The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
The progress of inaugural winner of the IGB Newcomer Of The Year award had been hampered by a number of injuries since running a sensational 27.67 and smashing the 525 yards record in Shelbourne Park.
His comeback has been slow but steady and he sent out warning signs that he was returning to his best after winning his semi-final heat of the Champion Stakes.
This was a display which earned him the tag of 6/4 favourite for Saturday night’s final. Jaxx on Fantasy (trap four) was the leader for a lot of the way, leading Paradise Madison (trap five) by two lengths as they entered the back straight. The winner had come to within a length of the leader by halfway but by the third bend only a neck seperated the pair. Jaxx Fantasy battled on well but could not cope with the extra power of Paradise Madsion from the home bend.
The son of Headbound-Paradise Allana took over from here to score a magnificient two lengths win with a great 29.46 clock for the 550 yards final. Jaxx Fantasy was runner-up and a further two lengths back for third spot was the Limerick-owned and Niall Dunne-trained Melodys Diamond.
Mall Brandy, trained by Martin Fahy for Michael Casey, Mullagh, finished third in the townviewfoods.com Consolation open 550 final, which saw the Niall Dunne-trained, Fr Dan Greene (Limerick) owned and Easter Cup winner North Bound well clear over the opening bend and race on for a five lengths win in 29.53 from Captain Scolari. Mall Brandy was beaten a length into third place.
Clare well represented in Galway
Ballyea owner-trainer John Browne had his Rathmeehan Brett in the Friends of Galway Hospice A3 final, which was decided on Wednesday night.
He had a trap six trap draw in the second semi-final heat last Thursday night and was well in command up to the final bend when he swung wide and allowed Springwel Busty through to win by a length in 29.11. The first semi-final heat was won in 29.06 by Jumeirah Lord.
Also decided in Galway on Wednesday night was the Friends of Galway Hospice A6 final and in trap four was Dunsallagh Lisa, owned by Sean Hehir, Dunsallagh, Miltown Malbay. The daughter of Droopys Scolari-Dunsallagh Lucy railed well in the opening semi-final heat last Thursday night to set up an easy seven and a quarters lengths win in 29.67 from Drumhill Star. Also in Wednesday night’s final was Aulton Blondie (Pat Hogan, Templemaley), who was third in the semi-heat won by Dunsallagh Lisa.
Mary Browne, Quin, Kim Knell, Mountshannon and Sean Cooke, Kilbeacanty, were represented by Mine Velvet, Feed Me Scampi and Annagh Bridge respectively in the Galway Hospice S4-S6 final in Galway on Wednesday nght. Mine Velvet (Slip the Lark-Mine Cash) won her semi-final heat last Friday night by half a length in 29.20 from Harbour Duchess, with Feed Me Scampi in third place.
Annagh Bridge was runner-up in the first semi-final heat when beaten six and a half lengths by Hanoverthefrench, the 19.34 winner.
Through to the final of the Galway Race Week S7-graded 350 final is Rabbits Fantasy, owned in Gort by Madeline Walsh, Gort. He finished second in his semi-final heat won by Joyous Star (19.58) last Thursday night.
A West Clare winner on the night was Lissatouk Hill (Burnpark Champ-Burnpark Beauty), owned by Seamus McMahon, Cooraclare. The favourite, Sticksofdynamite in trap five, was quickly into his stride but he was soon joined by Grennanstown Hawk in trap three and then by Lissatouk Hill in five. When they rounded the bend, the advantage was with the new leader, Lissatouk Hill and while the favourite challenged strongly at the third, Lissatouk Hill held out to win by a neck in 29.84.
The winner’s podium was also visited by Gary Cooney from Broadford, whose Glenside Terry (Sheepwalk Mac-Minnies Svetlana) was first to cross the finishing line in an A8-graded 525 Pine Rumble (trap six) and Orbsen Elaine (trap five) were prominent in the run-up but Glenside Terry came with a fine run along the rail to sweep into the lead entering the back straight. Leading by three lengths at halfway, the East Clare-owned black and white increased his lead to win by six and a quarter lengths in 30.01.
Browne’s Burnpark Cashen into the Corrib A7 Plate final
Burnpark Cashen, trained by Kieran Browne, Leitrim, Kilmihil for his daughter Sarah, qualified for the final of the Flaherty Markets Corrib A7 Plate at the Galway Greyhound Racing Stadium last Friday night. He finished in third place in the second semi-final heat won by the Pat Norris-trained and Mitchelstown-owned Howya Harry in 28.76. The winning distace was almost five lengths from the Enniskerry-owned Paradise Ryan.
The opening semi-final was won in 28.80 by the Thurles-owned Gaelic Diva from Gurrane Boy and Headford Hill.
Trap draw For the final: 1. Howya Harry, 2 Paradise Ryan, 3 Burnpark Cashen 4, Headford Hill 5, Gaelic Diva 6, Gurrane Boy.
Mountshannon owner, Kim Knell won the first of six opening round heats of the Gain Feeds A4 525 Stake with Feed Me Oysters, in trap six. The son of Collision-Fabulous Airport was trailing behind the leaders up to the third bend where he swept round on the outside and go clear for a five and a quarter lengths win in 29.22 from Harbour Lark. Third home was Knockdine Dazl owned by Helen O’Brien, Miltown Malbay.
