Peggy steals the show in Tralee

GIVEN that she ran a 525 yards race in Shelbourne Park just 24 hours earlier, the success of the Ennis-owned Peggy in the €3,500 to the winner of final of the John and Mary Dowling 570 Memorial final in Tralee Greyhound Racing Stadium last Friday night was all the more remarkable.
Trained by Stephen Murray of Sixmilebridge for Frankie Sheehan of Ennis, the daughter of Black Shaw-Sheehans Cottage was runner up in a 525-yards race in Shelbourne Park on Thursday night. On Friday she was called in as a reserve for the Tralee final when Nicken Shaw, who was expecdted to go off favourite from trap four, was withdrawn.
But despite her exertions of the previous night, Peggy was again in bouncing form for Tralee and in springing her 5/1 shock win, the Ennis-owned bitch was only in fourth place going down the back behind Friendandcomrade, Croom Star, the even money favourite and Bobs Fault.
Into the third bend the favourite went up inside the leader and at this stage the field closed up. Croom Star appreared to check wide off the home bend and Friendandcomrade was forced to check. Peggy was now in a great position to take over and she availed of the opportunity to go clear and win by half a length in 31.28 from Croom Star. Friendandconmrade was a length and a half back for third place. This was a great and popular win for the Sixmilebridge-Ennis combination.
Peggy contested a semi-final heat of the Tralee event the previous weekend but failed to qualify for the final when finishing in fourth place.
Earlier in the Tralee card on Friday night Cyprus Levi (Hondo Black-Mylerstown Rose) owned by Albert Burke, Shannon and Warren Haywood, Kerry won the A8 graded Jane Dowling 525 yards race with a clock of 30.09. The 6/4 joint favourite won by a length from Martinas Fancy.

 

 

Bobsie wins for 25th time

It seems there is not stopping of the age-defying and Quin-owned Carhugar Bobsie. With 24 wins under his belt, the Michael Downes-trained son of Premier County-Blondie Lotto returned to the Galway Greyhound Racing stadium last Saturday night for another win, this time in the featured race of the night, which was part of the Irish Greyhound Boards Nationwide Fund Raiser in aid of Down Syndrome Ireland which featured the finals of five mini-stakes.
The training honours on the night went to the Athenry based kennel of Seamus Fahy who landed a treble, two of which were for owner Tony McDaid. Carhugar Bonsie won the feature A2-final which saw the winner and Phils Boy match strides in the run to the opening bend.
However, with the benefit of the inside line, Carhugar Bobsie forced his way through to take a two-length advantage entering the back straight. Passing halfway Carhugar Bobsie led by two-lengths and although Phils Boy closed briefly rounding the third bend, the Quin owned Carhugar Bobsie (The Clare Connection Synmdicate) stayed on to win by almost three lengths in 29.3. This was the 25th career win for the March 2006 brinlded who also has a total of 16 runner-up spots to his credit.
There were three Clare owned runners in the A4-575 final, which was won by Manus Returns, owned by Brian McInermey from Manus, Clarecastle. He took control at the opening bend after matching strides with the Miltown Malbay-owned Tobarachuine. Down the back, Scranton Express tried to come on terms with the leader but Manus Returns held his ground and the fawn son of Hondo Black-Smooth Jean remained in front for a half length win in 32.25. Third placed was Tobarachuine owned by Michael Mahony.
Miltown Malbay owner-trainer, Sean Hehir also had a good night when his Preacher(Maryville Rumbler- Ciaras Rainbow) won the Masters Restaurant final over 525 yards. He had an excellent break from trap four; was in front from the start and led the field all the way for an exciting three lengths win in 29.45 from Springwell Miley.
Thomas Connor from Miltown Malbay was the first Clare winerof the night, his Kilcornan Lark winning her debut race. This was a semi-final heat of the N2 350 and the winner was quickly into her stride friom trap one to lead by two lengths.The daughter of Judicial Post-Killonaghan Lark had extended her lead when reaching the home bend and ran on for a five lengths win in 19.59 from Kick Me Out. The John Browne (Ballyea)-owned and trained Rathmeehan Royal was third home.
There was another Ennistymon qualifier, the Michael Davoren owned Wilbrook Fire, in the second semi-final heat. The trap to line winner for his debut race win was the Seamus Fahy trained Spioraid Pop who beat Wilbrook Fire into second place by nearly six lengths. The winner’s clock was 19.43.
Another Clare winner in a hurry was Pinnacle Roxy. Owned in Ballyvaughan by Michael Costelloe and Douglas Culligan, the daughter of Boherduff Light-Coldwar Baby went into a two lengths lead by the opening bend of this A4-graded 525. She was further ahead down the back and coasted home a a four and a half-lengths winner in 29.42.
Glenfort Lee, owned by Brigid D’Arcy, was third in an A3-graded 525 won by the Seamus Fahy-trained Spioraid Cath in 29.42.

