Clare owners in the limelight

THE South Galway-East Clare connections of Micky’s Scolari and Feed Me Cherrys had plenty to cheer about at the Galway Greyhound Racing Stadium last weekend. So too had the Cummins family from Newmarket-on-Fergus who celebrated a double on Thursday night.
The final of the Deal of the Month A4 525 was the feature contest of an 11 race card on Thursday night and after an even break, Micky’s Scolari in trap two and trained near Gort by Maurice Mullaney had just nosed in front as they made their way to the opening bend.
However, by the time they turned down the back, the son of Scolari Me Daddy-Sporty Woman had gone on by a few lengths from the second placed Lughhill Amber in trap four. When they turned for home, the leader started losing ground but he had enough in reserve to hold off Lughhill Amber to win the final by a length and a quarter in 29.14 for owners, members of the Grow Up Fast syndicate from Newport.
The top-graded race of the night, the 525 A1,went to Ennis owners Sean J Heeney and Patrick Cronin with their Bunnow Glory (Loyal Honcho-Sully’s Glory) in trap three. His fast break set him up for a half-length lead in the run to the opening bend with O’Garney Princess (trap five) and the favourite, Tyrur Carol (trap two) in pursuit. Bunnow Glory was still setting the pace down the back but the trap-six runner, Lyleview Lee, was making progress on the outside so much so that she came within a length of the leader over the final two bends and in the thrilling finish Bunnow Glory held out to win by a neck with a clock of 29.19.
There was a Clare winner, Buddha’s Boy, in the first of the two semi-final heats of the Facebook and Twitter Pages A5 event. Owned by Rian and Christian Cummins, Newmarket-on-Fergus, the son of Minnie’s Pavlola- Buddhas Babe was sent off the 7/4 favourite from trap two and while he was smartly away, the first bend lead by a length went to the East Clare-owned Killuran Lad in trap four. He still held that lead down the back from Buddha’s Boy with Chocolate Solider now in third place but as they made their way to the third bend, Buddha’s Boy came much closer to the leader and in the hectic finish, got up to win by half a length in 29.63 from Killuran Lad owned by Donal Cooney, Broadford. Two and a half lengths back for third place was Chocolate Soldier trained by Noel Mullins for Eleanor Mullins and Bernie Curtin, Gort. This was the second part of the double for the Cummins family.
The Pat Guilfoyle-trained and Kilmallock-owned Gurrane Princess (Black Shaw-Hawthorn Lili) produced the best clock of the night when winning the second semi-final heat in 29.05. The money-on favourite led from the opening bend to beat Ballycasey Star, owned by Don Gallery, Shannon, by five and a quarter lengths. The final place for the final went to Denny and Donie, trained by Donie Duggan for Denis Torpey, Clarecastle.
The Thursday night card also included four first-round heats of the Like Us On Facebook A7 525.
The Noelle McCarthy-Divilly-owned Noeless Primco (Ace Hi Rumble-Noelle’s Magico) won the opening heat in 29.76 from Glamorous Jade and Tipp On Bonner.
The Cummins family scored the first part of the double with Snuggie Breeze – a litter sister of Buddha’s Boy – and owned by Myles Cummins, in heat two. As they rounded the opening bend, Noisey Boy in trap six and Snuggie Breeze in trap two moved ahead of the rest to avoid crowding. Down the back, Snuggie Breeze started to take control with a two-length lead and railing well over the final two bends, she was on her way to a one-length win when holding off Noisey Boy owned by John Moloney, Clarecastle. A qualifier in third place was Knoppogue Care owned and trained by Donie Duggan from near Quin. The time was 29.94.
Headford Sam won heat three in 29.37 from Magical Lannce and Trojan Tennant.
Well-known Kevin Marmion won the final heat with Signedandsealed (Vans Escallade-Shanti Sue) who got on top at the opening bend and led for the remainder of the race for his six-and-a-half-length win in 29.19 from Katieonfaya, trained by Donie Duggan for Peter and Enda Mulrooney.
Youthful Kinvara owner Gina McDonagh was also delighted with her Maglass He Bound (Head Bound-Knockeen Gypsy) winning an S8 graded sprint, even though she was not able to be present cheer on the winner. A shoulder injury sustained in a camogie game kept her away from the College Road venue. However, she was delighted to hear that Maglass He Bound made all the running for his length-and-a-half win in 19.55 from Blaze Bandit owned in Ennis by Anthony Brigdale and Margaret Burns. Stonepark Maisie, trained in Sixmilebridge by Stephen Murray for the MADJ syndicate from Cree, was beaten a short head into third place.
Gradually drawing away from the rest of the field from the back straight, it was one-way traffic for the Tuam-owned Tyrur Dolores (Tyrur Ted-Tyrur Liz) whem first across the line in an A6 graded 525 by 10 lengths in 29.46 from Glynnscross Eden (Tom Keane, Kilmihil) and Mine Olive (Mary Browne, Quin).
The Westport-owned Donna Belle (Head Bound-Bluibell Fantasy) finally got off the mark in race eight to record her first win. In the run home, she passed Smithtown Paddy (Sean McAllen, Shannon) to win the A3 graded 550 by one and a half lengths in 30.80. Beaten three parts of a length into third place was Hold It Heather owned by Liam Shannon, Burren.