Curtin falls on coursing season with Tradaree meeting

The domestic coursing scene in Clare for 2009-2010 is drawing to a close and the final two fixtures on the list are South Clare on December 26 and 27 and Tradaree that has gone back at the club’s request to the later date of January 9 and 10.

Tradaree, who have had their home in Stonehall in recent years, will be going to a new location this year. They will course at Ballysheen on the lands owned by the Russell family. This field was also availed of in the past by the Banner Coursing Club for one of their open meetings.
The draw for the South Clare meeting will take place on Sunday night in the Own Pride premises in Cooraclare.

Clonmel qualifier
On the coursing front, Clare will again be represented in the Grace Bruton Memorial Champion Bitch stakes at the national meeting in Clonmel during the first week of February.
Gerry Meehan, Ardkyle, Sixmilebridge, will have his Oliean Dreamer (Micks Magic-Oilean Dancer) in the line-up as a result of winning her third cup of the season on Sunday last.
The Sixmilebridge native, who is now living in Kiskeam, Cork, was already a cup winner with Oliean Dreamer in Mitchelstown and Rathcormac before challenging for the vital points at the joint Borris-in-Ossory and Nenagh fixture held in Borris-in-Ossory last weekend.
She competed in the Har Duff Cup (16 bitches) in the Nenagh fixture where she beat Chubbys Heather by three lengths in the quarter-final. She had two lengths on Leigh Smokey in the first semi-final to qualify for the final against Boss Diamond (Bexhill Eoin-Early Break) owned by the Boss Diamond syndicate from Rathkeale. Oilean Dreamer made sure of Clonmel qualification by her two-length win.
Kilkee owner Barry Harte was in tough luck at the same fixture when his Fishermans Scoby (Matt Hyland-Fishermans Lucky) just missed out on a Derby ticket. In the final of the dog trial stake (32) the Kilkee-owned brindle was beaten a neck by the Scartaglen owned March Is On (Trajectory-Dedicated).
Ennis owner, Clare Eustace, also failed at the final hurdle when her Windfarm Eiscir (Bexhill Eoin- Windfarm Lady) was beaten in the Borris-in-Ossory Derby trial stakes final (32). He beat Blame Gemma by four lengths in the second semi-final but failed by two-and-a half lengths in the final against the Rosslare and Tralee-owned Lisloose Eoin (Bexhill Eoin-Chubbs Og).
Former O’Callaghan’s Mills hurler, Donal Cooney, Killuran and Stephen Murray, Derra, Kilmurry, also failed narrowly to win a derby ticket at the Ardpatrick and Kilfinane meeting with their Mill Bridge Eoin (Bexhill Eoin- Amach). In the semi-finals, Daniel Finnian beat Razor Ash by half a length and Mill Bridge Eoin beat Ballycasey by three lengths. In the final, the Abbeydorney-owned Daniel Finnian (Droopys Caesar-Give It To Paddy), beat Mill Bridge Eoin by half a length.
Owned by John and Mikie McInerney, Sixmilebridge, Ballycasey was in the lead in his semi-final buckle but got injured in the run-up. This was his second time being beaten at this stage, having also lost out in the Limerick city semi-final.