by Steve Wolf, for the Vincent Delaney Memorial Weekend

Dublin, Ireland — With near perfect weather and the strongest harness racing program in the history of Portmarnock Raceway, seven track records were set on the Ladbrokes Vincent Delaney Memorial race card on Sunday (Aug. 9).

Nearly 2,000 race fans jammed the half-mile oval on Sunday in Ireland.

Nearly 2,000 race fans jammed the half-mile oval and all were treated to a spectacular exhibition of horse racing and horsemanship.

The feature race was the final of the Ladbrokes Vincent Delaney Memorial, the richest race in all of the British Isles at 18,500 euros and what a battle it was.

Miraculous, fresh off his track record setting performance the day before in 2:00.9, went straight out to the lead for driver Patrick Kane Jr. with Party At The Spa (Alan Waythornthwaite) grabbing the two hole spot to the opening quarter in :29.7.

Cutting the mile to the half in 1:00.2, Miraculous was the strong horse but Newtown Rock and Jody Jamieson were not going to sit still and came first-over to challenge, then dropped into the two hole by the three-quarters in 1:30.4.

Then on the turn for home, Jamieson moved again with Newtown Rock and came after Miraculous, but in the stretch Kane let out another notch and they pulled away from Newtown Rock to win by 2-1/2 lengths. Newtown Rock held for second with Party At The Spa third.

The time of the race was 1:59.9, the fastest mile ever by a 2-year-old in all of Ireland and the UK.

“My colt had two hard trips these past two days but he was up for it,” said Kane. “Since I first raced him this year I knew he was something special and he showed it today. He is the best 2-year-old I have ever sat behind.”

Sired by Art’s Conquest, Miraculous now has won the Delaney Memorial and the Breeders Crown UK/Ireland in a sensational first season of racing for owner Amie Flower and trainer Sally Teeboon.

The day started off with a bang in the third race final leg of the Inter Dominion Series for pacers. On the line to the winner was a free trip to compete in the Inter Dominion Series in Perth, Australia, come this November.

Someone must have told Meadowbranch DJ about the free trip down under as the 7-year-old son of Real Artist crushed the field for driver John Richardson.

Stablemate Meadowbranch Romeo (Noel Ryan) got to the lead first out of the gate with Brywinsmagicpotion (Alan Haythornthwaite) grabbing the two hole spot. Meadowbranch Romeo cut the first quarter in :28.6 and the half-mile in :56.2.

It was at the half-mile marker that Richardson got Meadowbranch DJ into high gear on the outside and before the three-quarters in 1:26.4 they shot to the lead and the race was over from there.

Holding the field at bay, Meadowbranch DJ hit the mile in 1:56, then opened up to a ten length lead by the 1-1/4 mile mark in 2:26.4 and then laid it on to win by 17 lengths in 2:57.3 for the 1-1/2 mile distance. Brywinsmagicpotion was second with Astounding (Gordon Gilvear), rebounding from an early break, finishing third.

That was the fastest 1-1/2 mile race ever in Ireland/UK and just one second off the world record.

“I have never been to Australia,” said Richardson, “And if he (Meadowbranch DJ) can keep his form like he did today I think we will make some heads turn. I am not familiar with the horses down under so we will have to look into it now. I never dreamed we would get an opportunity like this.

“He had been going some strong miles,” Richardson added, “so we took him to the beach and that helped him recover for this big mile today.”

Steve Wolf photos

George Brennan is congratulated after his win on Sunday.

USA’s George Brennan won his first race on Irish soil in the Paul Murtagh Memorial 4-year-old Derby. Brennan led from start to finish with Porterstown Chris in 3:00.1 for the 1-1/2 mile race. That was the fastest time ever for a 4-year-old at that distance. He is trained and owned by Geoff Dunne, whose brother Jonathan competes against Brennan in the USA.

“It feels great to win here,” Brennan said. “I finally got to start a race on the gate and that made such a difference. This horse was so strong today. It is great to win a race for Johnny (Dunne) and his family. Johnny and I are really good friends. He hangs with me at my house when he comes over. And the people here really love their racing. I am glad I took the opportunity to come over here.”

The Irish-American Cup FFA Pace was a major highlight of the afternoon card as the all-age track record and the fastest mile ever in the British Isles was set by Bath Lane and driver John Richardson in 1:55.2.

Heart Of Steel (Jody Jamieson) was first on the lead with Stoneriggs Mystery (Mick Lord) following in second with Bath Lane waiting in third place.

They raced Indian-style through fractions of :28.5 and :57.1 and then in the backstretch Lord made his move with Stoneriggs Mystery at the three-quarters in 1:26.8. And following Stoneriggs Mystery was Bath Lane.

With every stride down the stretch Bath Lane kept on gaining on Stoneriggs Mystery and then by the wire the upset winner prevailed with Bath Lane scoring by a neck.

The 5-year-old gelded son of Kikikolt is owned by John Richardson and is trained by William Flanagan.

Track Notes: Hall of Famer Roger Huston’s call in the Ladbrokes Vincent Delaney Memorial final, the last race on the card, was Huston’s 170,000th career race call.

The inaugural Red John Memorial FFA Pace saw Tarawood Messi and driver Alan Richardson wire the field in 1:57.4. Nearly 100 well-wishers came on the track for the winner’s presentation.

In the Delaney Memorial consolation race, Springhill Ali and driver Gavin Murdock wired the field in 2:01.1. One of only three fillies in the field of eight, Springhill Ali’s time set a track record for her age and gait.

The Oakwood Stud 3-year-old Derby saw Rewrite History and driver Gordon Galvear once again rewrote his own track record from Saturday, winning the final for the 1-1/2 mile race in 3:01.6.

New Zealand’s Dexter Dunn scored his fourth winner of the weekend on Sunday, capturing the Prix De Elvin & Delaney FFA Trot at 1-1/2 miles with the French import Silvano Bello in track record time of 3:03.8.

Driver Jody Jamieson came over Sunday morning from Toronto to Ireland just to drive Newtown Rock in the Delaney Memorial. It was not disclosed if the horse was purchased to race in North America.

The www.savingdylan.com charity received a check from the Vincent Delaney Memorial Committee Sunday for 19,000 euros in their month-long fund raising drive.