The draw has not been took kind to the Tyrur dogs for the final of the Ladbrokes.com Irish Derby in Shelbourne Park or Saturday night.
The fancied Tyrur Big Mike has been drawn in trap four and his kennel companion, Tyrur McGuigan, will run in his immediate inside in trap three. As the sole wide seed, Barefoot Bullet, will run from six and the only inside seed, Tullymurry Act will wear the red jacket. Krug Ninety Two will challenge from trap two and Thurlesbeg Joker from five. The unbeaten Tyrur Mike starts as favourite but the draw makes it a more intriguing contest and a fantastic race is being looked forward to.
Now in his first season as a trainer, young Conor Fahy had a marvellous visit to Shelbourne Park last Saturday night when his Tyrur dogs won both semi-finals heats of the derby.
The performance given by Tyrur Big Mike was the talk of the stadium after he continued his unbeaten run. It was one of the best runs in this year’s Derby. Showing brilliant early pace he scorched his way to a fantastic five-and-a-half length victory over Tullymurry Act in 29.28 with Thurlesbeg Joker coming home in third place.
In the second semi-final Tyrur McGuigan also showed some fantastic early speed and while Barefoot Bullet came on terms as they turned for home, the Tyrur dog got there by a head in 29.63. Krug Ninety Five stayed onto take the last qualifying spot.
Given their long association with the county, there will be big Clare support for Bryan and Kathleen Murphy and their Paul Hennessy-trained Barefoot Bullet. Now living in the Cayman Islands, they still have a home at Doora, Ennis, and when they were fulltime residents there they won Irish St Leger classic in Limerick in successive years with Barefoot Dash (1992) and Barefoot Marty (1993).
The Ladbrokes.com Irish Greyhound Derby Final will be broadcast live on RTÉ 2 from 9.15pm, on rte.ie and on RTÉ Radio 1.
This is the first year of Ladbrokes sponsorship of the event, which has been running since 1928, receiving classic status in 1932.

 

Roy of Inagh wins for Arthur family

Clare owners came away with four wins from the card in Galway last Thursday night but victory eluded them in the A3-graded 550 which went to the Des and Elliott Whyte owned and Ger Holian-trained Oran Dealer.
The son of Top Honcho and Magpie Tango showed tremendous pace down the back on his way to a five-and-a-half-lengths win over the Jack Mahony-trained Fast Fit Maroon owned by John Quinn of Gort and Fr Willie Cummins, Galway. The winner’s clock was 29.91. Third spot went to the Doonbeg owned Gipsy Madam (Joan Normoyle and Imelda Grauer).
The second of two Kinvara successes came in the concluding A3-graded 525 won by Ebony Blitz owned by the Girls Syndicate. The winner led at the first from Cragaknock Tina and despite maintaining a wide berth coming to the third bend, Ebony Blitz stayed in front to beat Cragaknock Tina by close on two lengths in 20.08. The runner-up is owned in Mullagh by John O’Kelly.
Babby Joe, owned in Shannon by Sean McAllen was third in the opening race of the night, an A8-graded 525 won by Stagedoor Ronnie in 29.60.
The second race marked the first Kinvara win of the night with Lormic John doing the business for Michael Nash. Clear at the first, the winner went on to establish a five lengths advantage and at the line had eight-and-quarter-lengths on the second placed Benmore Mary in a time of 30.04.
The Charlie Wheeler-trained and owned Chantilly deprived Clare of a win in an A7 graded 525 yards contest. He led all the way to beat Dunbar Copper, owned by Oliver O’Keeffe, Crusheen by two and a half lengths in 29.43. Third place went to newcomer, Sharons Smokey, owned by Sharon Sexton.
The Arthur family from Inagh had a good start to the build up to the All-Ireland hurling final in which they had a big interest,when Roy of Inagh won an S5 graded 350.
Owned by Seán Arthur, the son of Droopys Scolari-Cathy of Inagh disputed the lead early on with Durrow Girl. At this stage the rail-hugging Oughmas Lass was in third place.
However, the scene changed when rounding the bend after Roy of Inagh went wide, allowing Ougham Lass go in front as they headed for home. However, half way up the run in Roy of Inagh came good again and regained the lead to win by half a length in 19.41 from Seaview Damo with Ougham Lass beaten a neck into third place.
Trainer Joe Collins, Parteen, was rewarded for his trip from South East Clare as a result of Matt Bird winning an S6 graded 350 for the members of the Shanakyle syndicate.
The outcome of the race was pretty certain after the first bend where Matt Bird had gone three lengths in front of the rest of the field. The son of Matt Hyland- Scattery Mac raced on to beat Triggs of Inagh, owned by Aisling Arthur, Inagh, by close on three lengths in 19.53.
One of the big winners at this venue the previous weekend, Ennis owner-trainer Paddy Darcy was back for more of the same on Thursday night. This time his hopes were on Bypass Highway and after some impressive trials, he was expected to make his debut appearance a winning one.
And the white and fawn son of Crash-Bypass Penny did not disappoint. After a good break from trap one he led by a length from the West Clare-owned Lismadine Jack at the first bend. Down the back he was still the one to beat and he came home a comfortable four lengths winner in 29.06 from Lismadine Jack owned by Patrick J Troy and Conor McInerney from near Kilkee.
Manus (Clarecastle) owner, Pat McInerney, senior, continued the winning vein for the Clare contingent when his Manus Chestnut was first to across the line in an A6-graded 525. The Donie Duggan trained 4/5 favourite flew from trap five to lead Monmore Lad at the first. However, his lead increased down the back and he was nearly 12 lengths ahead as he crossed the line with a time of 29.21 from Ollys Speed. Beaten a neck into third place was the West Clare owned Monmore Lad (Mrs Claire Purtill).
The Galway-owned Westmore Kid headed the Doonbeg owned Rumble King at the opening bend in an A4-graded 525. The order remained the same later on but Westmore Kid had widened the gap considerably and he went to win easily from the Jimmy Normoyle owned fawn in 29.29.

