Category: RACING
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Schoolboy marks the half century in style
Having done the one job for a half century, you would either be an expert at whatever discipline it happened to be or completely fed up with it. There’s no way Noel Meade could be dissatisfied with the 50th anniversary of producing equine excellence from his Tu Va base in Castletown, Co Meath. Having belatedly…
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A local finish that was anything but flat
The occupant of this seat can only recall being at a beach twice in four plus decades. One of which was an absolutely horrendous experience, which I’ll get to in a minute, while the other was pure bliss in the heatwave summer of 1995 at the beautiful Port Salon in Donegal. The bad experience, ironically,…
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Would you stake your claim?
It may have been mentioned here in the last few months, but, I haven’t been able to watch a cattle mart since da went ringside up yonder. Tried watching Carnaross again last night – the minute an Angus heifer entered the ring Niagra Falls emerged from behind my glassess. Horse racing has remained a constant…
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Contrite Elliott back in business
What is almost sixteen years ago now, Roger Loughran fell foul of racing’s Brains Trust by pulling up the Dessie Hughes trained Central House too early – mistaking the winning post – in a major race at Leopardstown. The Cortown man was subsequently banned for 14 days in the wake of the incident, but it…
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Another of the ‘Dreaper Lads’ heads for the gallops above
No matter what one’s interests are in life, if they become a big enough part of your life, it moves away from the realm of pass time to something more significant. Then, if you happen to be blessed like me, it can be how you earn your few bob as well. I wouldn’t call it…
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Offiah Touches Down To Give Ger Grand Total
The Tuesday after Easter, 2002. It was either late March or early April. Even allowing for that though, the weather had a particularly arctic air to it. In time I would become all too familiar with the reality that this was just Fairyhouse being itself, but this was a baptism of fire. Well, actually, to…
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Gordon and Gavin targeted in Panorama witch hunt
They say timing is everything. So it would be hard not to feel there was an ulterior motive at play with the timing of the broadcasting of the recent Panorama programme on BBC entitled Racing’s Dark Side. Coming as it did in the lead up to both Gordon Elliott’s return from suspension and the Galway…
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Time doesn’t stand still so the only option is to Move With It
The victory of Drumbear in the Downpatrick Bumper of March 21st hardly made any headlines. Even allowing for the continued ascent of the winning trainer John McConnell and rider Ben Harvey. But for another reason it was a seminal contest regarding the current state of Irish racing. Now read on… Finishing in sixth place that…
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