Identities from Australia and North America will be attending the annual Vincent Delaney Memorial Irish Festival of Harness Racing at Tir Prince Raceway in North Wales on Saturday and Sunday.
The ‘VDM’ is the brainchild of Irish brothers and business partners Derek and James Delaney, who decided that they wanted to stage the biggest and best races for two-year-old’s in the UK in memory of their late brother Vincent who died suddenly in 2011 at the age of 27.
Among the visitors to this year’s carnival are the four-time Inter Dominion-winning reinsman Anthony Butt, former Melbourne media identity Bill Hutchison and representatives from two of America’s leading nurseries, Hanover Shoe Farms and Diamond Creek Farm.
Horses will compete for over 100,000 pounds in prizemoney and while all races are prestigious on the UK and Irish calendar it is the Vincent Delaney Memorial two-year-old colts and fillies’ divisions that are the most coveted.
A yearling sister of last year’s winner of the colt’s division in Oakwood Paddy sold for a British record of 70,000 pounds at the sales last October which underlines how much the competitors in the UK and Ireland use the ‘VDM’ as their barometer when purchasing yearling stock.
>> READ MORE: Ants to compete at Vincent Delaney Memorial in Wales
The inaugural running of the ‘VDM’ was held at Portmarnock Raceway, Dublin in 2012 and from the outset the Delaney family strived to make the carnival a special event, inviting international drivers to compete and securing the services of world renowned USA commentator Roger Huston to handle the race calling.
The carnival was held at Tir Prince for the first time in 2021 after uncertainty regarding the future of the Portmarnock track.
“Over the years momentum has built and built with more and more visitors from USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand attending this Irish bonanza of harness racing,” Tir Prince Racing Manager Eric Witherspoon said.
“It’s trademark has become top class harness racing and a tremendously good time being had by all before, during and after the racing.”
Ten races will be held each day, starting at 6pm on Saturday and 5.30pm on Sunday.
Racing will conclude around 8.30pm each day and the crowd will then be treated to music by one of Ireland’s best known bands George Murphy and The Rising Sons.