Another success for Bodyshop Flame

West Clare owner- trainer, TJ McMahon, a long time supporter of the Galway track, had the final say at the meeting on Friday night when his Bodyshop Flame won the top graded and last race on the card.
This was an A3 graded affair over 525 yards and, on paper, looked to be a tight affair with slight preference going to Tyrur Crowley at 6/4 with the rest of the field at 3/1 bar the reserve runner, O Garney Flo who was 2/1.
By the opening bend, Bodyshop Flame was heading the field, going three lengths clear shortly afterwards. His performance down the back saw him extend his lead to seven lengths and at the line the black son of Razldazl Billy- Bodyshop Flight had nearly four lengths on Tyrur Crowley in 29.01.
Half a length back for third place was O Garney Flo owned by Bernard Coffey, Sixmilebridge. This was another fine performance by Bodyshop Flight for his back-to-back win.
The honour of being the first to visit the winner’s arena on Friday night went to Cooraclare’s Tom Keane, whose Clonreddan Sam won the opening race of the night, an A7-graded 525 yards. However, Shaca Sally in trap five set the pace but was joined by the wide-running Clonreddan Sam rounding the first bend.
There was nothing between the pair down the back when they had gone three lengths away from Glasson Golfer. However, as they neared the third bend Clonreddan Sam slipped into the lead and it was one that the son of Droopys Vieri-Clonreddan Tina was not going to relinquish. He powered on to beat Shaca Sally by two-and-a-quarters lengths. His time for the trip was 29.61.
The Martin McDonagh ( Headford) owned and trained Hanover Jackson was a trap to line winner of race two, an S7-graded 350, beating Corgriff Beauty ( Declan Browne, Ballyea)by three and a quarter lengths in 19.24. Third home was JJ O’ Dea’s Derrylough Cove.
A glass or two were raised in Ciaran Browne’s pub near Ennis Friary when Lively Causeway delivered his first win. This was an A6-graded 525 that saw Headintheclouds (trap three) and Inisloksy Thrush (trap one) lead over the first two bends from the eventual winner who was in the striped jacket.
However, when they were coming to the third bend Lively Causeway made his move on the outside to go into the lead and from here on the black son of Droopys Vieri- Burnpark Kay made no mistake for his debut win for owner, Ciaran Browne, the well known Ennis publican.
He beat Burmas Lass by one length in 29.90. Three parts of a length in arrears for third spot was Inislosky Thrush, owned by Mary Crotty O’Briensbridge.
The Ballyhaunis owned Killanneabha just stayed in front all the way in an S5 graded 525 to win by half a length from Tobachuine owned by Michael Mahony from the Miltown Malbay area. The clock for this race was 29.71.
Forty Two Fifty, a son of Black Shaw and Abbey Lane, was never bothered in an S4 graded 350 which he won by five lengths in 19.21 from Nemos Star with John Quinn’s Fast Fit Ruby coming home third.
Knockbrack Yeaman, owned by Mrs Margaret Nestor, Miltown Malbay, led for most of the way in an A4-graded 550 but was caught near home by Sandstorm Rocker who beat him by half a length in 30.86.

