Another Liscannor win for Tilt Your Skirt

FOR the second year on the trot, the form of the previous year was carried over at the opening meeting of the new coursing season  in Liscannor last weekend.

Last year, the two 2010 trial stake winners won both all-age events and last Sunday, Tilt Your Skirt returned to Liscannor to capture the Clahane stake for all-age bitches for Dungarvan owner, Bridget Hehir. The brindled also won the Oaks trial stake at this meeting last year.

Popular winners of the McDonagh Cup for all dogs were John Egan, Inch, Thurles, the well-known chairman of Templetuohy Coursing Club and his son Pat with their Inch Harmony.

The trial stake winners were Peter and John McGrath, Listowel, who won the Derby ticket with Tilford Tom, while the Oaks trial stake went to Enniscorthy owner Pat Dempsey with Garry’s Secret.

After one round of the McDonagh Cup (16) on Saturday, the Urlingford-owned Eoin Kirt was installed as the even-money favourite. Other prices were 7/4 Ballyverry Dan, 2/1 Inch Harmony, 3/1 Coolvanny Call and Glanmore Noel, 4/1 Tock Tick and 6/1 Coorheen Guest. Roger’s Crystal was absent for the second day after being involved in a long hunt after beating Abbeyglen Smokey.

Eoin Kirt had a bye run in the first of the quarter-finals through the absence of Rogers Crystal who won the cup at the South Clare meeting last year for Johnny Maher, Kilmaley and the late Tony Coote, Ennis.

Coorheen Guest, owned in Kilmurry McMahon by Kevin Killeen, caused an upset when having a one-length advantage over Coolavanny Call, while four lengths was the winning distance for Inch Harmony when ending the hopes of the Loughrea trial stake winner, Tock Tick. The final place in the semi-finals went to Tom Mulcahy from Ballyea whose Glanmore Noel disposed of the more fancied Ballyverry Dan, owned in Little Island by Kevin Cashman.

The first place in the final was secured by Eoin Kirt who was well in command in his buckle with Corheen Guest getting the turn by four lengths. He was joined by Inch Harmy who continued his wining ways with a two-and-a-half-length win over Glanmore Noel.

Inch Harmony (Bexhill Eoin-Inch Harmony) appeared to be in trouble in the final when trailing Eoin Kirt. However, from a position of being two lengths in arrears, he quickly recovered to shoot past Eoin Kirt (Bexhill Eoin-Tullamore Lady) to register a two-length win. The runner-up is owned in Urlingford by Jim Hennessy.

The Jerry Griffin-trained Kilcummin Lady was the one to beat after Round 1 of the Clahane Stake for all-age bitches (16). She was the 4/6 favourite on Sunday morning with 6/4 for Beauty’s Gillian, 5/2 Central Dancer, 3/1 Tilt Your Skirt and Good Morning Mam 4/1 Missing Blonde, Mona Margaret and Precious Miley.

Central Dancer won the first of the quarter-final buckles by beating Previous Milly by two lengths. Tilt Your Skirt got in front of Good Morning Mam to win by one length, while Kilcummin Lady had three lengths on the Cree-owned Missing Blonde. However, Beauty’s Gillian had to win it the hard way by coming from behind to beat Mona Margaret by one length.

Semi-final prices were 1/3 Kilcummin Lady; 6/4  Beauty’s Gillian, 2/1 Central Dancer and Tilt Your Skirt.
Central Dancer changed sides as Tilt Your Skirt advanced to the final with a winning distance of a length and a half. It was much tighter in the second semi-final with Beauty’s Gillian getting the better of the  favourite by half a length.

It was very much a case of horses for courses as Tilt Your Skirt (Bexhill Eoin-Tilt Your Kilt) went on to win her second Liscannor final with a two-Length win over Beauty’s Gillian (Matt Hyland-Beauty’s Ha Ha) owned by the Barrett Sisters’ syndicate from Ballingarry.

Our Call, Small Drop and Central Phoenix, all at 3/1, were the favourites for the Derby trial stake (32) but at the  conclusion, it was Tilford Tom (6/1) who was the one to prevail for Listowel owners, Peter and John McGrath.

