BY TIM KELLEHER
LEAP-BASED Patrick Hill enjoyed a double at a sun-baked Dunmanway, both winners owned by his father Pete, who is owner of Hillside Farm.
In the top-grade trot, Humour De Cosse put in a fluent round of trotting and had a length to spare at the finish over Comete Des Landes. Hill had earlier steered home-bred Halloway Road to win an ultra-competitive Grade E & D Trot by four lengths, after passing out race favourite Devoir Math.
Racing opened with a Grade G & G1 pace and Christy Brown improved on his second place at the beach in Harbour View with a win for Liam O’Brien from Schull. Mike O’Mahony waited on this son of Pro Bono Best, led on the final circuit and eased to a ten-length victory.
Kieran O’Driscoll from Leap teamed up with Jeremiah O’Mahony, who is track manager at Dunmanway, to win the Grade F & E trot with Hestia Malex.
The Liam Wallace Memorial Next Generation pace produced the best finish of the day; the series is aimed at C class drivers who are starting out on their careers. It was One Cool Touch, with John Boy Roche, who won by half a length from Kenosha Comet, with Troy McAleer.
There was compensation for McAleer in the concluding top grade pace, as Newtown Major was given an easy lead here and held that advantage all the way to the finish, winning by a length from IB Paddington. Also, 16-year-old Robbie McGuire from Kilmallock, Limerick recorded his first win under rules, with IB Felicity; the winner is owned by John Boyle from Doneraile.
Racing takes place in Vicarstown in Laois this weekend with the next local meeting at Dunmanway on bank holiday Monday, June 3rd.
