Dowling wins driving title
Dowling wins MacDonald driving championship in Charlottetown
Only missing the top three once all day, David Dowling came out on top in the annual Paul MacDonald Memorial Driving Championship on Horse Person’s Day Saturday at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
Dowling made just one trip to the historic winner’s circle in the eight-race competition but was never far out of the final picture with four seconds, a pair of thirds and a fourth-place finish to complete the day with 69 points. The competition is named in honour of a former leading driver at the capital oval.
Dowling generously donated his earnings from the eight-race competition to the family of late Red Shores’ track maintenance worker Ryan Mullaly, who died in a tragic traffic accident in August. Corey MacPherson was second in the competition with 65 points while Gilles Barrieau was third at 59 points.
MacPherson won the first two races of the competition with Lorne Valley Barb (1:56.4) in a new lifetime best for Barry MacLeod of Cardigan, followed by a win with the Jason Hughes-trained Rocknrols Image (1:57.4) in the second leg.
Marc Campbell hit the wire first in the third leg with Painted Pony (1:58.1) for the veteran pacer’s 40th lifetime win for trainer Raymond White of Belfast. Ten Mile Beach (1:58.3) took Barrieau all the way in the fourth race of the competition from the Brett Leblanc stable. Dowling had his lone victory in the next leg with the Robert Phillips-trained Traces Of Purple (1:58.3).
Jens Credit (1:57.4) blasted from Post 8 to strike the front and take Barrieau to the wire in the sixth race of the challenge for trainer Ryan Perrot. Rockin Indy (1:57.1) was the next winner for MacPherson and trainer Troy Murray. The final winner in the driving championship was Smart Official (1:56.4) for Barrieau and trainer Peter Lanigan.
The top class of the day was the $2,500 Steven MacRae memorial, claimed by Pillage And Burn in 1:56 with Ken Murphy at the lines for trainer Trevor Hicken and owner Perry Burke of GrosseIle, Que.