Making up a lot of ground from the rear of the field, Cragbrien View, owned in Ennis by Martin Cronin and Master Jack Markham, was runner-up in heat two, finishing five and a half lengths behind Move Over Neale, the 29.27 winner.
Leading from the opening bend, the Francine Jestin-owned French Blaze came under pressure in the final strides to hold out and win by a neck from Ballycasey Star, owned by Don Gallery, Shannon. The time was 29.37. Third home was Cotton Mill, owned in Killaloe by Michael O’Donovan.
There were two more Clare-owned qualifiers from heat four won by the Birr-owned Jetson, who swept to the front close to home to win by three parts of a length from Glynnscrossmaya owned by Tom Keane, Kilmihil. Third place went to RosehillBoy, owned near Shannon by Eugene McNulty. The winner’s clock was 29.70.
Trainer Michael Mullaney from Gort and owner, Eimhear Lillis, Cooraclare, combined to win heat five with Now Its Kipper (Premier Fantasy-Spirited Lady). Recovering from a slow start from trap two, the winner got in front by the opening bend and went on to win the heat by two lengths in 29.47 from Castlegar Lass and Clonalios Hondo.
The sixth and final race also went to Clare, Glenside Evans winning well for trainer Donal Cooney and Frank O’Meara and members of the Greeen Leaf syndicate from East Clare. Trap three runner, Jamaica Johnny, was first to show to lead by a length from Glenside Evans as they careered around the opening bend. Making ground on the inside as they moved down the back, Glenside Evans was in front as they exited the back and went clear for his four and a half lengths win from Clombodain in a time of 29.11. Third home was Combo Sarah.
Mini Open win for Paddy
Closing the gap on the leaders over the final two bends, Smithstown Paddy (Minnies Pavola-Buddhas Babe), trained by Donie Duggan for Sean McAllen, Shannon, won the opening semi-final heat of the Combo Mini Open A1 in Galway on Saturday night.
In qualifying for last Wednesday night’s final, the black won by one length in 29.29 from the Pat Hogan-owned and Michael Enright trained Aulton Ron.
Gort owners Eleanaor Mullins and Eimear Curtin won the second semi-final with Carrowgarriff (Westmead Hawk-Wixcked Marita) with a fast clock of 28.80. The winner cornered well at the opening bend to lead by a length down the back and go on to win by almost eight lengths.
Also decided on Wednesday night was the final of the Danmar A2 525. Among the runners were Mad For Money (Hondo Black-Money Go Lucky), trained by Bernard Coffey for John Whelan, Sixmilebridge. In her semi-final heat last Saturday night, she had the advantage from the opening bend and at the line had a length and a quarter on Move Over Ozzie. The clock stopped at a very respectable 28.96.
Carmels Touch (Killahan Phanter-Donoughmore Lass) trained by Donie Duggan for Peter Russell (Shannon) was also in the line-up for Wednesday night’s Friends of Galway Hospice A3 final. He won his semi-final heat on Saturday after leading early and getting to the line a length and a quarter before Badgerfort Jim. The time was 29.49.
Ennistymon owner Tom Reynolds was also involved in a final on Wednesday night, his Bogberry Molly (Droopys Vieri-Rising Lyric) qualifying for the WGOBA Novice A3-A5 725 final after winning her semi-final heat last Saturday night. She showed great stamina in overtaking Monroe Locket and going on to win by nine and a quarter lenths in 40.84, from the Gort-owned Our Little Amy.
Feed Me Peaches was a qualifier for Kim Knell, Mountshannon, when finishing third in the first semi-final heat, which was won in 41.21 by Jordans Chris from Pats Hero.
Clare dogs in top form in Stud Stake
First-round heats of the Droopys Stud A3 525 got underway at the Limerick Greyhound Racing Stadium on Saturday night and the honour of winning heat one went to O’Briensbridge owner, Mary Crotty.
She was represented by Inislosky Mossy (Droopys Kewell-Rushaun Breeze ) in trap one. Leading from the second bend, the black was bumped in the run-in but held out to win by a head in 29.69 from the Crecora-owned Christys Jim.
West Clare owner John Conway from Kilrush was also a heat winner, his Wood Nina (Hondo Black-Ashcame Nina) coming home first in heat three. Challenging for the lead down the back, she led from the third bend on her way to a 29.19 win when beating Kish Lowry by a length and a half.
Another Clare qualifier was Knockdine Zac, owned by Helen O’Brien, Miltown Malbay. He finished third in heat four won by Denis O’Malley-trained Split Stream in 29.04 from Hello Suzy.
The fastest heat winner was the Bridie Moore-trained Cutters Blue, who had a clock of 28.51 when taking heat two.
Sean Hehir’s Dunsallagh Pride finished third in in an S2/S3-graded sprint won by Cloon River in 19.30.
Raggletaggle Ron (31.34) and El Flutter (31.26) were winners of semi-final heats of the €8,000 Roxholme Bully A2/A3 Quad Distance event. Trap draw for the final next Saturday night: 1 Seamore Kristian, 2 Shunters Gizmo, 3 El Flutter, 4 Lescargot, 5 Parish hero, 6 Raggletaggle Ron (w).