 

Sixmilebridge trainer scores in Galway

On the same night as he was winning the big final in Tralee, Sixmilebridge trainer Stephen Murray was also in the winner’s arena in Galway with Shandangan Lough.
Five Clare wins were recorded at the College Roads venue and the big winner was Helen O’Brien from Miltown Malbay whose Knockdine Diva won the feature race of the night, the final of the Western GOBA A4 Diamond Stake.
The Paul Burke-trained Bumblebee Dingo (2/1) headed the market but as the traps rose the Tubber-owned Sues Princess was first to show to lead by two lengths at the first bend from Knockdine Diva. There was just a length between them when coming from ther back straight and in a hectic finish Knockdine Diva, a daughter of Premier Fantsy-Knockdine Lady got up to win by a head from Siues Princess, trained by Johnny Burke for himself and Aoife Burke. The favourite took third place.
In the early stages of the chief supporting race, the A2-graded 525, Frank Browne’s Mine Cash and Wood Fire disputed the lead but the Quin owned fawn bitch just held the advantage at the first bend. Down the back, however, the leader went wide to allow Wood Fire go in front briefly. At this stage the John McDonagh-trained Tyrur Feeney was making up ground from the back of the field. Mine ash was back in front as they rounded the home bend but Tyrur Feeney came like a train on the wide outside to snatch the lead as they headed for the line to beat Mine Cash by just under two lengths in a time of 29.92.
In the opening race of the night, an A9-graded 525, Middlepark Mal, owned in Ennistymon by that great doggie man, Michael Marrinan, made up ground between the final two bends to cut the lead of Clonkelly Point. However, his brave effort just failed at the line where he was beaten a neck by the Kinvara owned Clonkelly Point (Ninas Worldclass-Smooth Point) who had a time of 29.81.
Winner of his first race on February 5 for Stonehall, Newmarket-on-Fergus owner, Frank Casey, I Tips Away repeated that effort last Friday night when taking an S8 graded sprint race. The son of Hallucinate-Ginglingh Flyer was again in great form when recording two wins from two starts. On this occasion he was well clear from the start and led all the way to to beat Willrose Junior by a length and three quarters in 19.51.Third spot went to Fast Fit Sky(John Quinn and Ms Ella Cantwell, Gort.
Kilbeacanty based trainer Sean Cooke had the winner of the next race, an A6 graded 525 with Loughcarn Lass (Droopys Maldini-Twotensfive).She was another trap to line winner, crossing the line one length in front of Lickadoon Tyrur.The winner’s clock was 30.12.
The Ballyneety-owned Lickadoon Billy seized the initiative at the opening bend of an S4 graded sprint race and went on to win the race by three and a quarter lengths in 19.62 from Willbrook Fawn (Michael Davoren, Ennistymon).
Trainer Stephen Murray won the fifth race on the card with Shandangan Lough which he owns with JJ O’Dea from Derrylough in West Clare. Krakatau, Birrogue Jer and Cragbrien Honcho were the early leaders in this S2-graded sprint race but as they rounded the home bend, Shandangan Lough made great progress on the wide outside and powered home to reach the line first, two-and-a-quarter-lengths in front of Birrogue Jer. The wining time for the son of Droopys Maldini-Money Go Lucky was 19.51.
There was another trap to line success in an A5-graded 525 in which the Nenagh owned Grenanstown Rose (Boherduff Light-Big Time Lady) beat Joskin (Oliver O’Keeffe, Crusheen) by three-and-a-quarter lengths with a clock of 29.67.
The result of the following A5-graded 525 saw Sixmilebridge owner-trainer, Bernard Coffey, enter the winner’s ring with O’Garney Belle (Droopys Scholes-O’Garney Mist). With Old Fort Slippy, he was well away from the start and they led at the first from Chrisola who lost ground after being badly baulked. By the third bend O’Garney Belle was five-lengths clear but between this and the finishing line Chrisola came with a renewed effort but O’Garney Belle held out to win by a length-and-a-half in a time of 29.64.
Ballyvaughan native, Brigid D’Arcy, also came away with a win, the John McDonagh-trained reserve runner, Glenfort Lee doing the business in an A3-graded 575 race. The son of Hades Rocket-Glenfort Rumble was the early leader on the wide outside and was three lengths clear down the back. He stayed on well to win the race from Sailing, representing the Downes kennels from Killaloe, by two-and-a-quarter-lengths in 32.59.
Clare had another winner before the night was out when Cragbrien Black won an A3-graded 525 yards race for Ennis owners, Martin Cronin and Master Robbie Markham. Mine Chariot, Spioraid Jacket and Cragbrien Black were well to the fore from the start.
As they turned down the back Cragbrien Black was just out in front on the wide outside. When they had gone past the halfway mark the winner was two lengths in front of Spioraid Jacket and this order remained for the rest of the race with the Ennis-owned black winning by one-and-a-quarter lengths in 29.73. One-and-a-half lengths back for third place was Frank Browne’s Mine Chariot.

