the perception is that any horse with a cart/sulky attached to it is 'Standardbred' horse - or a horse used for harness tered through DNA and racing. Nothing could be micro-chipped and our further from the truth. racing is run to the Our horses are specifical-strictest standards possiIRELAND'S main harness racing authority has condemned the practice of 'road racing' exposed in last week's Fingal Independent and distanced their sport from those who partake in this illegal pastime. Mark Flanagan, of Standardbred Horse Racing Ireland (SHRI) released a statement to the Fingal Independent after illegal road races between Balbriggan and Lusk were exposed on its front page last week.

He said: 'Our organisation is completely against illegal road racing. It is a danger both to the public and the horses and participants themselves.

'This type of act also gives our sport a bad name as, unfortunately,

'All standardbred horsHarness Racing has es throughout the world been alive and well in all can directly trace their four corners of the counroots back to an English try for well over 100 years. thoroughbred named Several local families Messenger who was have been involved in the exported to the United sport for generations. States in 1780.' This past harness racMr Flanagan added: 'All Standardbred horses in Ireland are fully regising season, saw 16-yearold Sean Kane, from Malahide, collect his maiden win in the sulky aboard One Cool Kat at Annaghmore Raceway in Co Armagh.

Sean represents St Sylvester's GAA club at both U-16 hurling and football while his father, Ger, has been a noted owner, trainer and breeder of standardbred horses for many years.

Harness racing traditionally took place in Dublin for many years at venues such as Portmarnock Raceway and the White House Raceway on the Ashbourne Road.

Last year, Dundalk Stadium played host to two harness racing meetings which attracted crowds of 5,000 patrons to its multi-million euro facility.