A huge crowd assembled at Tir Prince to see one of the best fields assembled for a nights racing in the UK with 8 races including five free for alls on offer. Once again the weather was kind it was a walm balmy night with little or no breeze.

Earned Income winner of 2009 Crock of Gold

The first race was won by Stoneriggs Mystery driven by Rocker Laidlaw in 1.597 giving 10 yards an incredible time for a grade 2. The second race was a hotly contested grade 3 and 4 race with an upset caused by Ciaran Morrison on Vyrnwy Mark that improved well to fight off the strong finishing Srormy Sea by 1/2L with one of the fancied horses Portersdown Kirk in third.

The Star Trade Trophy FFA Trot was won by the wonderful trotter Stas Hazelhaar driven to perfection by Paul Mather with an electrifying turn of pace winning by 3l from the front runner Love Excalibur and Iris de Linde a neck back.

The Len Bach grade 5 and 6 pace was won by the very impressive Coalford Pride in 1.591, another rug winner, the horse had not won in its last 6 runs but in the hands of Andrew Cairns won by 6L from a posse on the line, after much deliberation Matty O was given 2nd with the same time as Pallet Hill Storm and Yankee Doodle Grande in 4th. The William Hill free for all was a humdinger of a race with the Shane Lee’s improving Dillingers Dream just holding off Mick Lord on Howards Contender by 1 1/2L in 1.596 with the fast finishing Cutchall Hanover and Strike Gold in third and fourth.

The crowd was growing noisier and the atmosphere was electric for the start of the Billy Williams free for all with the crowd asking “Can Doonbeg beat the best of British?”. The race was an absolute classic with the 10 horse field all being fully involved in the race and approaching the last bend it seemed any horse could win but Alan Haythornthwaite driving Matador Hall held its leading position and unleashed an unexpected electrifying turn of speed as the otheres faded into the distance. The race for first over the crowd cheered Alan along with an eye on the clock, could the track record go, the clock stopped at 1.576 the third fastest time at Tir Prince. The wily old campaigner Scoot Around was a marvellous second in 1.592 with two of the big favourities in third and fourth River Inny and Doonbeg. We look forward to seeing Doonbeg again when it has accliamitised to the British conditions.

Matador Hall wins the Billy Williams 2009

The draw for the first ever Welsh Cup final was unkind to the pre race favourite Immpartial, drawn 8 and kind to Megan Taff and Life’s a Beach drawn 1. After the draw the race was a lot more open and the race proved to a real cracker but in the end Life’s a Beach was 1st 1n  a time of 2.003 by 2 1/2 L from Immpartial with the wonderful 3 year old Wexford Beach in third and fast finishing Catscam in 4th.

LIFE'S A BEACH WINS FIRST WELSH CUP FINAL

The time was now after 10pm the weather was calm and the expectations extremely high. It was accepted that this was the greatest field ever assembled for the Crock of Gold final 8 superb horses. Would the draw have an impact on the results first out He’s For Real drawn 8, the crowd gasped now Crown Manhattan drawn 1, many cheered what a draw the other highly fancied Irish horses Ayr Glory and Earned Income drawn 3 and 5 respectively. The track was in fabulous condition and many of us expected the first sub 1.57 mile in the UK.

At 10 15 pm the horses paraded in front of the huge, knowledgable crowd, no one had left. The start car started the 1/4 mile to the start slowly all the horses in position, John Richardson on Crown Manhattan on the inside, the crowd wnt quiet then theyre off, huge cheers but before the first turn disaster fror Crown Manhattan it goes into a break, John pulls it back this proved to be the end of its real challenge. The other shock at the quarter only 29.9 slow for these fast horses, this was a tactical race nobody wanted to set the pace 1.027 for the half the slowest split of the night. However most of the crowd were following their own favorite, 1.328 at the 3/4 pole, now there was a huge noise as they approached the final turn it seemed every horse was going wide to get the best palce to attack the final straight but out of the pack only one horse emerged Earned Income, it seemed it was turbo charged as it made 5 lenghths in no time at all, it galloped to the line and the famous salute on the line by Alan Richardson but this time with the reins in both hands. A devastating 27.3 for the final quarter. This was a popular win for Alan and earned Income. There was a mass finish on the line with second going to He’s For Real with Pan Lubber and Blue Russian in third and fourth. A fabulous race to cap off a memorable world class nights of racing at Tir Prince. If the sport is going to make a real breakthrough in the UK surely it is under the lights on nights like these at Tir Prince.

