Eight Clare dogs progress from first heat of Iognaid Races

FIRST-round heats of the Coláiste Iognaid A4 Tri-Distance and the Coláiste Iognaid A7 525 dominated the card at the Galway Greyhound Racing Stadium last Friday night.
A total of eight Clare owners qualfied for the second-round heats of both events this weekend.
The locally owned Donoughmore Lass won the opening-round heat of the Coláiste Iognaid A4 Tri-Distance with a clock of 29.63.
Heat two went to Manus Returns, trained by Donie Duggan for Brian McInerney, Manus, Clarecastle. The Nenagh-owned Grantstown Rose was the early leader from Manus Returns, the 4/6 favourite in trap two and had gone into a six-length lead approaching the third bend. However, between the last two bends, Manus Returns closed in fast and the fawn son of Hondo Black Smooth Jean took over to win by half a length in 29.47.
Heat three came up with another Clare winner, Wood Crash doing the business for Carl Maguire, Kilrush and Adrian Ennis. The fawn son of Crash-Ashcarne Blonde was fast off the mark from trap six and led all the way to register a 29.17 win, finishing almost three lengths in front of Brickhill Dunk.
Ennis owner, Frankie Sheehan, continued the Clare domiance with his I Remember Paddy being first to cross the line in heat four. All six were very close approaching the first bend where Clydagh Sheamie went through to lead from Leos Bettina and Spioraid Jacket. Down the back, Clydagh Sheamie led by two lengths from Spioraid Jacket with I Remember Paddy in trap three making up ground from the rear of the field. As they turned for home, Clydagh Sheamie was losing grouind and at this stage, I Remember Paddy came through on the rail. The daughter of Black Shaw-Sheehan’s Cottage raced on to score a good 29.46 win, three parts of a length in front of Clydagh Sheamie.
The opening-round heat of the Coláiste Iognaid A7 525 also went to Clare, Boyshop Legacy, owned by TJ McMahon, Moyasta, obliging with a 29.57 win. Rounding the first bend, the son of Bodyshop Spiral and Greygrove Legacy led by three lengths from Sherco Sam with Burnpark Brave,the 5/4 favourite, in third spot. Bodyshop Legacy drew further clear down the far side and the son of Bodyshop Spiral-Greygrove Legacy raced on to beat  the Cooraclare-owned Clonreddan Tara (Tom Keane) by close on seven lengths.
There was a South Galway and Clare conclusion to heat two for which the Loughrea-owned Break My Fall went off the 6/4 favourite. However, it was the trap five runner, Abroad Now (Killahan Phanter-Express Smasher),who dominated from the start. He led at the opening bend and was in front all the way for his one-and-a-half-length win in 29.42 from Glenbrack Paul (BillyKilroy, Kinvara). Third place went to Blaze Ken owned in Ennis by Anthony Brigdale and Margaret Byrne.
Wesawthelight, owned in Kilmihil by Martin J Keane was third home in heat three, which was won in 29.48 by newcomner, Pick a Bunny, who held off the challenge of Clonkelly Tiger for her one-and-a-half-length win. 
Also third home in heat four was Mary Browne’s Burnpark Royal. The heat winner in 29.82 was the Liam Butler-trained Grandgate Lad.
The feature race of the night, the A3 graded 550 was the final race and it was won by the reserve runner Phil’s Boy, trained by John McDonagh, in a time of 30.79. He led all the way to beat Glenbrack Tina (Billy Kilroy, Kinvara) by two and a quarter lengths.
Lissane Magpie and Black Stove led on the run-up in front of the     favourite, Yoyojo with the Ennis-owned Mall Return on the wide outside, in the openin race of the night, an A9 graded 525. Down the back, the Michael Casey-owned Mall Return (Mall Road-Mall Relief) switched to the inside route to take over. With his rivals crowding at the third bend, he went clear to defeat Yoyojo by 10 lengths in 29.58. Third home     was Lissane Magpie owned in Clarecastle by Cathal Torpey.
Georgia’s Girl was best away in an S9 graded  to lead a closely bunched     field on the long trek towards the opening bend. Rounding the bend, Luath Gabriella moved up on the outside to challenge but he ran wide off the     bend allowing Georgia’s Girl (Goldmine Ramble-How’s My Friend) go     clear to beat Mary Browne’s Burnpark Leonard by close on two lengths in 19.80.

