Goggin scores double at Racetime opening day

A bumper crowd witnessed some top-class harness racing at a sun-drenched Racetime Raceway last Saturday where owner/trainer/driver Michael Goggin secured top honours with a double courtesy of John Barley and Brynllo Caio.

In the opener for Maiden & Novice grades, Brynllo Caio lowered the colours of red-hot favourite Rock Me Mama in 2.02 with Elusive Ellen plugging on for third. This colt looks to have a very bright future and pundits are predicting he could go right to the top this season if remaining injury free.

Goggin repeated the dose later on in the day when his other stable star John Barley landed the spoils in the feature event on the program the Grades 2 to 5 handicap. In what was a tactical affair the time of 2:03 belied the competitiveness of the contest where just a head and length separated the first three home. Monugs Boy and Porterstown Courage filled the frame, and the latter really looks to be coming back to form after a lack luster couple of seasons that didn’t yield a single victory.

Of the winner, John Barley was the first horse to break the 2:00 barrier when the track first re-opened in 2019 but he proved he still retains plenty of ability some 4 years on. The victories on the day made the 12 hour round trip from Goleen in County Cork to Lisburn most worthwhile for Goggin and the road must have seemed a little shorter on the way home with 2 red rosettes and most importantly those bragging rights!

Incidentally, both horses are by World Record holder Doonbeg who has continued to throw solid consistent performers in the twilight of his stud career for longtime owner Christy Dunne who transits the stallion between Ireland and Wales.

Back to Saturday’s action and Johnny Burns made his Racetime Raceway debut a winning one with Meadowbranch Roman in the afternoon’s Grade 0/1 handicap. The mile time of 2:01.8 was the fastest of the day with Betty M and Just Look at Me filling the frame.

Dubbed “Rockin Johnny” because of his inimitable style in the sulky the County Fermanagh native has enjoyed plenty of successes over the past 2 decades with horses such as Sly Revenge, Saunders Spartan, Sunnyside Velvet and Dallas Hall to name but a few. Meadowbranch Roman however would arguably be the best he has ever campaigned, and the eight-year-old gelding looks like an early contender for a NISA Horse Of The Year award.

Whilst Johnny Burns and Michael Goggin may have spent over 50 years in harness racing between them Belfast man Colin McTaggart has just entered the sport and he couldn’t have asked for a better start to his career on the track when GD’s Blizzard took the Grades 1&2 Handicap in 2:02.3 from the veteran Lucky Cam and Hilltop Sunstar. There are not too many people who win their very first race with their very first horse and you can bet that if he wasn’t yet hooked on this great sport he definitely is now!

By Pro Bono Best out of GD’s Storm the prefix GD’s emanated from the initials of his original owner and breeder Greg Dunbar from Scotland who passed away some years ago, but his breeding still lives on right across the United Kingdom where the winners raised by Dunbar keep flowing.

Just Look At Me send punters home on a high when obliging in the finale, the consolation pace which was open for all non-winners on the day giving trainers a second bite of the cherry to secure a red rosette and some prizemoney to cover the days expenses.

Next Meeting at Racetime Raceway is Saturday 15^th July and entries are now being taken by NISA.

From Racetime Raceway