Curtain closes on West Cork season at Lisangle

WEST CORK, Ireland – The curtain came down on the 2016 harness racing season in West Cork with a meeting at Lisangle last Friday evening and there was top class fare on offer for the trial evening meeting at this half mile grass oval.

Mike Kelleher took the driving honours with a brace of winners for John Shanahans Lakeview Stud.

In the top class pace Sunnyside Kildare fresh from his saddle win in Dunmanway was the punters choice in a vibrant betting ring.

Donal Murphy sent this son of Bear Dance to the front from the start and looked comfortable in the pole position .

After two furlongs Rhyds Destiny joined the leader and led for Mike Kelleher. Hail Spartacus was near to the leaders and tracked them to the half mile marker.

Cruise Howard was trailing 30 yards and was beginning to close in on the leaders with two furlongs to pace but Rhyds Destiny was not to be out done on the day and held on to win by a length and a half from Sunnyside Kildare with Cruise Howard only a further length back .

Kelleher had earlier won the opener on Fairdays Bret .

This son of Jimmy Long put recent poor performances behind him to win by three lengths from Springhill Doyle with Scorpion back in third .At the press briefing Shanahan stated that he had shown plenty of ability at home and they had made a few changes to his harness and it seems to have worked .

The Le Trot series has been an unqualified success this season and tonights renewal was another top drawer event.

Valiant Forgion had led early in this with Tarnao Josselyn in close attendance. The latter actually led at halfway but Valiant Forgion never gave up the rail and with Socrate Du Noyer ,Audabe a Helene and Silvano Bello joining in it was a blanket finish with Mike Goggin getting the judges call by half a length from Tarnao Josselyn the same distance back in third .

Ringo Star took an incident packed mid grade pace. In a race that saw Llywns All Star , Rhyds Heartbeat and Western Dreamer all share the lead at some point in the race the winner only took up the running with two furlongs to pace and despite a stewards enquiry the result stood with no changes to the placings .

Young John O Mahony finished off his first season with a win in the maiden pace .

Moorside Charlie has been on the improve all year and broke his duck holding off the late challenge of last weeks winner Splash The Cash .

Dundalk Stadium hosts racing next Sunday 11th September with Portmarnock racing until the end of October.

The ITHRF awards panel will now sit to select the annual awards for Pacer Of the Year ,Trotter of the Year ,Leadinh trainer ,jockeys and drivers and a function is planned to honour this years winners

by Tim Kelleher, for Harnesslink

RESULTS (No Times available)

GRADE E & F Pace

1. J Shanahan FAIRDAYS BRET M Kelleher

2. S O Reilly SPRINGHILL DOYLE M O Reilly

3. J O Mahony SCORPION T O Leary

DIST 3L 1L 7 Ran

GRADE G & G1 Pace

1. S Kane MOORSIDE CHARLIE J O Mahony

2. J O Sullivan SPLASH THE CASH M Goggin Jnr

3. G Cooke WESTERN BEACH D McCarthy

DIST 1L 1L 7 Ran

GRADE C & D Pace

1. F Brickley RINGO STAR C Brickley

2. P J Cleary WESTERN DREAMER K Sheehy

3. A & M Hurley RHYDS HEARTBEAT D Murphy

DIST 2L 1L 8 Ran

LE TROT

1. M Goggin VALIANT FORGION Owner

2. Quill Bros TARNAO JOSSELYN S Quill

3. F Brickley SOCRATE DU NOYER C Brickley

DIST 1/2L 1/2L 7 Ran

GRADE A3 A & B Pace

1. Shanahan / Mycock RHYDS DESTINY M Kelleher

2. S Buckley SUNNYSIDE KILDARE D Murphy

3.C O Brien CRUISE HOWARD T O Leary

DIST 1 1/2L 1L 6 Ran