GORT owner, John Quinn continues to have an interest in the outcome of the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish Laurels at Curraheen Park, Cork, after his Fast Fit Dan qualified for the third round of the classic next Saturday night.

Fast Fit Dan finished in third place in heat four last Saturday night, a heat won in 28.41 by the Graham Holland-trained Cambushmore from the Own McKenna-trained Confident Rank. The distances were a length and a half and half a length.

O’Garney Rock, owned in Sixmilebridge by Helen Coffey and trained by Bernard Coffey, failed to qualify from heat eight won by the locally owned Prima Vera in 28.66.

The highlight of the second-round heats was undoubtedly the cracking run by Liam Dowling’s Ballymac View, who ran a thrilling 27./94 from trap two in heat six. He became the first greyhound to break the 28-second barrier in competitive racing at Curraheen Park.

Fast Fit Dan is drawn in trap five in heat one next Saturday night with 1. Sede Vacante; 2. Ashfield Impact; 3. Confident Rank; 4. Droopy’s Delfino; 6. Tinas Nova.

 

Glory for Ennis-owned Bunnow

BUNNOW Glory (Loyal Honcho-Sully Glory), owned by Sean Heeney and Patrick Cronin, Ennis, was the fastest winner of first-round heats of an A5 graded 550-yard stake in Galway on Saturday night. After hitting the front at the second bend, the black and white dominated from this until the finishing line where he had nine and a quarter lengths to spare from the money-on favourite, Summerfield Bell. The time was 30.46.

North Clare owner, Liam Shannon, Burren, won the opening heat with Clonusk Spice. The fawn daughter of Crash-Flying Magic, was the front runner from the opening bend and continued to set the pace for her two-and-a-quarter-length win in 30.67 from the Noel Mullins-trained and Gort-owned Chocolate Soldier (Eleanor Mullins and Bernie Curtin).

Third placed and a qualifier from heat two was Small Dolly, owned in West Clare by Michael Meaney and Joe Hurley. The heat was won in 31.58 by Tyrur Tess.

Killcorcoran Manu, owned in Miltown Malbay by Master Conor Cleary, qualified for the final of the Masters Restaurant A3 525-yard stake. He finished strongly to take runner-up spot in the first semi-final, a length behind Tyrur Ella, the 29.20 winner.

The McDonagh family, from Tuam, and trainer, John McDonagh, had a  nice double when their Tyrur Sonia won the second semi-final with a clock of 29.30.

Kilbeacanty owner, Sean Cooke, was third with his Annagh Bridge in an S5 graded sprint, while Mine Chariot, owned in Quin by Frank Browne, also finished third in an A2 graded 525.

After missing his break, Dick Worldbound ran on to finish runner-up in an A1/O graded 550-yard race for Killaloe owner, Janet Downes. Rubber Bandit won the race by just over four lengths in 30.42.

Flanagan family miss out on double

THE Flanagan family from Russa, Ennistymon, came close to bringing off a double at the Limerick Greyhound Racing Stadium on Saturday night.

Dromoher Snoopy (Droopy’s Kewell-Cold War Baby), trained by Tom Flanagan for Megan Flanagan, showed good early pace from trap six in an A4 graded 525. With a renewed effort, she was on top again as she crossed the line a length in front of the Donie Duiggan-trained and  the Kay Lynch-owned Cragataska Flash.

In the previous race, an S1/2 graded sprint, Consequential, owned by Tom Flanagan, had a slow start but challenged well in the run home to take runner-up spot, three parts of a length behind the Denis O’Malley-trained Walnut Dash (18.91).

West Clare owner, Brendan McDermott, also joined the winners’ list with his Shragh Rumble leading from the second bend to register a big 10-length win in 29.20 from Inislosky Ruso owned by Mary Crotty, O’Briensbridge in an A8 graded 525.

Meelick owner, Dan Flynn, also came away satisfied after his Rallying Rumble chalked up yet another win, this time in an A5 graded 525 yard race, which produced an all-East Clare finish. Rallying Rumble (Ace Hi Rumble-Killonaghan Girl) got a flyer of a start from trap four to lead all the way for his three-length win in 29.01. Runner-up was Mary Crotty’s Inislosky Jacko and third home, half a length away, was Egmont Lassie (Michael Kennedy, Killaloe Post Office).

Placed third in their races were Peadar’s Touch (Peter Russell, Shannon), Mad For Money (John Whelan, Sixmilebridge), Snuggie Babe (Breda Casey, Newmarket-on-Fergus) and Starlight Bound (Thomas and Niall O’Sullivan, Shannon).

Among the winners in Limerick on Friday night was Canvas Star (Droopy’s Scolari-Herb’s Best) owned in Mountshannon by Kim Knell. A front runner for most of the way, he had a clock of 29.26 when beating Orlando Lily by one length.

Parteen trainer, Joe Collins is into the final of the Farley Turbo @ Stud A2 575 final with Scariff Hawk. Owned by members of the Shanakyle syndicate in Parteen, the black and white finished third in his semi-final run last Friday night. Sporry King won the heat in 31.55 and by two lengths from Pennylane Jedar and Scariff Hawk was the same distance back for third place.

The Rathleake-owned Bua Papriaka won the second semi-final heat in 31.57 from Blake’s Allstar and Cherrygrove Cool.