Driving double for Gilligan at Dunmanway

WEST CORK, IE – Philip “Buster” Gilligan was the man in form when driving two harness racing winners at Dunmanway on Saturday evening.

Jaybee recently purchased by Ned Stafford set the ball rolling for Gilligan who made the three-hour journey down from Dublin.

This was a cracking contest with IB A Warrior Jaybee and IB Felicity all trading blows throughout the contest and turning for home it was still wide open but Jaybee stayed on the best of the three to win by a neck from IB A Warrior.

Honor Code completed the brace of winners for Gilligan in the Grade F E &D Pace .

This time around Awesome Dude a winner last week set the early fractions .Honor Code then took over on the second lap but surrendered the lead again on the final circuit .With an eighth of a mile to race the pair were locked in battle and on the run in Honor Code found more to win by a length and a half .

“I’m having a great run at the moment my horses are running well and I’m falling in for a few spare drives. Cork has been lucky for me this year and let’s hope that continues next week at the Red John Memorial Meeting in Lyre,” added Gilligan who trains out of Portmarnock Raceway in North County Dublin.

Like last week his brother-in-law Sean Kane made the trip down from County Meath and went home with a winner .The top-grade trot looked a real wide-open affair .Dinah Washington drew pole position on the gate and used the advantage to lead away from Brutenor .It remained the same formation all through the race and it looked like a sprint finish would settle it and this was the case with Sean Kane pulling away in the final 100 yards to win by two lengths from Brutenor with Aubade A Helene back in third.

“This fellow is trained here on the track in Dunmanway and knows his way around here. It’s good to have a winner for the connections who are good sportsmen,” commented Kane after the race.

Valliant Forgion has been knocking on the door in his last few outings and was at his very best today when leading for most of the mile and a quater giving driver Jamie Hurley an overdue success.

“We think he is best over a mile and a quarter and all along the races have been a mile and a half so the drop in distance today suited .I’m delighted for his owner John O’Sullivan who is a good patron of mine. The horse is easy to manage and he run in Lyre next week,” winning driver Hurley quoted after racing.

Benny Camden enhanced his ever-growing reputation when taking the top-grade pace for Donal Murphy.

Punters sided with Rhyds Panache and this multiple winner this season led out from Supreme Sunshine but to be fair Murphy on Benny Camden was waiting in the wings and it was only a case of when we would be in front and he waited until the final 100 yards to swoop by his rivals and won “going away”.

Shrewd judges in the crowd were talking him up as favotite for the Red John Memorial next week.

As mentioned in this column last week Right of Redemption would “win sooner rather than later” and today was the day for this three-year-old son of Foreclosure N showed guts when getting up in the shadow of the post in a blanket finish. ” I raced him last year as a two-year-old and maybe it came a bit soon for him. He grew in the Winter and has matured well” Chris O’Reilly winning owner trainer and driver said after.

Next week Lyre stages the Red John Memorial the highlight of the 2020 season in Cork but with Covid 19 restrictions it may be ran “Behind Closed Doors” Mre details to follow.

1st – JAYBEE P Gilligan

2nd – IB A WARRIOR R Kingston

3rd – IB FELICITY J Boyle