Rosscarbery - April 6th - All-Ireland 2008
This was a very good All-Ireland final and with decent supporting events. There was a festive air, helped in great part by Teddy Browne's commentary.
Organisation in general was excellent. The All-Ireland winner was a popular one while the great Fidlin was far from disgraced in second, in what was his last race.
He will live out his retirement at his owner's dairy farm in the UK.
- All-Ireland Road Trotting Final (Peter & John Daly & Jerome Twomey Cup and Fachtna McCarthy Engineering Plaque) - 1. Shanley Racing's Magical
Mancini (T. O'Leary), 4/5 fav; 2. J. Mycock's Fidlin (Noreen McSweeney), 2/1; 3. T. Murphy's Coalford Victory (D. Murphy), 3/1; 4. C. Hannan's
Oakview Flash (Deirdre Goggin), 10/1. 7 ran, 6l, 4l. Also ran: Dilly's Dragon, 5th; Cult Direct, 6th, Brywins Best Scoot, 7th. NR: Driven Storm.
- Magical Mancini missed the start completely, causing nail-biting among his backers. Dragon was first away but Victory soon took it up. Mancini made up
his ground quickly and went into second behind Victory. He stayed there until leading into the last turn. They remained bunched until heading for home.
Fidlin had always been in touch and when he made his final challenge, found the winner too good. Victory was probably in need of the race. Dragon looked
in with a good chance but lost a shoe somewhere along the line. Flash went well; Cult had been prominent in the early stages while Scoot may not have fully
recovered from an injury.
- Grade B - 1. J. Shanahan's Hilton Genius (Noreen McSweeney), 1/4 fav; 2. G. Cooke's Forest Tombo (T. O'Leary), 4/1. 3. Margie McSweeney's Home
At Last (J. McSweeney), 5/2. 4 ran, 7l, 10l.
- Hilton's Genius made it eight out of eight in this but is just pipped by Magical Mancini for road horse of the year. Tombo tried to make all but had no
answer when Genius went into overdrive on the straight for home. Third-placed, Home At Last, was retired immediately after this race.
- Golden Mile - Grade C & D (Colman Milner Cup) - 1. A. Hamilton's Matty O (Noreen McSweeney), 2/1; 2. M. Hurley/G. McCarthy's Duggan's
Diplomat (J. McSweeney), 4/1; 3. D. McCarthy's Mr. Dow Jones (D. McCarthy), 6/4 fav. 5 ran, 8l, 10l.
- Commander Matt was first away but Matty O soon reeled him in, and was never in any danger thereafter.
- Grade C (Connie White Plant Hire Cup) - 1. R. Sugrue's The Blue Finch (J. McSweeney), 4/1; 2. Connonagh Racing Club's Mack's Direct (M. Duggan),
4/1; 3. M. Herlihy's Do The Business (P. Hill), 2/1. 5 ran, 1/2l, 6l.
- Favourite, Kelly's Hero reached the first turn in front (having started out) but made a hash of it. Mack's Direct turned nicely and was followed by Finch. In
the closing stages, Finch was in front and Mack's Direct could not peg him back.
- Grade D (John & Jim Maguire Cup) - 1. A. Hamilton's Ebony Jane (M. Duggan), 1/2 fav; 2. Kelleher/Power/Hannan's Blatantly Pride (Deirdre Goggin),
2/1; 3. MTC Racing's Free Spirit (T. O'Leary), 4/1. 6 ran, 8l, 5l.
- Swift Harrier reached the first turn in front (they started out), with Jane in close pursuit. She lost ground here, while Free Spirit turned smoothly and took
command. Jane quickly made up the ground and after turning for home, took it up. On the run-in, she treated spectators to a dazzling display of square
trotting, to which the rest had no answer, to make it two on the bounce.
- Grade E (Gary Coughlan Cup) - 1. M. & P. Hennessy's Little Spike (J. McSweeney), 2/1; 2. J. Shanahan's Lakeview Security (Noreen McSweeney),
4/5 fav; 3. Rayger Syndicate's Cam Rayger (M. Duggan), 6/1. 6 ran, 12l, 8l.
- Little Spike led from the start, to also make it back-to-back wins. Lakeview Security may have left his challenge late.
- Novice (Abbey Bar Cup) - 1. C. O'Leary/N.Hurley's The Buachaill (Deirdre Goggin), 3/1; 2. Margie McSweeney's Pure Mule (J. McSweeney), 3/1; 3.
K. O'Sullivan's Poll Topper (D. McCarthy), 6/1. 6 ran, 2l, 6l.
- The Buachaill was a start-to-finish winner. Mule ran his best race to date, kept The Buachaill in his sights but could not get on terms.