by Gordon Garnett

Amman Valley Trotting Club in South Wales hosted the prestigious, televised S4C “Crock of Gold” race on Monday evening, August 16, and the people’s champion, pony sized superstar Doonbeg, broke the track and British pacing record with a mile in 1:53.7. This is believed to be a world record on a less than half-mile track (Amman Valley is 835 yards).

Owned and trained by Christy Dunne in Ireland and driven by his son, Jonathan, Doonbeg was an outstanding horse in his homeland of Canada and the USA. winning just short of $725,000 before being retired due to health problems. He is trained out of a paddock and the “back to nature” approach of the Dunnes is paying dividends. He spreadeagled the best horses of Britain and Ireland in the Red Mills International Free for All at Musselburgh Racecourse near Edinburgh in July (breaking the track record as well).

A son of one of the world’s greatest stallions, Camluck, from the Matt’s Scooter mare St Mattricks Way, the diminutive dynamo is now the hottest stallion prospect outside of North America. Afficionados of the sport can’t help but see the effortless, ground devouring, extended stride of former world champion Matt’s Scooter in the way Doonbeg races.