WEST CORK, IR – Van Helsing with was a popular winner of the Grade E Pace at the annual Ballygurteen Road Trotting races on Sunday. The race produced the best finish of the five race program with four horses crossing the line in a blanket finish.
Hillside Aurelius, who was having his first outing in the grade, led early in this mile contest .Turning for home Van Helsing and Fairdays Bret joined the leader and in a sprint to the line Van Helsing got the nod by half a length.
This was a real family occasion with the winner bred by Paddy O'Brien from Schull and is owned and trained by his son Micheal and ridden by another son Patrick. "He got a slight knock in Drimoleague which meant he missed Durrus but was spot on for today, " added Micheal O'Brien in the post race media briefing.
Maitha Buachaill and Rhyds Ponder went "at it again" in the top grade pace and this time the pendulum swung the way of Maitha Buachaill.
Rhyds Ponder set the early fractions with the winner never more than a length in arrears .At The final turn the two big guns were joined by Tactician Du Lys and with all guns blazing the trio were spread across the road.
Entering the last eighth Maitha Buachaill just got the upper hand and led home Tactician Du Lys by a length with Rhyds Ponder another length third.
"He gets bone lazy in front so i had to bide my time before going to the front," said winning jockey Jamie Hurley.
Saunders Paris continued her unbeaten run in the Grade B & C with a facile win.This was her first run over the maximum two mile trip and finished strong and Deidre Goggin played down the hype about her running against the big guns in Grade A.
"We cant be but happy with her first time over the distance and look Ponder and Buachaill are another matter completely," said Goggin, whose cheeky smile couldnt hide her delight.
Fair Enough took out a competitive Grade D pace. Sunnyside Kildare was the punters choice in his first outing in Grade D and his cause wasnt helped by a bad first turn. But to be fair Matthew O'Reilly was never in danger on the winner eventually seeing off "Kildare" by two lengths.
"I bought him out of the Newtown Stud in Dublin and he had a few small niggles, but I think we have him in the right frame now," said owner Chris O'Reilly, who dove a winner at Pompano Park Florida in 2016.
Shanes Income has been knocking at the door in the Novice grade for the last few days and finally got the win he deserved today. The son of Earned Income led from start to finish and was not for catching.
The Big Skibbereen Memorial Day is next on the circuit on Sunday 28th January and this meeting attracts a large infux of visitors from Dublin,.Scotland, Wales and The UK.
by Tim Kelleher, for Harnesslink
Details of entries on www.harnessracingcork.com
RESULTS
NOVICE PACE
1st McCarthy/Daly SHANES INCOME A McCarthy
2nd Kane / Crowley / O Mahony MOORSIDE CAPTAIN T O Leary
3rd D McCarthy KENTUCKY FINALE D Goggin
DIST 8L 10L 3 Ran
GRADE E PACE (The Denis Dullea Memorial Cup)
1st M O'Brien VAN HELSING P O'Brien
2nd D McCarthy FAIRDAYS BRET A McCarthy
3rd L O'Brien HILLSIDE AURELIUS J Hurley
DIST 1/2L 1/2L 5 Ran
GRADE D (The Jeremiah Keohane Memorial Cup)
1st C O'Reilly FAIR ENOUGH M O'Reilly
2nd S Buckley SUNNYSIDE KILDARE T O'Leary
3rd Cuigear Racing HILLSIDE MUSTANG J Healy
DIST 2L 4L 6 Ran
GRADE B & C (The William O Sullivan Memorial Cup)
1st M Goggin Jnr SAUNDERS PARIS D Goggin
2nd D McCarthy RHYDS DILEMMA A McCarthy
3rd G Cooke MEADOWBRANCH ROMEO M O'Reilly
DIST 10L 1L 3 Ran
GRADE A (The Paddy Keohane Memorial Cup)
1st Hegarty / Hurley MAITHA BUACHAILL J Hurley
2nd G Kane TACTICIAN DU LYS T O'Leary
3rd N Forbes RHYDS PONDER D Goggin
DIST 1L 1L 3 Ran