Just two Clare winners in Galway

There were just two Clare winners on the Saturday night card in Galway that featured two A1-graded races.
The Clare winners were Cabuchon (Robert Carkhill) and Cool Ivy Hill (Noel Hehir) and the honours in the top-graded races went to Quarter Poet (28.81) and Joey Jojo Junior (29.93).
Cabuchon, the 1/2 favourite, was the first Clare success of the night. This was an S8/S9 350 in which the Donie Duggan-trained favourite in trap four and Wood Roisín in the inside trap matched strides on their way to the opening bend.
From this point the favourite went to the front on the outside and by the time the son of Droopys Scolari-Pepsi Ding had reached the home turn he was three lengths clear. He went further ahead on the way home to beat Bushbelle by four-and-a-half-lengths in 19.34.
You Never Left, trained by John McDonagh for the Girls syndicate from Kinvara, was a long-time leader in an A4-graded 525 but she was caught in the final few strides by Devils Mate who was a half-length and 29.68 winner of the race.
The Hughie Keleghan-owned Berlioz got up close to home in an A5-graded contest to record a 29.31 win and beat Didgeridoo by three parts of a length. Third home was Snuggie Belle-owned by Breda Casey, Newmarket-on-Fergus.
Inagh owner Noel Hehir was on the ball in race six, an A3 graded 525 in which his Cool Ivy Hill went to traps as the 6/4 favourite. However, it was Drimeen Crash that John Browne trains for Paddy Coote, Drimneen, who showed the way and as they headed down the back he was in front by as length from Cool Ivy Hill in trap four.
At the halfway stage the favourite started to make a bigger challenge on the outside and as they rounded the third bend he was out in front. In the run home the son of Big Daddy Cool-Dark Diamond went clear by three and a quarter lengths to beat Springwell Road. His clock was 29.06. Kiwis Dilemma took third place, three-and-a-quarter-lengths back.
The Frank Browne-trained and Quin-owned Toimmys Tippy was in second place as they rounded the opening bend in an A2 graded 525. Turning down the back he edged in front but, as they reached the third bend, Chill the Jets took over in front and stayed there to win the race by a neck from Brave Bally in 29.18. Owned by Tommy Corbett and Pat Hassett, Tommys Tippy was three-lengths back in third place.
An A2-graded 525 provided a thrilling finish with Mullagh owner Pat Casey just losing out with his Mall Menlo who led a lot of the way. Mall Menlo got lively break from trap one to lead by two from On Thaw Jarug when rounding the first bend. As they swung for home the Mullagh-owned black was still leading the way but was caught near the line by Sky High Lark who won by half a length in a good 28.87. Third placed was On Thaw Jarug.

Newbridge finalist

A finalist in the €10,000 Texacloth puppy derby at Newbridge last Friday night was What A Tornado (Crash-Natrural Energy) owned by Ennis based Dubliner, Peter Mulligan.
Trained by Paul Hennessy, the black was seven lengths adrift down the back but a fast finigh earned him third place. The 28.69 winner by a short head was Lolos Joe from Kerrydale Lar who finished a length and a half in front of What A Tornado.