A happy hunting ground for Clare owners

THE Aylevarroo venue for the Killimer-Kilrush coursing meeting last weekend proved to be a happy hunting ground for Clare owners. Windfarm Eiscir won his second cup of the season, Ocean Toula captured the all-age bitch stake for Parteen owner Tom Fitzgerald and members of the Gaisce syndicate from the Miltown Malbay area were celebrating their success in the Oaks Trial Stake.
In-form Windfarm Eiscir is hard to beat. He proved that through his cup win at the regional meeting and he gave a repeat performance at Aylevarroo, where he won the Gilligan and McMahon Memorial Age Cup (16) in impressive style for trainer Pat Curtin and Ennis owner Claire Eustace and in the process collected more points in his campaign for a second tilt at the Champion Stakes at Clonmel.
A winner at Kilflynn and runner-up at Castleisland, Kyle King was hotly tipped to reign at the Killimer-Kilrush event. He was in flying form when winning his first round on Saturday. He was well in control at the halfway stage in Round 2 but then came the big shock of the day. He went unsighted when at least five lengths in front and Ath Dara Lad got in for the turn for the right to survive for the second day.
Before coursing Kyle King was the 6/4 favourite with Windfarm Eiscir (3/1), Eshwary Sea (4/1), Tock Tick (5/1), Leaving Neidin (6/1), Ath Dara Lad (6/1), Tubbermartin Lad, Milesian Son and Luath Legend (all at 8/1), Scattery Harry and Freddy’s Dream at 10/1 and Castlemartyr Law (12/1). Clonmore Master was absent and was replaced by Roger Crystal.
Windfarm Eiscir beat Leaving Neidin and the Loughrea trial stake winner, Tock Tick, by five lengths and four lengths respectively on the first day.
In the bottom half of the draw, Eshwary Sea, the Ballyheiugue Trial Stake winner trained by Dan Brassil and owned in Bessbrook, County Armagh by Garry Anderson, beat the Tradaree finalist Luath Legend by three lengths before ending the hopes of the connections of Razor Ash in Round 2.
Windfarm Eiscir was now the new 4/6 favourite on Sunday with Eshwary Sea at even money, Tubbermartin Kad at 3/1 and Ath Dara Lad at 4/1.
In a straight run, Windfarm Eiscir beat Ath Dara Lad by two lengths in the opening semi-final. It was very tight all the way in the second semi-final with Eshwary Sea getting a just up verdict.
It was all Windfarm Eiscir (Bexhill Eoin-Windfarm Lady), in the final, winning his second cup of the season by six lengths. Claire Eustace nominated her own dog and bookmaker Dinny Gould nominated the runner-up.
Castleisland cup winner, Cheryl, was all the rage in the Aylevarroo all age bitch stake (16). The even-money favourite before coursing, she gave it a very good shot but came out second best in the final when beaten by Ocean Tolula, the Oaks semi-finalist owned in Parteen by Tom Fitzgerald.
The winner had her first all-age outing at Kilsheelan ,where she was beaten in the first round in a great buckle with Cumbawn Ellen, the eventual winner. She made no mistake on this occasion when beating Cheryl by two lengths in the final.
With Cheryl at even money, Ocean Tolula was available at 2/1, and others were 4/1 Delightful Mark, Windfarm Swift and Perfume, 6/1 Derheen Deuxe, 8/1 Fortfield Queen, Chiang Mai and Rith Blitzen, 10/1 House of Queens and Pixie Lou Lou, 12/1 Willrose Hawk, Another Og and Fawn of Inagh. Lively Blonde was a non-runner and was replaced by Clover Ability.
The favourites came safely through the opening day, Ocean Tolula in the top half beating Windfarm Swift by five lengths and seeing off Derheen Deluxe by three lengths.
In the bottom half, Cheryl started off in style with a five-length advantage over Perfume, the trial stake winner at the Regional and progressed further by beating Fortfield Queen by the same distance.
Cheryl was still the market leader at 4/6 on Sunday with Ocean Tolula at even money, Delightful Mark at 4/1 and Pixie Lou Lou at 6/1.
Ocean Tolula continued with her all-conquering run by winning the first semi-final by four lengths from Delightful Mark, carrying the colours of Seamus O’Shea and Jane Mulready, Sixmilebridge, who were very unlucky last season.
Four lengths was also the winning margin for Cheryl in the second semi-final when disposing of Pixie Lou Lou, owned in Liscannor by Declan McDonagh.
Ocean Tolula (Bexhill Eoin-Hollyoak Rayana) was again in command in the final with two lengths to spare from Cheryl (Bexhill Eoin-Belated Legacy) for the first turn. The runner-up is trained in Skibbereen by Denis O’Driscoll for Kevin Murphy, Dromina. The winning nominator was PJ O’Halloran and Ciara and Mary McNamara nominated Cheryl.
