Impressive Kennedy Cup win for Joey Jojo Junior

Joey Jojo Junior put the icing on the cake for Pat Guilfoyle after winning the Vetsearch International White E Kennedy Cup final in Limerick last Saturday night. Earlier on, the Tipperary trainer won a sprint race with Ms Deltafire (18.83), which he owns with his mother Alice and he also trained Magical Ozzie (30.24) to win the final race of the night, an open 550, to complete a fine treble.

The McInerney family from Manus, Clarecastle, also had a good night at the Dock Road venue, coming away with two wins.
On the other hand, it was a bad night for the bookies as most of the favourites obliged, including Joey JoJo Junior in the Kennedy Cup final. The Castlefergus-owned and Denis O’Malley-trained Ballyhannon was sent off a 3-1 chance for the big race of the night. However, he did not have a clear run at the first and also found trouble at the third corner and came home in third place. Joey Jojo Junior (Premier County-Plutos Tip) was the even-money favourite in trap four. However, Ballymac Lefanta and Air Force Hawk showed the way from traps but once a little gap was left at the opening bend the favourite pounced on the opportunity. He railed particularly well and when he nosed in front at the second bend the race was as good as over. He was well clear down the far side and came home a three and a half lengths winner in 28.54 from the Paul Hennessy Air Force Haw. Ballyhannon was a further length back for third spot.
Owned by the Deeogee syndicate from Templeglantine, Joey Jojo Junior had an impressive run up to the final, winning all his heats.
Manus Returns, also a winner at this venue on January 28, opened the way for the McInerney double. In an A5-graded 525, the Donie Duggan-trained and Brian McInerney-owned fawn son of Hondo Black-Smooth Jean was the evens favourite in trap four. He did not enjoy the best of starts and lost ground early on but as the race progressed he showed plenty of dash and put in a storming finish to deprive Homestead Lotto at the line. The winning distance was a short head and the clock was 29.63. Third home was Astronomers Star, owned by Sean McAllen, Shannon.
Pat McInerney Senior completed the Manus double with Manus Chesnut in an A2-A3 graded 525. The son of Crash-Baby Jean got off to a flyer from trap three and led all the way to register a 29.19 win, beating Canavour Lady by two lengths. The third dog home was Portdrine Bobby, owned in Cratloe by Liam Carroll.
Snugborough Gent (Myles Cummins, Newmarket-on-Fergus) was bumped at the opening bend in an A4-graded 525 and finished in third place.
Frisco Rumble was in action in an A3-graded 550 yard race. He was slow away from trap two but put in a much stronger finish to take second spot, one length behind Abbie Top Show, the 30.75 winner. Frisco Rumble is owned in Shannon by the Spelman, Riordan and McDonagh syndicate.
There were winners from East Clare, West Clare and North Clare in Limerick on Friday night.
O’Briensbridge owner Mary Crotty started the ball rolling as early as the first race on the card. She had Inislosky Pinny in trap four in the A3-graded 525 and after a good start the daughter of Kinloch Brae-Pinnydinny Lucy was well positioned to take the lead at the third bend and race on for a 29.18 win, finishing three parts of a length in front of Loughlea Nita.
Sarah Burke from Miltown Malbay also got her name among the winners after her Malbay Alex (Ace Hi Rumble-Malbay Lark) was first to cross the line in a 525 yards race for A3 graders. The 6-4 joint favourite was fast off the mark in trap four and led all the way for a five-length win in all-Clare finish. Runner-up spot went to the Denis O’Malley-trained Killaloe Rose (John Seymour and Pat Reddan, Killaloe),while third home was Inislosky Magoo (Mary Crotty, O’Briensbridge). The winner’s time was an impressive 28.96.
Placed in other races were Moya Mae (Kay Lynch); Lassana Sophie (Joe Molony, Ennis); County Hurlers (Sean and Mike Mullins, Gort) and Gipsy Madam (Joan Normoyle and Imelda Grauer, Doonbeg).

Age-defying Carhugar Bobsie wins 24th race
Not for the first time, the spotlight was on the age-defying Carhugar Bobsie at the Galway Greyhound Racing Stadium last Friday night when he notched up his 24th career win.
Trained by Michael Downes, Killaloe for members of the Clare Connections Syndicate from Quin, the son of Premier County-Blondie Lotto won the top-graded A2 525 yards race at the College Road venue in impressive style. Now in his fifth year, he was smartly away from trap four and was in front all the way for his two lengths win in 29.37 from Tyrur Crowley. The Frank Browne-trained Mine Hazel was two lengths further back for third place.
As a result of the rugby game in Galway over the weekend, racing was confined to Friday night, when fastest clock of the night – 29.30 – went to Unknown Argument in the opening A3-graded 525 semi-final.
Away to a great start from trap five, the son of Tucks Mein-Unknown Sheba led all the way to secure the second part of a double for trainer Stephen Hegarty. He had already won the opening race of the night with Unknown Shyla (29.68).
There was another trap-to-line success in the second semi-final of the A3-graded 525 and this was accomplished by the Ger Walsh and Owen Horan-owned Harmony Hill (Top Honcho-Gold Seacrest) with a clock of 29.45. Five lengths back for second place was Glenfort Lee (Brigid D’Arcy (Birr and Ballyvaughan) while third place went to Cragbrien Hondo (Martin Cronin and Jack Markham, Ennis).
The Browne family from Leitrim in West Clare were also prominent in the first semi-final of the Connacht 525 event, with their Burnpark Sparky (Ballintore Brave-Burnpark Kay), who was winning for the second time on the trot. The trap six runner Mirandas Gold shot in front once the traps lifted but by the time they had reached the opening bend, Burnpark Sparky, the 7-4 favourite in trap five, was in front. He led down the far side but in the run for the line Mirandas Gold challenged again but the Kieran Browne-trained favourite had enough in reserve to hold out and win by three parts of a length in 29.55.
A career-best performance came from the Borrisokeane-owned and Vincent McKenna-trained Earth Stap Gone (Crash-Orlas Own) in the second semi-final. He had a good clock of 29.31 when beating Brave Bally by six lengths. Third qualifying spot went to Lively Causeway, giving Ennis publican Ciaran Browne more than a passing interest in the final.
Wooly Spiral (John Darcy, Ennis) finished third in a 525 yards race won in 29.79 by the locally owned Ballybrone Lee. The Kilrush-owned Fitzler Charlie and Nenagh Breeze took turns in leading the field in a 350 yards race but in the concluding stages Glasheen Angel (Droopys Maldini-Burnpark Dora), owned by Brendan Browne, Kilkee, came with a great dash to get the better of Nenagh Breeze. Glasheen Angel won by a neck with a clock of 20.31. Fitzler Charlie, owned by Colm Fitzgerald, was third home.
The early pace shown by the John McDonagh-trained Kilbannon Magic earned him a 19.39 win in another sprint race. He won by almost two lengths from Frank Browne’s (Quin) Mine Cash. Third place went to the Stephen Murray-trained Shandangan Lough, also owned by him and JJ O’Dea, Knockalough.

Tralee qualifier
Peggy, trained by Stephen Murray for Frankie Sheehan, Ennis, has qualified for another round of the John and Mary Killeacle Dowling Memorial 570 event for A1-graded greyhounds at the Tralee track. He was runner-up to the 31.57 winner, Nicken Shaw, in a second-round heat last Friday night.