O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL!

KIKI KOLT WINS CROCK OF GOLD 2008

If you love trotting then there is only one place to be on Monday night, Tir Prince in Towyn North Wales. The finest horses in Britain come together once a year for the finest single nights harness racing in the UK. This year is no exception as Tir Prince stages 8 races including 5 free for alls.

This night is always a special occasion the first Crock of Gold final was won by Frisco Titan in 1.594 in 2004 (then a track record) in 2005 Scoot Around won in 1.588 (new record) and again in 2006 in dire conditions. In 2007 we had the controversial disqualification of Galliano (Alan Richardson drives Earned Income tonight) with the eventual winner being Connors Dragon in 1.586. Last year Kiki Kolt won in a tactical race. In the meantime the track record was lowered to 1.581 by the Big Guy then by Lyons Mach 1 in the Billy Williams FFA last year but earlier this year Crown Manhattan lowered it to 1.574 in a heat of the Crock of Gold. Other notable winners here this year were Ayr Glory just beating Laneside Lexus and Blue Russian in 1.584 and He’s For Real who smashed the 1 1/4 mile British record in 2.286 just beating River Inny by 1 length. The final also includes Earned Income double winner at Tregaron, Terripan Hanover and Bon Jasper.

DOONBEG WITH JONATHAN DUNNE

We also have the Billy Williams FFA that includes Doonbeg the $1 million winner just added to the Portersdown stables. I am really looking forward to see if he can handle the conditions at Tir Prince. It is in a fantastic 10 horse field up against some really good horses Laneside Lexus, River Inny etc etc etc. The track record went in this race last year and if the conditions are right (as I write the forecast is for light rain) then 1.56 and a new UK  mile record is a possibility.

The Welsh Cup final FFA is a very open race, local horse Catscam a multi winner here this year won in 2.015 last week in blustery conditions and Immpartial has won its last 3 racxes. In the William Hill FFA should have another fast race and all 9 will fancy their chances with Cutchall Hanover and Strike Gold have ran under 1.59 here this year. The trot mile record is also under threat in the Star Trade trophy FFA if Stas Hazelhaar has a good run.

The card is finished off with a very competitive grade 5 and 6 race for the Len Bach trophy with 4 Irish entries competing against Art Hall, Gonatray and Pallethill Storm to name but 3 that fancy their chances. In the grade 3 and 4 race John Richardson’s under 2 minute Tailgate Princess gets 10 yards from Geoff Dunne’s Portersdown Kirk a winner here in 1.593 in August. In the first race local horse Caenwood Rhapsody is going for a hatrick of wins here but will have tough opposition from double winner here Wellfield Muffo and Stoneriggs Mystery a winner of its first two races.

David Senior track director added “Whatever happens on Monday I can honestly say the racing here this year has already been exceptional with over 30 horses having ran the equivalent of under 2 minutes and 12 under 2 minute rugs having already been given out. We try every week to put as many free for alls on that is possible with the horses that are entered and this continues to raise the standards of racing at all levels. I believe that this is the future for harness racing not heats and finals that are so beloved elsewhere. The track has been in fabulous condition and we must thank our groundsman Mick the Stck for a great effort this year. We have also been blessed with a large contingent of stewards who have travelled large distances from Mid Wales and the Midlands every week, we believe this adds to our credibility and integrity at Tir Prince. I believe if the sport has a long term future in the bookies then we have to get races at half mile hard tracks, the racing public then sees our sport at its best and its added benefit is that recorded times for horses are a good comparable standard for those wanting to bet and only our sport can offer this!

We look forward to the future with opptimism and we would like to thank everyone who has supported us this year.”

Racing returns to Tir Prince on Tuesday 1^st June 2010 all being well.