After a hiatus of 6 years, bumper attendance witnessed the return of harness racing to Dundalk Stadium, where a ten race programme was held, split evenly between pacing races and imported French bred trotting contests.
The popular all-weather venue in the Northeast of the country currently stages 30+ thoroughbred flat race days a year and it is hoped that following on from this trial meeting that these can now be complemented by further harness racing meetings from 2016 onwards.
Representatives of Horse Racing Ireland responsible for sanctioning the return of harness racing to the track were on hand to oversee Sunday’s proceedings as was a French delegation including, Jacques Chartier – UET General secretary, Jean-Pierre Kratzer President of UET and Guillaume Maupas CEO of LeTrot plus local politicians and councillors from the Dundalk area.
The afternoon kicked off with a surprise victory for Dubliner Alan Wallace with outsider Sire D’Opac and this was followed up by a comfortable win by Scoops Team with leading lady driver Brenda Hudson doing the steering. Saxo de Marancourt had been placed numerous times this season without winning but all that changed for Sean Kane in the next when he fended off Urano De Callions to finally claim his first red rosette.
Source: http://www.harnesslink.com/News