West Cork, IE – Rhyds Destiny with "Cool Hands" Timmy O Leary in the bike took the featured Willie Bradfield Memorial Cup at The Cornfield Oval in Manch on Sunday as racing was of top notch at the Duggan family owned oval.
Sunnyside Kildare set the early fractions in the feature with Rhyds Destiny and Supreme Sunshine sitting in behind. Then with two furlongs to pace O Leary made his move on the veteran Rhyds Destiny and ran out a two length winner from Supreme Sunshine who lost nothing in defeat.
The winner who has been a great servant of owners John Shanahan and UK based owner John Mycock is a former winner of the Red John Memorial back in 2018.
Jamie Hurley, who works for the Mike Kennedy national hunt yard in Upton, drove his first double .
IB A Warrior initiated the brace when landing the opener. Hurley sent this four year old son of Arts Conquest to the front and had to battle on to beat the late finishing Cushenstown Rocky by two and a half lengths.
Moorside Myra who finished third was one that will go into the notebook for the future.
Lakeview Panam followed up on her Lisangle win and completed the double for Hurley .Again the novice driver was not waiting around for his rivals and had three lengths in hand on Armoured Bear with IB A Magician back in third.
"My Dad James and my brother Conor look after the show at home and the lads who own IB A Warrior are around the yard most days so I think we might have a few drinks to celebrate and look ahead to the Ballabuidhe Festival for both of these" Hurley told the press briefing.
Hail Spartacus has been another great servant to the Hill Family and Oisin Quill always seems to get a good tune out of the former Grand Prix winner. He showed tenacious battling qualities today.
Western Dreamer, Just A Promise and Coalford Bruce all had a "rattle" off the front runner and they threw everything at him bar the kitchen sink, but he was not for passing.
There were two trots on the card. Banialouka, a mare with tremendous ability, has been knocking at the door all year and showed her true colours this afternoon.
Trained by Micheal Duggan and John Hurley for the DHK partnership she never put a foot wrong and led home Vallanzana and Bella Despana.
"We always knew she had ability and has just been a bit unlucky," added co trainer Duggan.
Banderillero Piya is another one that has found the winning ways .A winner in Portmarnock last Sunday, he put in another perfect round accounting for stable companion Tenor Meslos with Brutenor back in third.
With the all Ireland series continuing at The Premium meeting in Annaghmore next week there is no local action until the two day Ballabuidhe Festival in Dunmanway on the August Bank holiday weekend.Details of entries can be got on www.irishharnessracing.com.
by Tim Kelleher, for Harnesslink
RESULTS
RACE ONE
1.IB A WRRIOR J Hurley
2.CUSHENSTOWN ROCKY O Quill
3.MOORSIDE MYRA T O Leary
DIST 2 1/2L 1/2L TIME 2.39.9
RACE TWO
1.LAKEVIEW PANAM J Hurley
2.ARMOURED BEAR J Boyle
3.IB A MAGICIAN D Murphy
DIST 3L 2L TIME 2.37.1
RACE THREE
1.BANIALOUKA K Sheehy
2.VALLANZANA O Quill
3.BELLA DESPANA L Kelleher
DIST 4L NS TIME 2.45.6
RACE FOUR
1.RHYDS DESTINY T O Leary
2.SUPREME SUNSHINE J Boyle
3.RHYDS PANACHE C O Reilly
DIST 2L 2L TIME 2.34.8
RACE FIVE
1.HAIL SPARTACUS O Quill
2.COALFORD BRUCE T O Leary
3.JUST A PROMISE P McInerney
DIST 2L 1L TIME 2.38.7
RACE SIX
1.BANDERILLERO PIYA D Murphy
2.TENOR MESLOS O Quill
3 BRUTENOE P Hill
DIST 3L 1L