8 (1 Mile)
1st Coalford Feel Good (Wolfdancer Mindale-Yankee Finley) – L Moran
2nd Daylon Flyer (Daylon Alert-Flyers Comet) – J H Nicholson
3rd Live In Toyboy (Village Jasper-Live In Lover) – K Cullen
5 Ran
Time: 2.08.06 / Dist: 1/2L & 1L
Race 9 (1 Mile 3 Furlongs)
1st Robhall (Dreamfair Vogel-Yoko Hall) – H Menzies
2nd Mr Brightside (Dreamfair Vogel-Dillys Eyes On You) – G Gilvear
3rd Rhyds Solution (Hasty Hall-CPs Village Jigsaw) – W Laidler
8 Ran
Time: 2.53.64 / Dist: 1L & Short Head
Saturday 25th July
Race 1 (1 Mile 3 Furlongs)
1st Merrington Motion (The Preacher Pan-What A Commotion) – A Laidler
2nd Coalford Sharp Cat (Allamerican Native-Life Sign’s Image) – C Collingwood
3rd Final Fantasy (Rogue Hall-Final Cover) – L Moran
4 Ran
Time: 2.59.0 / Dist: 1 1/2L & 1 1/2L
Race 2 (1 Mile 3 Furlongs)
1st Merrington Checkm8 (Check On Jack-Merrington Heights) – W Laidler
2nd Evenwood Coolsting (The Firepan-Lamour La Plott) – S Mackenzie
3rd Vyrnwy Sarah (Backnthesaddleapan-Vyrnwy Victory – W Greenhorn
8 Ran
Time: 2.55.27 / Dist: 1 1/2L & 1/2L
Race 3 (1 Mile 3 Furlongs)
1st Starzapan (Genghis Pan-Starry Nite) – S Mackenzie
2nd Heathers Girl (JWs Best-Hurry Up Heather) – W Greenhorn
3rd Ayr Escape (Artiscape-Unforgotten) – W Laidler
5 Ran
Time: 2.57.94 / Dist: 2L & 3/4L
Race 4 (1 Mile 3 Furlongs)
1st Burning Dust (Backnthesaddleapan-Done N Dusted) – W Laidler
2nd West End Alf (The Cammissioner-Red Emilie) – W Greenhorn
3rd Playtime Howard (Village Jasper-Eyes Wide Open) – G Cullen
5 Ran
Time: 2.55.0 / Dist: 1 1/2L & 3L
Race 5 (1 Mile)
1st Evenwood Sonofagun (The Firepan-I’m The Last) – H Menzies
2nd Mayrita (The Firepan-Minerva) – W Greenhorn
3rd Caraghs Hall (Hasty Hall-Flyers Comet) – H O’Neil Jr Jr
8 Ran
Time: 2.05.52 / Dist: 4L & 7L
Race 6 (1 Mile 3 Furlongs)
1st Desert Star (Village Jasper-Stoneriggs Speed) – W Laidler
2nd Sureamsomething (Wolfdancer Mindale-Suream Smart) – W Greenhorn
3rd Live In Beauty (Village Jasper-Live In Lover) – G Cullen
6 Ran
Time: 2.54.6 / Dist: 3/4L & 3/4L
Race 7 (1 Mile 3 Furlongs)
1st Reverend Run (The Preacher Pan-Lyons Flum) – G Cullen
2nd Evenwood Coolsting (The Firepan-Lamour La Plott) – S Mackenzie
3rd Heathers Girl (JWs Best-Hurry Up Heather) – W Greenhorn
7 Ran
Time: 2.58.66 / Dist: 3/4L & Neck
Sarah Thomas