THE scene is set for what promises to be a thrilling Kerry Agribusiness Irish St Leger final at the Limerick Greyhound Racing Stadium on Saturday night with the unbeaten Skywalker Puma and Priceless Sky competing for the top prize of €25,000.

The semi-finals of the 550-yard classic were decided last Saturday night and, not for the first time, the Paul Hennessy-trained Priceless Sky (Royal Impact-Priceless Pearl) was the fastest winner. Traps four and six were vacant, with the defections of Sparta Maestro and Droopys Comedian. Priceless Sky, in trap two, went off the hot money-on favourite in the second semi-final. He had an absolute flyer of a start to lead Head For Fame and Cashen Mafuma by a few lengths into the opening bend. Clear by five lengths entering the back, the battle was on for second place and at the line Cashen Mafuma got in front of Head Fort Fame by a head. Priceless Sky won the race by seven lengths in 29.43, the best clock of the classic.

There were doubts prior to Saturday night about the fitness of the Frances O’Donnell-trained Skywalker Puma but he again produced a great run to win the opening semi-final in a time of 29.64 when beating Tibetan Skies by three lengths. Four and a half lengths back for third place was Kingo.

The trap draw for the final: 1. Priceless Sky; 2. Kingo; 3. Skywalker Puma; 4. Cashen Mafuma; 5. Tibetan Skies; 6. Head For Fame.

Bookmaker Dinny Gould makes Priceless Sky the even-money favourite to win a hat-trick of Legers for owners Bryan and Kathleen Murphy of the Cayman Islands. He has 2/1 Skywalker Puma, 3/1 Kingo, 5/1 Cahen Mafuma, 6/1 Tibetan Skies and 10/1 Head For Fame.

Imelda Cahalan, sales, commercial and operations manager of the Limerick Greyhound Racing Stadium, is delighted with the great success of the biggest event in the track’s racing calendar. She said the 2012 Leger has been an extremely thrilling competition. The calibre of the entrants this year has been second to none and they look set for a very exciting Leger final on Saturday night.

Racing from Limerick will be broadcast live on Saturday night and viewers from around the world will be able to view the final on RTE News Now, which is available on Saorview, UPC and www.rte.ie. The action can also be accessed via ipad, iphone and Android media platforms. The half-hour programme will also include a review of the night’s racing from Limerick.

“We see the lift that live tv and online creates every year with the key races from around the country,” said Ms Cahalan. She added it was a great boost that Limerick will be broadcast live, not only to the nation but to a worldwide audience.

There is an exciting 12-race card for Leger night, including the Kerry Agribusiness Consolation final, the seventh race on the card.

The second race of the night will be the Kerry Group A2 Bitch 525 final, for which the Clare-owned Cragghill Elm and Inislosky Pinny will compete.

Owned by Sean Stack, Sixmilebridge and John Healy, Killaloe, Cragghill Elm (Crash-Corporate Group) won his semi-final heat last Saturday night with another good clock, 28.76.

Challenging the leader at the third bend and going in front at the home bend, Cragghill Elm won by three lengths from Race On Angel.

In the first semi-final, Inislosky Pinny, owned by Mary Crotty, O’Briensbridge, was the runner-up. She was always behind Solvitas Queen, who won by seven and a half lengths with another fast clock, 28.43.
The trap draw for the final is as follows: 1. False Spirit; 2. Race On Angel; 3. Solvitas Queen; 4. Miss Goold Bars; 5. Cragghill Elm; 6. Inislosky Pinny.

Starlight Miller, owned in Shannon by Thomas and Niall O’Sullivan, will compete in the Bloom Elite Gold A1 600 final. He finished well to take the runner-up spot in his semi-final heat last Saturday night. A trap-to-line winner of the heat was Thomond, who beat Starlight Miller by two lengths in 32.70. Cherrygrove Cool won the second semi-final heat in 32.49 from Kilduff Kerry and Raggletaggle Rio.

The trap draw for the final: 1. Mountaylor Ace; 2. Raggletaggle Rio; 3. Cherrygrove Cool; 4. Thomond; 5. Kilduff Kerry; 6. Starlight Miller.

 

Clare qualifiers for Aran event

FOUR Clare-owned runners have qualified for the semi-finals of the Aran Islands GAA Club A3 525 event at the Galway Greyhound Racing Stadium on Friday night. All four finished third in their quarter-final heats last Friday night.

A qualifier from heat one was Consequential, owned by Tom Flanagan, Russa, Ennistymon. He and Pat Hero challenged for the number one spot as they approached the home bend but Hanover Blue held out to win by a short head from Pats Hero in 29.30. Consequential was half a length back for the third qualifying spot.
Heat two was dominated by the 29.17 and three-and-a-half-length winner, Kilbannon Bertie and the runner-up, Owenmore Xavi. Third home, a half length back, was Garryfine Ben, owned by Leitrim (Kilmihil) man, David Browne.

Heat three was a cracker, with the Killarney-owned Call Me Bullet just getting up at the line to beat Leonie’s Killahan by a neck in a time of 29.00. Two and a half lengths back for third spot was Feed Me Cherrys, owned in Mountshannon by Kim Knell.

The final heat saw Sonny Tazz registering a three-and-a-half-length win in a fast 28.92 from Hughie Keleghgan’s O’Garney Princess. Ascot Ace, trained by Michael Downes and owned in Killaloe by Janet Downes, took third place, a length and a half further back.

