IT seemed fitting that the 2026 European Apprentice Driving champion driver Eoin Murphy would sign off the season with a double last Saturday in Lyre, writes Tim Kelleher.

The highlight came in the Grade B C & A2 Trot. Murphy had the choice of two of his retained IB Stable runners and sided with Kirio Scott.

It was the second Murphy runner Instinct De Jomax (driven by Donal Murphy) who led out the gate from Kirio Scott and Hollow Way Road. Graal Du Dollar was a 40 trailer in the handicap and managed to get alongside the leaders at the start of the second lap. Down the back straight Instinct De Jomax was still in front but with two furlongs to trot was joined by Kirio Scott who was all class and ran out a six-length winner from the staying on Hallow Way Road with Instinct De Jomax back in third. Kirio Scott is owned by the charismatic Leap owner Ger Cooke.

Eoin Murphy completed his double in the Grade G F E & D Trot. The IB Stables were mob handed here with three runners and Eoin got it right again with his choice on Homa. Comete Des Landes, Gentleman Coglais and Homa all trained at the IB Stables blasted out the gate with Comete Des Landes winning the early battle, but his lead was short lived when Homa hit the front after the opening quarter of a mile. The order remained much the same until the mile pole where Gentleman Coglais with Matthew O’Reilly coming in for the spare drive joined Homa up front. A titanic tussle down the home straight saw Homa staying on to win by a neck from Gentleman Coglais and in AP O’Brien style the third place went to Comete Des Landes. A 1 2 3 for Tadhg Murphy.

Matthew O’Reilly from Drimoleague got compensation for that defeat in the next Grade F pace over the standard mile trip. Anglesey Hall led away in this and had company with Magical Bailey. At the half mile junction O’Reilly sent Magical Bailey to the front skipping two clear down the back. He looked comfortable in front and eventually won by three lengths from Bequest. Magical Bailey, a four-year-old son of Bolt the Deur, is owned, trained and driven by Matthew and was bred by his father Tadhg and is out of their good broodmare Elizabeth Ann.

The Limerick contingent in harness racing have been winning a lot at Lyre and another win went to the Treaty County in the opening Grade G, G1 and G2 Pace. Pancam Convict was well supported here and led away from Lily Lou and Top of The Bill. Punters will still happy down on the final lap with Pancam Convict still in front but at the three-quarter pole Lily Lou was now a serious challenger and she led on the crown of the bend and ran out a four-length winner from Pancam Convict who put in his best career performance in only his fourth public outing. 

Racing continues up north in Annaghmore Raceway in Armagh next weekend with The Jack Galway/Gerry Keenan Memorial.