Monty victory for Sparrow

Former Clare hurling manager Ger ‘Sparrow’ O’Loughlin got his name among the winners at the Galway Greyhound Racing Stadium meeting on December 30.
His aptly named Sparrows Monty, trained in Ballyea by John Browne, was installed as the 6-4 favourite for an S5-S6 graded 350-yard race and after breaking well from trap three, the son of Head Bound-Barntick Live drew away from the rest of the field to win by a handsome margin of nearly seven lengths from the Oughterard-owned, Loose Sugan, in trap two. The clock for this race was 19.48.
Frank Casey, Stonehall, Newmarket-on-Fergus, was another who came away satisfied after his Boherash Torpedo obliged in the fifth race, an A6-graded 525. This was a fairly open contest with Boherash Torpedo, Own Collision and French Malabra all going off at 2-1. Boherash Torpedo had a trap two draw and after leading at the opening bend, he left the rest of the field behind him for the remainder of the trip. The son of Hades Rocket-Boherash Charity came home a four-and-a-half lengths winner in 29.81 from Own Collision to record his third win at this venue since November. Third place went to Nells Fantasy, owned in Miltown Malbay by Helen O’Brien and Michael Mahony.
The Maher family from Kilmaley, fresh from their big coursing win at the South Clare meeting over Christmas, were represented in the first race on the card, an A8-A9-graded 525 by Rathkerry Mick in trap three. Owned by Rachel Maher, Rathkerry Mick was slow away from trap three but ran on well afterwards to clinch second spot, a length and three quarters behind Hold It Paddy, the joint 6-4 and 30.41 winner.
Headford  Premier in trap one was the money-on favourite to win an A6-A7-graded 525 but he was bumped at the opening bend, where reserve runner Grenanstown Ama, in trap three, left the rest of the field behind him to win by five lengths in 29.89 from Flandys Secret, owned by Conor Flanagan, Russa, Ennistytmon.
Snowey Princess, owned by Enda O’Gorman, Lahinch, did not have the best of breaks from trap six in an A4-graded 525 and finished in third place. The 29.70 winner by one length was the Nenagh-owned Premier Glory (Boherduff Light- Flandy).
Athenry  owner, Rynal Ruane provided the winner of the next race, an A3-graded 550, with Outback Kirsty (Indian Ruler-Youllbesoclucky). The track was -.30 slow for this race, which saw the winner take the initiative at the opening bend and race on for a 31. win, beating Blaze Phanter (Anthony Brigdale and Margaret Burns, Ennis) by a length and three-quarters.
The Ennis owners were third, with their Blaze Ken in  an A3-graded 525 for which the track was also -.30 slow. The Michael Enright-trained So They Say (Big Daddy Cool-Dark Diamond) was another who took over from the opening bend and go on for a 29.74 win, beating the Seamus Fahy-trained Comeonthebanner by half a length in 29.74.
The Flanagan family also had a runner in the top graded and final race of the night, the A1-graded 525 for which Call Me Bullet and Danmar Benny were the joint 7-4 favourites. Call Me Bullet, in trap five, put in the stronger finish to win by two and three parts of a length in 29.59 from Petosterous, owned by Tom Flanagan. Danmar Benny was third home.

First big event of the new year

Limerick Greyhound Racing Stadium racing manager, Liam Kennedy reports that on this Friday they will have a  re-run of the  second semi-final of the Greyhound and Petworld A1 525, with the first three going through to the final on Saturday, January 14. The re-run will be the first race of the new racing year at Limerick.
Entries are currently been sought for the Vetsearch Recharge Open 525, with the overall winner receiving €4,000 and trophy, with the first rounds commencing on Saturday, January 21 with entries closing on Tuesday, January 17 at 12 noon. It will be the first major event of 2012 at the stadium.
Official trials at Limerick will resume as normal next week, Wednesday, January 11, from 9.30am until 11am and on Friday nights after racing. Official trials for raced greyhounds take place this Friday after racing. Unofficial trials run as normal this week and next week.