by Thomas Bennett, on behalf of The Vincent Delaney Memorial

The seventh annual Vincent Delaney Memorial festival of harness racing took place at Portmarnock Raceway on Aug. 11 and 12 where a record crowd was treated to some top class racing featuring the very best juvenile pacers in the British Isles.

Northern Pride won the Vincent Delaney Memorial 2-year-old colt division with Gordon Gilvear.

Highlights of the two days included the Vincent Delaney Memorial Diamond Creek Farms 2-year-old Fillies Futurity won by Oakwood Starcam (Sportswriter-Camadian) and The Hanover Shoe Farms 2-year-old Colt Classic, won by Northern Pride (Bettor’s Delight-Artomatic Love).

The Oakwood Stud sponsored 3-year-old colts and fillies equivalent were won by Matticulous (Hasty Hall-Another Mattie) and Robyn Camden (Art Professor-Keystone Havoc), respectively.

Harness racing dignitaries in attendance on the weekend included Jim Simpson and Murray Brown of Hanover Shoe Farms; Klaus Koch, the Elitlopp supremo; Dr. Courtney Pink of Diamond Creek; Tom Charters, former head of the Hambletonian Society; and Dale Welk Head of Harrisburg Sales.

There were also dozens of race goers from Italy, Germany, Sweden, New Zealand and Australia present, hallmarking the fact that this festival of harness racing truly has an international feel about it and continues to captivate the imagination of harness fans worldwide.

Invited driver for the weekend was Mike Wilder from Pittsburgh, Pa., and although more accustomed to his local track, The Meadows, which is a five-eighths-mile track, he quickly adapted back to driving on Portmarnock’s half-mile oval, having cut his teeth driving on the Ohio circuit in the 1990s. And like previous guest drivers of the past, Jody Jamieson, George Brennan, Dexter Dunn, Aaron Merriman, and Dan Noble, Wilder didn’t disappoint his legion of fans who flocked from all corners of the British Isles to see the man showcase his talent in the bike.

Nadina Ironia photos

Mike Wilder won the FFA trot with Vigo De Bassiere.

In the Prestigious Elvin/Delaney Free-For-All Trot, Wilder needed to be at his very best to overcome favorite Valseur Du Cygne with Vigo De Brassiere in another lifetime best of 2:00 for the French-bred.

The Irish American Free-For-All Pace, sponsored by LPD Demolition, also was an electrifying contest and raised the roof off the grandstands when Evenwood Sunofagun surged to victory in a phenomenal 1:56 mile for Rocker Laidler.

The weekend’s races were called by the legendary Roger Huston, assisted by the UK’s Darren Owen, who was also joined by Australian Bill Hutchinson and Post Time’s Heather Vitale in the on-site studios which streamed all races live and featured previews, interviews and reviews right throughout the festival. For those interested in sampling some of the highlights of the weekend’s action, please check out www.vincentdelaneymemorial.com.