WEST CORK, IE – Another young driver, 17-year-old Dan O’Mahony, left his mark on the West Cork harness racing scene with a drive that belied his tender years at the well-presented Bishopsland venue on Saturday.
Five went to post in the Top-Grade pace this week over the minimum 1 mile distance.
Vallanzana and Valiant Forgion were the pace setters in the opening lap heading out for the final half mile all five were in with a shout. With a quarter of a mile to trot Brutenor took over and looked a winner but O’Mahony produced Devoument Absolu with a perfectly timed run to land the spoils by a half a length from Brutenor.
“We bought him at the fall of the year an myself and my brother John train him with our father Jeremiah .This is my second career win and I just waited until turning for home and he flew up the straight.” said Dan O’Mahony.
The Buster and Jamie show might sound like a Hollywood comedian duo but Philip “Buster” Gilligan and Jamie Hurley both drove two winners on the afternoon.
Hurley kicked off his brace on IB A Warrior who has been knocking at the door without success but today was his day in a fiercely competitive Grade F Pace. Just a Promise led the first lap IB Felicity and Frankie Camden also were in front on the final circuit but IB A Warrior came with a storming run and had 2 lengths to spare over IB Felicity with Frankie Camden a neck back in third.
The winner is owned by The One For The Road Syndicate and spokesman Timmy O’Donovan commented” He runs to his merits every day and today we got the breaks and got our winner.”
Earnies Umpire was the second winner for Hurley .He led off the gate and in a blanket finish held off Hail Spartacus and Fairdays Bret.
Buster Gilligan based in Dublin has been doing the eight hour round trip to Cork every week and it has been paying rich dividends with another two wins today .Pan Cam Income looked set for victory in the opener but Gilligan and Sugar Kane Howard pounced in the last 199 yards to win by a length.
Honor Code has been a revelation all season and today got his fourth win of the campaign. This son of Well Said imported from the US a a yearling made all the running and eventually had
six and a half lengths on the second Awesome Dude.
The second trot of the day was also over a mile and it produced the best finish of the day Belkalinja Bella Despana and Destin De Larre were involved in a three way battle on the home straight with Belkalinja just getting the verdict by 3/4 length.
In this scribes opinion the shorter trot distance should be utilised more often especially on the grass curcuits in Cork.
Racing continues next Sunday in Dunmanway.
by Tim Kelleher, for Harnesslink
RESULTS (Races timed over 1 mile 50 yards
GRADE G & G1 PACE
1.Sugar Kane Howard P Gilligan
2.Pan Can Income L Kelleher
3. Moorside Myra J O’Mahony
DIST 1L 3/4L TIME 2.17.2
Conditioned Trot
1.Belkalinja D Murphy
2.Bella Despana L Kelleher
3. Destin De Larre F Quill
DIST 3/4L 1/2L TIME 2.20.1
Grade F Pace
1.IB A Warrior J Hurley
2.IB Felicity J Boyle
3.Frankie Camden D McCarthy
DIST 2L NK TIME 2.22.5
Grade D Pace
1.Honor Code P Gilligan
2.Awesome Dude S Quill
3.Supreme Sunshine J Boyle
DIST 6 1/2L 7 1/4L TIME 2.13.6
Grade F & E Pace
1.Earnies Umpire J Hurley
2.Hail Spartacus M O’Donovan
3.Fairdays Bret A McCarthy
DIST 3/4L 6 3/4L TIME 2.20.0
Grade F E & D Trot
1.Devoument Absolu D O’Mahony
2.Brutenot P Hill
3.Vallanzana O Quill
DIST 1/2L 1/2L TIME 2.20.9