Oakwood Maverick marvels closing day at Racetime

Belfast, UK – The curtain fell on NISA’s 2021 season at Racetime Raceway in Belfast last Saturday where the star of the show was Barry Reavey’s Oakwood Maverick, who won both his heat and the grand final of the Klondyke Girl Memorial Cup, sponsored by the Lyttle Family and Thompsons Feed Innovation.

Three heats were held over the extended mile and a quarter with the first 2 home in each qualifying for the final which was also over that trip.

In the opening heat Bernard Mullans latest acquisition, The Dashing Dragon, hung on to deny the fast finishing Despicable Me by 2 lengths in 2:35 with the same margin back to Camden Pro in third spot.

The winner is by Arts Conquest out of Lyons Flum making him a half-brother to Bernard Nicholson’s Churchview Frankel, who has carried all before him at 2 and 3 in most of the classic juvenile races in Ireland and the UK over the past 2 seasons. Although the Dashing Dragon may not have reached those dizzying heights in his early career the Mullan family still have a nice prospect to go to war with in 2022.

The penultimate heat looked a tricky affair on paper when weighing up the form beforehand and so it proved. The evens favorite Stars In The Eyes got off to a tardy start and failed to recover for the the “Donegal Demon” himself, Hugh Friel, leaving Oakwood Maverick to cruise to a two length success over Lucky Cam in 2:34.6 and another 3 lengths back to Racetimes leading lady driver Andrea Lockhart aboard her own Castlewood Glensman.

The remaining heat featured five of Irelands fastest pacers and the contest didn’t disappoint. Reigning track holder Rio Bravo was all the rage on the bookmakers boards and the daughter of Klondyke Girl led them a merry dance in this more most of the race only to make an uncharacteristic break in stride before things got really interesting in the home stretch.

Michael Goggin driving John Barley reacted quickest of all to Rio Bravos mistake and sent his charge into an unassailable lead pursued by Phils Dragon and Coalford Ollie but although they made up significant ground as the winning post loomed John Barley had done enough to secure victory in 2:31, a track record for a mile and a quarter that eclipsed Saunders Rebounds best of 2:32 set back in the late 1980s when Racetime first opened its doors. 

As appetizers before the final, a maidens only pace and a square trot over a mile were staged and these were won by McArts Fort and Diablesse Jisce respectively. In the former, the exquisitely bred McArts Fort, named after a famous Belfast landmark, made a very impressive debut to win going away from Stellas Dragon and Mooreside May in 2: 08.4 whilst the unusually named Diablesse Jisce landed the spoils in the last trot of the season for owner John Milligan in 2:07.

Socrates Du Noyer claimed second sport in this where a welcome return to the sulky was made by Finbarr Brickey, father of regular driver of the chestnut Ciaran and Bocage De Fornet, flew at the finish after an early break to secure the yellow rosette for third.

In the Klondyke Girl Memorial grand final Mark Rea’s Despicable Me led them away tracked by The Dashing Dragon and Lucky Cam.

With the pace starting to slow Bernard Mullan sent The Dashing Dragon up to challenge the earlier leader and the pressure applied subsequently caused Despicable Me to break. Sensing trouble at the head of the field Barry Reavey then produced Oakwood Maverick with a wet sail to sprint past his rivals into a commanding lead.

Despite Lucky Cam and Phils Dragon’s attempts to make inroads into his lead, Oakwood Maverick was not for catching. He tripped timer in 2:33.9 with 3 lengths to spare over Lucky Cam with the same distance back to Phils Dragon, who denied John Barley for third place.

A jubilant Mairead Fearon, partner of winning driver Barry Reavey joined Oakwood Maverick in the winners enclosure for some champagne soaked celebrations and the customary winners pics with the prizegiving then carried out by gracious sponsors Thompsons Feed Innovation and the Lyttle Family, owners of the immortal Klondyke Girl.

That concluded the 2021 racing season with the NISA committee issuing a statement confirming harness racing will resume at the venue in April 2022. 

by Thomas Bennett, for Harnesslink