Me Rambo in command in Open 550

THE Dublin-owned Me Rambo won the featured race, the open 550, in Galway on Saturday night.
The Seamus Fahy-trained Ballyshea Peg set the pace but Me Rambo went through at the opening bend to take command and win the race in 30.22 and by nearly three lengths from Ballyshea Peg. The winner is owned by Keith Hand. Third home was Snuggie Babe owned by Breda Casey, Newmarket-on-Fergus.
In the first of the semi-finals of the Coláiste Iognaid A2 575, the first to cross the line was the Conor Fahy-trained Tyrur Colombo, who beat the John McDonagh-trained Tyrir Crowley by four lengths in a time of 31.63. Trainer Bernard Coffey won the second semi-final with the Limerick- owned Money Go Easy. The Gort-owned County Hurlers was best away to lead  on the run to the bend where Bumblebee Bing moved a clear second ahead of Cill Dubh Lemon. County Hurlers continued to show the way down the back but when the field tightened up rounding the third, Money Go Easy (Droopy’s Maldini-Money Go Lucky) swept round the outside of the field to go three lengths clear and eventually win by four and a half lengths with a clock of 31.80.
There was a West Clare win in the opening heat of the Coláiste Iognaid A3 event. The winner here was Lismadine Jack owned by Paddy Troy from just outside Kilkee and Conor McInerney. Booris Breeze was the early leader but he lost ground when going wide at the first two bends. Making their way to the third bend, Lismadine Jack made ground on     the inside and the son of Droopy’s Vieri-Clonreddan Tina was further advantaged when the leader also went wide at the home bend. On the run home, Lisamadine Jack took control to win by almost four lengths in 29.20 from Borris Breeze.
There was a close finish to heat two when the Martin Fahy-trained Bellaghy Twink, a three-length leader at one stage, held out to beat Hatchet by one length in a time of 29.25. Third place went to Jennick, trained by Jennie Griffin, Gort who is also the owner along with Nick Bailey.
The third and final heat was won by the locally owned Blackstormlady, who beat Harmony Hill by two lengths in 29.23. The third spot went to Martin Cronin and Robbie Markham’s Cragbrien Black.
There was a great finish to the opening A8 graded race over 525 yards when Ballybrone Abbey just got to the line in front of the Clare-owned Francies Bullet and Dunuta. Ballybrone Abbey won by a neck from Francies Bullet-owned by Michael Mulqueen,Kilrush. A neck back for third  spot was Dunuta owned by Martin Griffin, Caherea.The clock was 30.29.
The second race on the card, an S8 graded 350, went to Coolarne Billy in     a time of 19.53, beating Gone to Garry by a short head. Two lengths back for third place was Nebraska Royal (Martin Griffin, Caherea).
The Miltown Malbay-owned Knockbrack Yeman just shaded the lead in the early stages of an A5 graded 575. He continued to lead by one length down the back but Baylin Survivor was now moving well and making progress and he hit the front coming to the second-last corner. He remained for a four-and-a-quarter length win in 32.20 from Knockbrack Yeman owned by Margaret Nestor. Joskin (Oliver O’Keeffe, Crusheen) took third place.
Not for the first time, Confused Jose had Cratloe owner, Gerry Manley,in good form. The September 2006 son of Roanokee-Confused Shasa was in     trap four for an A4 graded 525. He got the best break to lead from the start     and go into a two-length lead. Down the back, he was  challenged briefly by Fancy Blackboy but Confused Jose showed there is plenty of dash still left in him as he assumed control again to win by one and a half lengths in 29.14 from Fancy Blackboy.

Cornamaddy wins Limerick Oaks final

TRAINER John McGee won the inaugural running of the Roches Feeds Oaks final with Cornamaddy Swift at the Limerick Greyhound Racing Stadium last Saturday night.
The 2/1 joint favuroute, owned by Sharon Hardy, Stockton, broke well from trap two to lead Tyrur Tinkerbell and Local Flyer. The daughter of He Said So-Clonteen Tornado, led by a length going into the back straight from the Paul Hennessy-trained Tyrur Tinkerbell and by the halfway mark, she was two lengths to the good. The field started to close in from here but Cornamaddy Paddy maintained her superb run of form to stay in front by three parts of a length to beat the Jerry Griffin-trained Local Flyer in a time of 28.46. Beaten a short head into third spot was Tyrur Tinkerbell.
The Burke family from Miltown Malbay also had a nice win with their Malbay Alex in the final race of the night, the Roches Feeds A1 graded 525. Owned by Sarah Burke, the daughter of Ace Hi Rumble-Malbay Lark, was the front runner from the second bend and she raced on for a two-and-a-half length win in a splendid 28.79 from the Frances O’Donnell-trained Daring Ace. Four lenths back for third place was the 7/4 favourite and the Cardiff-owned Mahogony Bolt, trained by Rachel Wheeler.
Another Miltown Malbay owner, Conor Cleary, was also runner-up with Kilcornan Manu in an A2 graded novice 750. He recoved from a slow start to challenge the six lengths and 42.45 winner, The Other Tiger.
PJ Cooney and Michael Cooney, Ballyalla, Ennis had their Would He Alan in trap six in the Roches Feeds N2/N3 Unraced final but he also got away to a slow start but he made up ground to finish runner-up, two lengths behind the 29.06 winner, Saint Bernard.
Another runner-up, this time in the Roches Feeds D1 750, was Nurse Jackie owned in Newmarket-on-Fergus by John Meehan. She challenged in the run but failed to catch the one-length winner, Kerryroad Baba who had a clock of 42.08.
The Friday night night card in Limerick featured first-round heats of the Adare Restoration A6 Tri Distance event. A popular winner of heat two with Middlepark Mal was that great Ennistymon doggie man, Michael Marrnan. The son of Droopy’s Maldini-Scattery Maid took over from Balliniska Katie to lead at the second bend and go on to win by a big 11 lengths in 30.21. The Feohangah-owned Balliniska Katie was runner-up and third placed was the Patrick Meade-owned Radisson Kin.
Slow off the mnark from trap six, Josh’s Jewel, owned in Kilkee by Master Josh Harte, put in a strong  finish but was beaten by a neck into second place by Fire Flash, the 19.54 winner.
West Clare owner, Monica Callinan, was runner-up with reserve runner, Shyan Mick in an A9 graded 525. The five-length and 29.87 winner was another reserve runner, Regansrock Josh.
Another West Clare owner, John O’Kelly, Mullagh, also had to be satsisfied with runner -up spot when his Shargo finished five lengths behind Roseville Maggie, the 29.87 winner.
Third in their races were Inislosky Ron (Mary Crotty, O’Briensbridge) and Clonlaheen Wish (Niall and Jason Warren, Kilmaley).