Another Slick performance

GOOD Slick scored his sixth career win for Cooraclare owner, Tommy Gallagher last week. His latest win was at Galway Greyhound Racing Stadium last Thursday night in the last race of the night, the A2 graded 550-yard race.
On a very cold night with the track rated 30 seconds  for the final three races, Good Slick (Ballymac Maeve- Bling Bling Flo) showed good early pace to lead Knoppogue Mate and Master Rooster to the opening bend. From this stage, he opened up a sizeable gap and although the locally owned Comeonthebanner came nearer in the final stages, Good Slick had enough in reserve to win by a length and a quarter in a time of 31.07.
Eoin O’Brien’s Knockdine Dream was runner-up in the first race of the night won byMartin McDonagh’s Hanover Maeve in 29.86. The winning distance was two lengths.
The second race on the card was won by Joinedupthinking owned by Kilmihil’s Martin Keane. This was the second win from two races for the son of Royal Impact-Face Value. This was the final of the Christmas Party S7 graded sprint in which Monagea Beck led from the start. At the opening bend, she was joined by Joinedupthinking, the 4/5 favourtite,who went through by the rail and go on to win by four lengths in 19.37 from Elwick Ragtag owned by Robert Carkhill, Ennis and James Browne.
Killerk Sammy won the third win on the trot for the Clare contingent. Owned in Ballyea by Kieran and Aaron Nugent, the son of Droopy’s Scolari-Ballaghboy Cool was smart away from trap one to lead at the opening bend of this S3 graded sprint race. He remaiined on as the front runner for the remaider of the race  to win by seven  and a half lengths in 19.22 from Capturethedream owned by Martin Keane, Kilmihil.
In the first of two semi-finals of the Christmas Party S5 graded mini stake, the Tom Flanagan-trained Mythical Tar, owned in Ennis by John Keane and Frank White, was runner-up to the three lengths and 19.36 winner, Rynal Ruan’s Outback Prentiss who led all the way.
Loughrea owner Jack Mahony won the second semi-final with New Quay Boy (19.92), a winner by four lengths from the Clare-owned Clare Yank (John Mulqueen).Third spot was filled by Confused Mark (John Manley, Cratloe).
Newmarket-on-Fergus owner Breda Casey also came away with a win from the College Road venue, her Snuggie Belle doing the business in the fourth race, an A4 graded 525. Michael O’Brien’s Knockdine Black showed the way from trap one to lead by two lengths at the opening bend. Clapton Master challenged and edged in front for a while down the back but as they came nearer the line, Nuggie Belle (Group Rooster- Christian’s Lady) had superior finishing power to cross the line first in a time of 30.13, half a length in front of Knockdine Black with Martin Keane’s Clapton Master taking third place.
Tom Flanagan from Russa, Ennistymon, continued with his extraordinary run of successes at the Galway track, his Contentious (Droopy’ Kewell-Coldwar Baby) winning the seventh race, the final of the A5 graded mini stake over 525 yards. The Ballyvaughan-owned Pinnacle Roxy, from Tom Flanagan’s breeding, led the way from trap four and had gone two lengths clear at the opening bend. He extended that lead to four down the back but between the final two bends, Contentious, the 6/4 favourite, came charging on to go in front just before the line and win by a head in 30.12 from Manus Snowdrop, trained by Donie Duggan for Siofra McInerney, Manus. In the very tight finish, Pinnacle Roxy, owned by Michael Costello and Douglas Culligan, was beaten a neck into third place.

Sixmilebridge trainer strikes again

SIXMILEBRIDGE trainer, Stephen Murray enjoyed more success at the Limerick Greyhound Racing Stadium last Saturday night.
Owned by Noel Power, the son of Westmead Hawk-Lacca Lemon, was the money on favourite in trap one in a semi-final heat of the A1graded Christmas Cracker stake. He was smartly away, avoided trouble at the first bend and down the back to come home an easy eight-length winner with a good clock of 28.60.
On the same card, Kilcorcoran Manu, owned by Conor Cleary was runner-up to Cnoc Fairy, the two-length and 32.99 winner of an A2 graded 600.
In an earlier race, Shift Ivy Hill, owned in Inagh by Noel Hehir, also finished as runner-up in a semi-final heat of the A2 graded Formula One 600 stake. The one-length winner in a time of 33.06 was Bantiss Sonia.
Paddy Troy, from near Kilkee, and Conor McInerney, Clarecastle, had a smashing win in Limerick on Friday night with their Lismadine Jack in the last race of the night, an A2 graded 550. The son of Droopy’s Vieri-Clonreddan Time, bred in Clonreddan, Cooraclare by Tom Keane, got off to the proverbial flyer from trap three to lead all the way for a powerful win in 30.14. He won by three lengths from Owen’s Rival.
Slow away from trap three, Milesian Smurf, owned by Patrick Conlon, Cree, finished well to take runner-up spot in an A3 graded 550-yard race on the same card. Crash Flash was the one-length winner in 30.67.
Cratloe owner, Liam Carroll, also saw his Portdrine Bobby finish as runner-up in an A2 graded 525 won by the Graham Holland-trained Fahrenheit Manny by two and a half lengths in a fast 28.72.
Another runner-up in an earlier race was Fernpark Phanter, owned by Anna Carey, Cooraclare. Face the Issue was first over the line with two and a half lengths to spare. The time was 29.11.
The Gort-owned Jennick (Jenny Griffinand and Nick Bailey) finished third in an A3 graded 525 won by Another Fantasy in 28.97.