Miltown Malbay Coursing Club officer, Brendan Hehir, is on his way back to Clonmel for what he hopes to be another Oaks win for the Banner County. He bred Rith gan Gaisce (Hilltown-Rith Eile) to win the 2005 Oaks for trainer Gerry Holian and owners Nancy Hehir and Bernie Diskin. This time he will be pinning his hopes on Gaise Mór (Bexhill Eoin-Rith Gan Gaisce) which won the Oaks trial stake (32) at Aylevarro on Sunday. The winner is again trained by Gerry Holian and the owners are members of the Gaisce syndicate, Brendan Hehir, Michael Hehir, Terr Hehir, Johnny Sexton, Michel Casey and Tony Kavanagh. Gaisce Mór was having her first trial stake outing of the season and was a 4/1 chance before coursing. The 2/1 favourite was Ashtown Smurf, owned by members of the Barony syndicate from Dingle. She had a two-length win over Swanky Rihanna in her opening fourth quarter buckle but then crashed out in Round 2 when beaten a length by Gaisce Mór who had earlier beaten Firecracker Maze by four lengths.
In the other quarters, Killinane Daisy (4/1) and Fisherman’s Aimee (5/1) were still standing in the first quarter. Cillowen Sunset (6/1) and She’s All Talk (8/1) were still interested in the outcome of the second quarter and the third quarter survivors were Gort na Null (6/1) and Alkala (3/1).
Board prices for the quarter-finals on Sunday were 1/2 Gaisce Mór, 2/1 Alkala, 3/1 Killinane Daisy, Rambling King, 5/1 She’s All Talk, 6/1 Fisherman’s Aimee, Cillowen Sunset, Gort the Null.
The first winner on Sunday was the Ballylongford-owned Killinane Daisy who beat Fisherman’s Aimee by two lengths in a straight run. She’s All Talk ended the challenge of Cillowen Sunset, winning by four lengths. Alkala got the better of Gort the Null by four lengths and Gaisce Mór advanced at the expense of Rambling Gang, winning by five lengths.
Gaisce Mór was still the market leader at 1/2 for the semi-finals with Alkala at even money, She’s All Talk at 2/1 and Killinane still at 3/1.
She’s All Talk was the first to qualify for the final when she was three lengths in front of Killinane Daisy for the first turn. It was a closer affair in the second semi-final with Gaisce Mór reaching the final with a one-length win over the Abbeyfeale-owned Alkala.
When they passed the halfway stage in the all-West Clare final, the advantage was with She’s All Talk (Bexhill Eoin-Fisherman’s Lucky) owned in Kilkee by Master Cian Haugh but then Gaisce Mór came with a late charge to win by one length.
The reserve Derby Trial Stake (32) went across the Shannon Estuary to County Kerry, the honours going to Fortfield River, owned in Ballybunnion by James McMahon. The pre-coursing 2/1 favourite was the Brendan Nolan-owned Alliance but he was an early casualty when going out in the opening round to the two-length winner, Janey All-Star, owned by Johnny Maher, Kilmaley.
Face the Nation, available at 5/1 before coursing and trained by Gerry Holian for County Westmeath native and New York-based PJ Quinn, was the new even-money favourite before coursing started on the second day. Other odds were 2/1 Fortfied River, 3/1 Vanatuala, 4/1Algapan Boy and Grassy Road, 6/1 Glenside Grafter, Memgrai and Bunnow Smokey.
First into action were Algapan Boy and Grassy Road, the two-length winner. Then it was the turn of Face the Nation to win by two lengths, also in a straight run against Glenside Grafter, while Fortfield River enjoyed a three-length win over Mengrai. There was an all-Ennis clash in the final buckle, Vanatula, trained by Ger Mahony for Ennis publican John Quinn and Martin Crowe winning by four lengths from Bunnow Smokey, owned by Sean Heaney and Tony Quinn.
Now the 4/6 favourite, Face the Nation won a place in the final when outscoring Grassy Road ( 2/1) by three lengths and Fortfield River (6/4) joined him after beating Vanatula by a convincing margin.
There was a big upset in the final when Fortfield River (Eoin Rua-Fortfield Blonde) led all the way to win by four lengths from Face the Nation (Murty’s Blaze-Angelical Girl).
Carl Maguire from Kilrush and Adrian Ennis, Kilkee, also came away with some silverware as a result of their Wood Kyle (Kyle James-Miss Octavia) winning the Hare Catchers’ Stake and Martin McMahon Memorial Cup for 16 two-course duffers. In the final, Scattery Bex (Bexhill Eoin-Scattery Mac) led at the halfway stage but Wood Kyle found another gear to go clear and win by one length. The runner-up is owned by members of the Scattery syndicate from Moneen, Killimer (Anthony and Denis Clohessy and Bridget McNamara).
Sharon Sexton from Mullagh also came away with a trophy through her Parker Megan (Shelbourne Aston-Parker Doll) winning the Members’ Surplus Stake (8), beating Clune Topps Astronomic (Derrylough Topps), owned by Pat Madigan, Killimer in the final.
The Members’ Stake (16) was cancelled.
Full marks to Anthony McNamara, Moneen, Killimer, who was officiating at his very first full meeting as slipper. Last year, he was in charge for the minor stakes but performed very well for all of the meeting on this occasion and looks like being the man in place for the foreseeable future.
Conditions were cold and windy on Saturday. It was milder and still dry for the second day when the big attendance enjoyed some excellent coursing.
At the interval, a minute’s silence was observed for club supports, who died in the past year. Remembered in particular was the late Paddy Martin, Ballymacrinan, who was 60 years associated with the old Kilrush-Killimer Coursing Club and the present Killimer-Kilrush Coursing Club.