The feature race of the night, the Neale GAA Buster Race 2012 for A2 grades over the 500-yard distance, went to Winter Dream. Having a clear run to go in front when rounding the opening bend, the winner was well away down the back.

The lead was reduced to two lengths at the second-last bend but Winter Dream went further ahead at the home bend to win by four and a quarter lengths in 30.25 from Faoie, owned by Martin Griffin, Caherea. Third place went to Ballycasey Star (Don Gallery, Shannon), five lengths back.

Taking a distinct advantage at the opening bend, the John McDonagh-trained Tyrur Hannah came under pressure at the last bend but swept through on the outside to win by a length in 29.79 from Portdrine Bobby, owned in Cratloe by Liam Carroll.

The Listowel-owned Lissycasey May was an easy 29.50 winner of an N2 graded 525 from Colossal Risk, owned by the Colossal Syndicate from the Ennis area.

Double for Mountshannon owner

THERE were doubles for Mountshannon owner, Kim Knell and Tuam trainer, John McDonagh at the Galway Greyhound Racing Track on Saturday night when the first-round heats of the Aran Islands GAA Confined A5 525 were decided. In all, the card had six Clare winners.

The first Mountshannon win was in race five, an A8 graded 525, with Kim Knell’s Tornaroy Tictac in trap one and, from the start, she and the Newmarket-on-Fergus owned Snuggie Jack disputed the lead. At the halfway stage, Tornaroy Tictac (College Causeway-Give Some More) had moved into a one-length lead and raced on to win by a length and three-quarters from Snuggie Jack, owned by Myles Cummins. The time was 30.08.

The second part of the Mountshannon double came in the eighth race on the card won by Mrs Knell’s Canvas Aussie (Droopys Scolari-Herbs Best) in trap six for the A5 graded 550. Showing good early pace, Canvas Aussie built up a two-length lead and despite running wide at the bends, had a one-length lead on Harbour Bullet as they came towards the halfway stage.

However, from this stage Canvas Aussie said goodbye to the rest of the field to win by six lengths in 30.67 from the Stephen Murray-trained Carhumore Ego, owned by members of the Gurteenree Syndicate from Feakle.

John McDonagh won the feature race, the A0 graded 550 yards with Tyrur Latoya (trap two), who broke well with Aulton Ron in three and the Killaloe-owned Dicks Worldbound in one. Down the back, Aulton Ron led Tyrur Latoya by three lengths but between the final two bends the Martin McDonagh-owned Tyrur Latoya (Kinloch Brae-Tyrur Liz) started to close in by the rail.

Aulton Ron went wide off the home bend to give a free run on the inside to Tyrur Latoya, who went through to win by a length and three-quarters in 30.20 from Aulton Ron, owned by Pat Hogan, Templemaley, Ennis.

Trainer, John McDonagh also won the next race, the final one on the card, with Tom McDonagh (Tuam) owned Tyrur Sammon in trap four in the A3 graded 525. He came through by the rail at the home bend to beat the Donal Cooney-trained Glenside Evens by two and a quarter lengths in 29.33.

Cragbrien Shaw (Black Shaw-Rachels Picture) won the first of the opening-round heats of the Aran Islands A5 Stake for Ennis owners, Martin Cronin and Robbie Markham. The winner had a lively start from trap one to go one length into the lead.

As they came to the third bend, Cragbrien Shaw was now three lengths clear and at the line it was Cragbrien Shaw by three and three parts of a length in 29.08 from the money-on favourite, Summerfield Dubh. Third home was Clonlaheen Hero (Thomas Warren, Kilmaley).

The next heat was won by Hittheroad Stud (Westmead Hawk-Ballaghboy Cool), trained by Donal Cooney for Denis Torpey, Clarecastle. He disputed the early lead with Clydagh Joey but he railed well at the opening bend to establish a good lead down the back.

From here on it was all Hittheroad Stud, who crossed the line for a fine win in his debut race. For his fast clock of 28.88, he had seven and three parts of a length to spare on Miss The Premier.

Spot the Move, owned in Cooraclare by Michael and Cathal Meaney, was on his way to winning his heat but he was caught at the line by the Lisnagry-owned Pretty Token, who won the race by a neck in 29.40.
Mullagh publican, Noel Moroney, won the opening race of the night, an A3 graded 525, with Tiermana Cross (Head Bound-Tiermana Hawk). Getting into a good position at the opening bend, the winner led by three lengths down the far side.

Jacksie’s Roar came through to challenge the leader but it was Foxwood Nanna, who came closest before the finish, with Tiermana Cross winning by a length in 29.53. Three parts of a length back for third place was Jacksie Roar (Martin Sexton).

Martin Griffin’s Nebraska Royal finished third in an S6 graded sprint won by Esker Stoke in 19.72, while Boherash Torpedo (Frank Casey, Stonehall) was similarly placed in an S4 graded sprint won by Jumeirah Socks in 19.41.

The spotlight was on Sixmilebridge after the outcome of the ninth race on the card, an A4 graded 550, won by the Bernard Coffey-trained and John Whelan-owned Mad for Money.

Full Blunt in trap five, Malbay Marley in four and Mad For Money in the inside trap, were the front runners from the start but with the benefit of the inside lane, Mad For Money (Hondo Black-Money Go Lucky) moved a few lengths clear at the opening bend. He led by five down the back and at the line had four lengths on Rockmount Eskimo, owned by Shane Flanagan, Ennis. The time was 30.63. Third home was Full Blunt (Noel Mullins, Gort).