After two rounds on the opening day, Rockane’s Boy was the 6/4  favourite to get to Clonmrel. At 2/1 were Tilford Tom and Central Phoenix, 5/2 Howdoilook, 3/1 Brea Seiceador and If Yo Whisper 4/1 Fisherman’s Blake, 6/1 Nearlymandan.

Through to the semi-finals were Fisherman’s Blake, Nearlymandan, If You Whisper and Tilford Tom.

In the first semi-final, there was a bye run for Fisherman’s Blake (even money) after Nearelymandan was withdrawn injured. Tilford Tom (6/4) earned his place in the final by virtue of a two-length win over the Charleville-owned If You Whisper (even money).

When Tilford Tom (Adios Alonso-Whitstone River) got the first turn by a length and a half from Fisherman’s Blackie (Musical Time-Aghadown Inn), in the final, he was one of the early qualifiers for the national meeting. The runner-up is owned in Kilkee by Josh Harte.

The long journey back to Enniscorthy may not have been too enduring for Pat Dempsey as he reflected on his Garry’s Secret winning the Oaks trial stake (32).

It was a fairly open event with preference going to Lone Óg at 3/1 and Strandways, Baby Impact Tromora Expert, Callura Diva, Neeron’s Reata, all at 4/1. Garry Secret, available at 6/1 before coursing, beat Ring Twice (four lengths) and Rye Optimist (four lengths) to survive for the second  day.

In the bottom half, the eventual beaten finalist Dromelihy Blues (6/1 befire coursing) had wins over Guzzy’s Gem and Neeron’s Reat to qualify for the quarter finals on Sunday.

Trusting was now the 2/1 favourite with 5/2 Baby Impact, 3/1 Garry’s Secret, Gortmelia Babe and Dromelihy Blues, 4/1 Matt’s Maggie, Maroon Blonde and Deirdre’s Delight.

Garry’s Secret was hard pressed by the Clarecastle-owned Baby Impact before winning the first quarter-final buckle in a just decision. There was a bye for Matt’s Maggie when Gortmelia Babe was absent through injury, while in another just-up decision, Dromelihy Blues got the verdict from the Galway-owned Maroon Blonde.

The odds were now very much in favour of Garry’s Secret (4/6) for the semi-finals. Dromelihy Blues was 6/4 and Matt’s Maggie and Deirdre’s Delight were both at 2//1.

In a straight run, Garry’s Secret had a big lead over Matt’s Maggie in the opening semi-final. In the second  semi-final, Dromelihy Blues was one length better than Deirdre’s Delight, owned in Ennis by Vinnie Quinn.
Garry’s Secret (Cross County-Drumcrow Carol) was in command at an early stage of the final to score a four-length win over Dromelihy Blues (Musical Time-Missing Blues) owned by Dinny Browne, Dromelihy, Cree.

The finals of all the duffer stakes were divided. The finalists in the Dr JH Lucas stake for 16 two-course duffers were Fisherman Bolt (Musical Time-Aghaburren Inn) owned in Kilkee by Barry Harte and Missing Bex (Bexhill Eoin-Fisherman’s Lucky) owned by Breda Falsey, Cree. The beaten semi-finalists were Vancouver Rod, owned by Paul King, Clogheen, County Tipperary and Glasheen Queen, carrying the hopes of Kilkee owner, Brendan Browne.

Reaching the final of the Moher Stake (eight one-course maidens) were Mythical City (Central City-Cold War Baby) owned by Tom Flanagan, Russa, Ennistymon and Runway Charlie (Hondo Black-Maybe Classy), trained by John Browne for members of the Rineanna syndicate from Clare, a member of which is Liscannor Coursing Club secretary, Gussie Clair. The beaten semi-finalists in this stake were Cry After Dawn and Callura Shadow.

The Local Workers’ Stake (four no-course maidens) was divided between Cable Electric (Kilbeacanty Hill-Cable Sal), trained by John McDonagh for the Girls’ syndicate, Kinvara, and Mythical Coldwar (Central City-Cold War Baby) again owned by Tom Flanagan. Beaten in the first round buckles were Callura Rain and Girl Like You.

The successful meeting was well attended on both days. Conditions were soft after recent rains but patrons got full value for money in favourable weather conditions over the two days. Liscannor set a good standard for the new season.