Express time in Roches feeds Oaks

Limerick was one of the ten tracks nationwide which hosted benefit nights for Down Syndrome Ireland last Saturday night. There was a big crowd for the occasion which and they were well entertained with 12 first round heats of the Roches Feeds Oaks.
Best time of the night was Mary Jo Dalton’s Express Trend (Kiowa Sweet Trey-Express Mist) who was an easy winner in 29.29. The qualifiers for second round heats on Saturdayn ight next include Malbay Alex (Sarah Burke, Miltown Malbay) and and the Denis O’Malley-trained Killaloe Rose, owned in Killaloe by John Seymour and Pat Reddan.
There were five Clare winners from the Limerick card last Friday night. Mullagh owner, John O’Kelly,was first up with Cragaknock Gale (Westmead Joe-Droopys Jazz) who won by by three-parts-of-a-length in 29.54 in an A7-graded 525.
Tony Daffy was next up with Inch Gunner (Ballymac Maeve-Calamity Jane) in an S5 graded sprint race. He put in a strong finish to win by five lengths in 19.14.
Niall and  Jason Warren also came with a win when their Clonlaheen Wish (Scarty Lad-Clonlageen Snog) held off the challenge of Movealong Rover to win the A5-graded 525 by one length in 29.35.
O’Briensbridge owner, Mary Crotty, made it three on the trot for Clare when her Inislosky Magoo (Astronomic-Ruushaunm Breeze) obligedf in in an A4 550. Although slow away, he pounced at the fourth bend to takle the lead and win by two-and-a-half lengths. His time was 30.39.
The last race on the card went to Cratloe owner, Pat Catey, whose Holly Wood (Hondo Black-Cabin Rose) came out tops in an A1-graded 550 yards race. He was in front all the way for an impressive one-and-a-half lengths win in a time of 30.15.
In an earlier A6-graded 525-yards race the runner up was Mary Reidy’s Barntick Petalwho was beaten three-parts-of-a-length by Tourna Queen, the 29.17 winner.