Tromora Dot cruises home in big feature race

BLAZE Ken, owned in Ennis by Anthony Brigdale and Margaret Byrnes, was runner-up in the in the feature race in Galway on Friday night, the A2 graded 525.
A winner in 29.30 by a big distance was the County Cork-owned and Seamus Fahy-trained Tromora Dot.
The Athenry-based handler completed a double in the  next race, an A3 graded 525 with Bite View Kenny (29.42). Third in that race was Blaze Phanter, again owned in Ennis by Anthony Brigdale and Margaret Byrnes.
The Thomas Hehir-owned Windword Fantasy finished third in the opening race of the night, the A8-A9 graded 525 won in 29.83 by Headford Deck.
Jeremiah Lernihan’s Hilltop Wings was third in a semi-final heat of an A6 graded stake over 525 yards, while Tromora Coyote, owned in Quilty by David Hogan, finished in the same position in an A6 graded 525.
Back to winning ways for her eighth career win was the Doonbeg-owned Gipsy Madam in an A4 graded 525. Trained by Jimmy Normoyle for Joan Normoyle and Imelda Grauer, the daughter of Droopy’s Kewell-Lady Geraldine challenged the leaders, Mine Hazel and Wilrose Jack, as they aporoached the third bend. After coming on terms on the wide outside, Gipsy Madam finished the stronger to win by half a length in 29.72 from Mine Hazel, trained by Frank Browne, Quin for Mary Browne.
In the final race of the night, an A3 graded 575, Rynal Ruane’s Outback Kirsty was the early leader from the Killaloe-owned Alice Rumble. Railing well, the leader extended her advantage to four lengths racing down towards halfway and although Alice Rumble closed gradually from the third bend, Outback Kirsty (Indian Ruler-Youlbesolucky) held out to win by three parts of a length in 32.48 from Alice Rumble (Janet Downes). Third home was Chrisola, trained by Frank Browne for John Brown and John Moran.

No catching Call Me Bullet

CLARE-owned runners filled the minor placings in the feature race in Galway on Saturday night won by Call Me Bullet in 29.41.
The track was raced .40 slow for this A1 graded race over 525 yards with Martin Cronin’s and Jack Markham’s Cragbrien Hondo off to a flyer from trap five to lead on the inside by two lengths. Down the back, he led by three lengths from Call Me Bullet and Flandy’s Rose. However, as they passed the home bend, Cragbrien Hondo was coming under pressure and the Pat Conway-trained and Gerry Horgan-owned Call Me Bullet got up to win by a length and three quarters in 29.41 from Cragbrien Hondo with Flandy’s Rose (Conor Flanagan, Ennistymon) taking third place.
The first semi-final heat of the WGOBA A4 graded 575 went to Somebody Special, trained by Noel Mullins for members of the Rooster syndicate from Scariff.  Hughie Kelleghan’s Aulton Hawk and Triangle Gisella set the pace with Somebdody Special in third place as they made their way down the back. At the halfway mark, Aulton Hawk was now leading by two lengths from Somebody Special, who began to close in on the leader as they made their way from the back. And as they rounded the home bend, Somebody Special (Westmead Hawk-Ms Firecrackers) got in front and raced on to win by a length and three quarters in 32.71 from Aulton Hawk.
Helen O’Brien’s Knockdine Dazl finished third in the second semi-final heat won in 32.58 by the Brian O’Connell-owned Dirty Frank.
Also placed third in the opening race of the night,an S8 graded sprint, was Martin Cronin’s and Robbie Marklham’s Cragbrien Law.
Another third dog home was Declan Browne’s Corgrigg  Harry, also in a sprint race.
Frank Browne’s Boherash Torpedo also occuopied third spot in at the finish of an S5-S6 graded sprint as did Helen Coffey’s (Sixmilebridge) O’Garney Mavis in an A5-graded 525.
West Clare native, David Browne, winner of an A3 graded 525-yard race in Galway last week with Garryfine Ben (Royal Impact-Burnpark Hanna), was back in the winners’ enclosure with the black dog after the outcome of an A3 graded 525 last Saturday night. In front from traps was the Quin-owned Tommy’s Tippy, who led from Garryfine Ben and Ballyegan Lad.  Tommy’s Tippy was still two lengths clear down the back but Garryfine Ben was looking more  threatening at this stage. And halfway up the run-in, Garryfine Ben went through to score by a length and a half in 29.88 for the Bruree-based West Clare man. Runner-up was sthe 5/4 favourite Tommy Tippy-trained by Frank Browne for Tommy Corbett and Pat Hassett.
In front from the start, the Rynal Ruane-trained Jumeirah Joe, remained on as the leader to win an A2 graded 525 by a length and three quarters in 29.55 from Malbay Bawn owned by Ciara Burke, Miltown Malbay.