WEST CORK, Ireland – Jamie Hurley took the riding honors riding a first and last race double IB Tweedy in the opener and Maithi Buachaill in the finale of the Grade A trot at the annual Ballygurteen road trotting races on Sunday.
Maithi Buachaill was looking for his third win on the bounce in the Grade A. Here he locked horns with his old rival Rhyds Ponder, who has finished second to him in their previous two outings .
As always Deirdre Goggin set the fractions on Rhyds Ponder leading at the three turning points but Hurley did not let his arch rival get too far away and overtook her with three furlongs to go. Rhyds Ponder to his credit, battled back but Maithi Buachaill was not for catching and eventually had four lengths to spare.
IB Tweedy had earlier impressed in the Novice.
Here Hurley sent the winner to the front after two furlongs and never looked in any danger of defeat and will race in Grade E the next time out.
Saunders Paris has swept all before her in her two previous outings and despite the step up to Grade D, this daughter of Play With a Full Deck continued to impress, making light work of her five rivals to record a six length rompn .Deirdre Goggin was in the plate and "Paris" is owned and trained by her father Micheal.
Tactician Du Lys also remains undefeated this term.This imposing French bred trotter made his debut in the Grade B a winning one.
When Favorite Democrat made a mess of the opening turn and was pulled up, this left Rhyds Artist with a commanding lead nearing the final turning point. "Cool Hands" Timmy O'Leary had cut the advantage on the leader and coming off the sand at the last turn swept to the front to win by eight lengths. Already the talk has started of Tactician Du Lys taking on the big boys in the Grade A .
The large partisan local crowd roared on Hillside Mustang to victory in the Grade E Race.
Owned by the five strong Cuigear Racing syndicate, this son of Harmony P was given the office by Jason O'Reilly to lead home Big Jim by five lengths.
David Brickley's season has been slow by his terms, but he got the ball rolling with a win on Meadowbranch Kiki in the Grade C, who had a titanic battle with race favorite Lakeview Walter eventually getting up to win by a head .
The next meeting is the annual Memorial Day in Skibbereen on Jan 29th
by Tim Kelleher, for Harnesslink
RESULTS
NOVICE (Donal McCarthy Memorial Cup)
1.One For The Road Syn IB TWEEDY J Hurley
2. D McCarthy ON THE OTHER SIDE Marie Moloney
3. McCarthy/ Daly SHANES INCOME
Grade E (Denis Dullea Memorial Cup)
1. Cuigear Racing HILLSIDE MUSTANG J O'Reilly
2. G Kane BIG JIM T O'Leary
3. C Brickley MILLERS BOY Owner
Grade D (Jeremiah Keohane Memorial Cup)
1. M Goggin SAUNDERS PARIS Deirdre Goggin
2. R Joyce BEAUTYS HARMONY M O'Reilly
3.H Bennett WELLFIELD DAMIAN Marie Moloney
Grade C (William O Donovan Memorial Cup)
1. Shanahan / Brickley MEADOWBRANCH KIKI D Brickley
2. R Joyce LAKEVIEW WALTER M O'Reilly
3. P Manning SPRINGHILL JAZZ Deirdre Goggin
Grade B (Sean McCarthy Memorial Cup)
1. G Kane TACTICIAN DU LYS T O'Leary
2. L O Brien RHYDS ARTIST
Grade A (Paddy Keohane Memorial Cup)
1. Hegarty / Hurley MAITHI BUACHAILL J Hurley
2. N Forbes RHYDS PONDER Deirdre Goggin
3. N Forbes MOUNTAIN DEW LAD J O'Reilly