They came in record numbers to see the record makers……the movers and the shakers.
Best described as awesome it was truly a magnificent spectacle at Portmarnock Raceway for the Ladbrokes Vincent Delaney Memorial where the record book has now been completely rewritten.
The UK owned and trained leading 2 Year old Miraculous driven by Patrick Kane clocked in at 2:00.9 in Saturday afternoons opening heat from Party at the Spa. In the Fillies division it was a win for Meadowbranch Queen in a time of 2:04.9 and the second division of colts and geldings saw the American bred Newtown Rock winning easily in 2:01 even.
In Sunday afternoons final it was a sub two minute affair with the favourite Miraculous taking the coveted title in a new track record two year old time of 1:59.9 taking the lion’s share of the €18.5k final purse.
The final leg of the Inter Dominion was breath taking as Meadowbranch DJ stretched the field in the last quarter to record a new track record of 2:57.3 for the mile and a half (28.6 opening quarter, 57.6 to the half, 1:56.9 mile, 2:26.4 mile and a quarter). He now takes his place as the European representative at the Inter Dominion series in Australia in late November.
As the punters thought it couldn’t get any better there was more the come… ..Porterstown Chris breaking the 4 Year old record in 3:00.1, Rewrite History breaking the 3 year old record in 3:01.6, world driving champion Dexter Dunn making a new Trotteur Francais record 3:03.8 on the West Cork raider Silvano Bello.
The penultimate new mile record of 1:55.2 for Bath Lane with leading Irish driver John Richardson was a fitting tribute to the late Hughie Richardson who built and operated Portmarnock Raceway for close on half a century………..ironically Bath Lane is named after the ancestral home place of the Richardson family in the north inner city of Dublin and we own them a debt of gratitude for what we have today at Portmarnock.
The Vincent Delaney Memorial Committee raised over €19,000 for their chose charity of 2015 the Saving Dylan.Com www.savingdylan.com
