Familiar faces among Galway winners

SOME familar Clare faces were in the winners’ arena during the course of racing in Galway on Thursday night.
Aisling Arthur from Inagh was the first of them after her Triggs of Inagh triumphed in the second race on the card, a sprint race for A7 graders. The daughter of Droopy’s Scolari-Cathy of Inagh in trap two and Quick Brae in one led from the start and after rounding the opening bend, the advantage was with Quick Brae, the 5/4 favourite. But on the run home, Triggs of Inagh found another gear to take the lead and win by half a length in 29.72.
Newmarket-on-Fergus owner, Brendan Carroll, won the next race on the card, an A9-graded 525, with Steragel Mine (Westmead Hawk-Sarge’s Beauty) in trap three. The pace was set by the Ennis-owned Brakes Off in five and Susie Longsox in four but as they came to the opening bend Steragel Mine (trap three) came storming through on the inside and was well in control as they turned down the back. Continuing to increase his lead all the time, the black, who was money-on favourite, came home an easy 10-and-a-quarter-length winner with a clock of 29.80 from the Maurice Mullaney-trained Black Brutis with Wandering Legend (Nora Murphy and Master James Murphy) taking third place.
Frank Browne from Quin made it three-in-a-row for the Banner with his Mine Ruso in trap four in an S9-graded sprint. After an even break, the front runners to the opening bend were Hollyhill Paddy in six and the Ennis-owned Shallee Rover (Emma Troy) in one. However, as they rounded the bend, they were joined by Mini Ruso (Ballymac Ruso-Jumeirah Jess) in trap four. It was still anyone’s race as they hit for the home bend but at this stage, Mine Ruso got his second wind and went on to win his maiden race by two-and-a-quarter lengths from Hollyhill Paddy. The time for this race was 19.99. Third home was Summerfield Lily owned by the Girls’ Syndicate from Kinvara.
Clare’s winning sequence was broken by Jumeirah Prince in the following race, an S5-graded sprint. From the start, it was a battle between Jumeirah Price and Castle Jack and the former went two lengths clear at the first after Castle Jack went wide. It was all Jumeirah Prince from this until the finishing line with the Bridget and Patrick O’Loughlin-owned white and black beating Boherash Torpedo (Frank Casey, Stonehall) by three and a half lengths in 19.47. Third to cross the line was Wilbrook Jake (Mary Davoren, Ennistymon).
However, Sixmilebridge owner Helen Coffey restored the Clare winning run with O’Garney Mavis in an S4-graded sprint. Drawn in trap one, the fawn daughter of Ballymac Maeve-O’Garney Pearl made all the running on the inside to record her second career success. She was an easy three-and-a-half-length winner in 19.36 from Bubble’s Catunda.
The lead changed a few times in the next race, an A5-graded 525, before the Tuam-owned Barbersfort Jane was first to cross the line. In the run home, the winner came flying on the outside to get up and win by a neck in 30.24 from Ballycasey Star owned by Don Gallery, Shannon. Third place went to Doonbeg Phatner (Jimmy Nomoyle, Doonbeg) who was three parts of a length away.
The Clare flag was flying again after the result of the eighth race on the card, an A3-graded 525. The honours in this race went to the trap-three contestant, Knockdine Black, carrying the hopes of Miltown Malbay owner, Michael O’Brien. Disputing the early lead with reserve runner, Bumblebee Bingo in trap five, the son of Hondo Black-Fastaway Baby started to move away from the rest of the field as they went down the back. At this stage, the Miltown Malbay-owned black was three lengths to the good but as they came near the third bend, Wilbrook Fawn and Glenside Evans started to get closer. Wilbrook Fawn, owned by Michael Davoren, Ennistymon, made a determined effort on the home run but Knockdine Black remained in front to win by three parts of a length in 29.70 Glenside Evans was third home, a length and a quarter back.
Ennis owner, Paddy Darcy, made it win number six for the Clare contingent with his Bypass Blackie (Royal Impact-Ardvagga Dazl) winning the last race of the night, an A4-graded 525. In the four-dog race, traps four and five were vacant, reserve runner, Tyrur Hannah led the way from trap three, leading by a length from Bypass Kate with the Gerry Holian-trained Goodnight Kate in third place. Tyrur Hannha – the joint 6/4 favourite with Bypass Blackie – was still the front runner down the back but as they came from the back, Bypass Blacdkie made his move in the inside to take over the number-one spot. It was a battle royal on the way home with Bypass Blackie holding off the renewed effort of Tyrur Hannah to get the verdict by a neck. His cclock was 29.71.
Coming away smartly from trap three, the Ennis-owned Blaze Ken railed well at the opening bend to go two lengths clear in the feature race on the card, the A2-graded 550. As they came to the third bend, he was challenged by Tyrur Sammon and Last Flamingo who took the iniative as they came off the home bend. As they raced to the line, Last Flamingo survived to win by a neck from Tyrur Sammon in a time of 30.80. Blaze Ken, owned by Anthony Brigdale and Margaret Byrne, finished in third place, three parts of a length back.