Official celebrations at Limerick’s new stadium

IT will be the official goodbye to the old Markets Field venue and welcome to the new Limerick Greyhound Racing Stadium when it will be officially opened this Friday  night by Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Brendan Smith, and Dick O’Sullivan, chairman of the Irish Greyhound Board.
Mr O’Sullivan stated this week that the state-of-the-art stadium signifies a new era, not just in terms of greyhound racing for the Mid-West Region but in terms of entertainment venues in the Limerick and surrounding areas.
The stadium opened its doors two weeks ago when the first race night took place on October 8 with a huge attendance present.
Declan O’Halloran, sales, commercial and  operations manager of the stadium said the  first race night was above and beyond anything they could have hoped for.
The official opening night promises to be no less exciting with live entertainment before and after racing. Race-goers can look forward to, not just the thrill of the race, but to a guest appearance by top caricaturist Mark Heng. Mark will be there to entertain the crowds in between races and provide a fun souvenir of a night at the stadium. The first 1,000 attendees on the night will receive a commemorative race programme to mark the historic occasion.
The new world-class facility provides a perfect venue for all types of functions and events having been designed to accommodate the latest developments in building and environmental efficiency. The track, which is among the finest greyhound stadiums in the world, will host almost 2,000 races a year.
On the official opening night, there will be 12 sponsored finals ensuring this occasion is one not to be missed.
Doors will open at 6.30pm and the first race will commence at 7.45pm.

Another Clare double at College Road

THE sequence of doubles by Clare owners and trainers at the Galway Greyhound Racing Stadium was maintained by Frank Browne of Quin last Friday night.
Owned by Tommy Corbett and Pat Hassett, also from Quin, Tommy’s Tippy won the featured race of the night, the Boston Sdcientific Logistics VIP for A2 graded dogs over 525 yards. Westmore Kid, in trap two, was best away but the Frank Browne-trained  Tommy’s Tippy, in trap one, was not far away and he was first to the bend to take the lead. Down the far side, the daughter of Hades Rocket-Jumeriah Jess led by two lengths from Wood Fire in trap four and Westmore Kid. Coming from the back, the chasing pair came close to the leader but Tommy’s Tippy shifted into a different gear when turning for home to win by three and a half lengths in 20.25 from the Headford-owned Wood Fire with Westmore Kid taking third.
Frank Browne was back in the winners’ arena in the following race, this time with his own Mine Cash. The fawn daughter of Velvet Crash-Jumeriah Jess was drawn in trap three in an A4 graded 525. On the run to the first bend, the winner disputed the lead with Lady Denise in trap five. However, by the time they reached the back, Mine Cash had gone three lengths in front. She was in front all the way to the line to hold off the late  effort of Tyrur Andrew to win by two and a quarter lengths in a time of  29.53.
The card,which was reduced to eight races, also had a Clare winner in the opening race, an S5 graded 350-yard event. First to show was Miss the Bronze in trap six but  he was soon overtaken by I Know Best (trap three). And before they reached the opening bend, the trap-one runner, Inch Gunner, owned by Tony Daffy, slipped through on the inside to head the field. From this stage onwards,  it was a battle between Inch Gunner and I Know Best but Inch Gunner (Ballymac Maeve-Calamity Jane) had a better kick going home to win by two lengths. His time was 19.38.
In th next race, Fast Fit Wok, owned by John Quinn, Gort took third place. The 19.20 winner of the S6 graded race was Spiddal Jack.
John Quinn had better luck in the first of two semi-final heats of an A6 525, which was for non-winners of their last four stakes. His Fast Fit Mill (Indian Ruler-Fast Fit Millie) had an excellent start from trap two and at the first bend, was one length in front of Karalla State in trap three. And with trouble behind them, the pair went six lengths clear. Fast Fit Mill extended her lead coming from the back and went on to win by eight and half lengths in 29.45 from Ballygibbon Hill.
Lacken Woodie (Knockeevan Major-Lacken Rose) won the second semi-final heat for local owner, FrWillie Cummins. He led at the opening bend, was overtaken by Breeze but came good at the home bend and went on to win the race by four and a quarter lengths in 29.54. Third place went to Knockdine Dreamer owned by Master Eoin O’Brien, Miltown Malbay.

Galway success for Carey family

THE Carey family from Cooraclare had every reason to be satisfied with their trip to the Galway stadium last Saturday night as they provided the winner and runner-up in the  Galway A4 final over 525 yards.
They had Buffalo Bash (trap five), who was the 5/4 favourite and Bridge Bloke (trap two  in the line-up) and both were promient once the traps lifted. They were stride for stride when making their way to the opening bend where the outsider of the two just nosed in front. He raced on to a two-length advantage down the back but between the last bends, the favourite started to move in. However, Bridge Bloke was still the pacemaker  as they headed towards home but the favourite, a fawn son of Crash-Elmhurst got in front near the line to record a half length win in 29.35 for his third win on the trot for Anna Carey, who also owns  the runner-up. Third home was the reserve runner, Master of Chase owned by Gary Cooney from Broadford.
Steels Rock, owned by Simon Hagger and Pat Sheehan, Ennis, finished third in the Galway A6 final won by Radharc na Padre in 29.09.
Fernpark Gold, owned and trained by Ann Carey, Cooraclare was runner-up to Blackcastle Bolt (29.47) the two and a quarter length winner of the opening A6-A7 graded 525-yard race.
Mary Davoren from Ennistymon had the first Clare winner of the night with Wilbrook Man (Prince Monalulu-Missouiri Dame) in an S8 graded 350-yard race. The early leader was the Gort-owned Fast Fit Sky but Wilbrook Man slipped through at the opening bend to take the lead with the Kilruish-owned Fitzler Chip. On the run home, Willbrook  Man came out  on top to beat Fitzler Chip (Colm and Oran Fitzgerald) by two and a half  lengths. His clock was 19.66.
Also on Saturday night’s card were three semi-final heats of an A8 graded 525. Tyrur Namoi won the first heat (29.64): the second heat winner was Tyrur Kitty (29.73) who beat the Sean Hehir-trained Dunsallagh Ace by one and half lengths     while 29.96 was the winning clock for Mountainview Sun in the final heat.
Reserve runner, I Remember Paddy, owned by Frankie Sheehan, Ennis, came third in an A5 graded 525 won by Farewell Rooster (29.57).
Clare were just deprived of another win in an A2 graded 525 with Paddy Darcy’s Bypass Our Way and Cragbrien Black, owned by Martin Cronin and Robbie Markham, prominent as they headed towards home. However, the Martin Fahy-trained Going Well just got in front at the line to win by a neck from Bypass Ourway with Cragbrien Black back three parts of a length for third spot. The winner’s clock was 29.15.