In one of the most exciting finishes ever seen at Limerick Greyhound Racing Stadium, the Quilty-owned and trained Jacksies Roar kept his unbeaten record intact last Saturday night.

Winning his sixth race on the trot, the white and fawn son of Ballymac Maeve-Jacksies Nicki got his head in front to win the Bridge Building A1 final over 525 yards for owners Martin Sexton and Noreen Cleary and trainer Frank Cleary, all from Ballymakea Mor. The judge certainly had his work cut out as he had to adjudicate on all six placings in the desperately close finish. A head separated the winner and runner-up, Liscahane Lass. It was then a short head to the third-placed Voltair Rumble, another short head to Yellowtown Girl, a neck to Millroad Lark and a short head to the sixth-placed Shyladee Lass, owned by Bridget Casey, O’Briensbridge.

A winner of four races in Galway  before making his Limerick debut a winning one on January 12, Jacksies Roar was the even-money favourite for the Bridge Building A1 final. He stormed out of trap one to take the early lead and remained in front for most of the proceedings. He was almost caught near the line but came again to snatch the great win and the €1,000 cheque. It was  a great occasion for the  West Clare contingent among  the big attendance for the Limerick-Clare GOBA night of finals and awards.

The big race of the night, the Shane O’Brien-Barbara Reeves Memorial A3 final over 525 yards, also went to Clare and was won by Redgate, Meelick owner-trainer Des Ryan with his Ould Flower (Minnies Pavlova-Sharons Baby). The black bitch was well away from trap one to lead from the start and race on to score an impresive trap-to-line win in a good 28.78. At  the line she had a length and a half on the 6-4 favourite, Hidden Jester, trained by Eamon Qunn.

It was also a good night for John Meehan from the townland of Newmarket-on-Fergus, whose Bling Bling Dana (Big Chill-Fastaway Baby)  won the Greyhound and Petworld  A4-A5 Non Winners final worth €750 to the winning owner. With the best clock of the night – 28.77- the winner was the frontrunner from the opening bend. The white and black bitch gradually drew clear to win the race by eight lengths from the County Tipperary-owned Dadum Dadum.

For good measure, Cratloe owner Harry Galvin and Sean Dineen from County Kerry won the next race, the Droopys Kennels A2 550 final, with a return to winning ways for their Upland Chill, a litter brother of Bling Bling Dana. Showing great early pace once the traps lifted,  the  trap five runner was another who  was always in front and at the finnish had a half-length on the runner-up, Move On Bell. The time was 30.33. Third placed, one length back, was Stone Boy King, owned in Gort by Eleanor Mullins and Mark Curtin.

Pegswood Girl, representing another Cratloe owner, Pat  Carey, was in trap one for the Timor Blue @ Stud D4 750 final and while he stayed on, he failed to catch Ballymac Tact (trap one) the half-length winner, in a time of 42.32.

Not the best away from the start, Cragaknock Sonia, owned by John O’Kelly, Mullagh, was much stronger going home but had to settle for third place in the Almightyjack @ Stud A6 final over 525 yards. The two lengths winner in 29.06 was the Doon-owned Shine Princess from Raymonds Tuttle. Cragaknock Sonia was a further two-and-a-quarter lengths back.

A strong challenge at the  third and fourth bends  was not sufficient for O Garney Patch  to win the  Vans Escalade @ Stud A1 575 final. The trap-to-line winner by two lengths in 31.47 was the Doon-owned Fair Fantsy from O Garney Patch, trained by Bernard Coffey  for Helen Coffey, Sixmilebridge.

A runner-up in another final, the Christy Daly Memorial A4 525, was Mickys Scolari, trained by Maurice Mullaney from near Gort for a Newport syndicate. The black showed good early foot and looked to be on his way to take the final but was caught near the line by the locally owned Kish Chopin, who won by half a length in 29.09.

A trap-to-line winner of the final race of the night, the Ballymac Under-Ballymac Ruso @ Stud A0 600 final, was  the Killarney owned Lakota Spirit, who had a winning distance of a length-and-a-half in 32.61. Ballymartin Wok was runner-up and third place went to the Shannon-owned Starlight Kevin (Thomas and Niall O’Sullivan).
There were very few Clare-owned runners in Limerick on Friday night, when the only one placed was Craggaknock Lilly, owned by John O’Kelly, Mullagh, in an A6-graded 525.

 

Knoppogue Green takes feature race

Because of a Heineken Cup game the previous night, greyhound racing at the Galway Greyhound Racing Stadium  was confined to Saturday night, when one of the feature races, the A2-graded 550, was won by Knoppogue Green, owned and trained by Donie Duggan, Rylane, Tulla.

First to show was Ascot Ace (trap four) from the kennels of Michael Downes in Killaloe and he had a slight lead on Piper Mingo (trap one) in the long run to he opening bend. However, they moved wide at the opening to the advantage of Knoppogue Green (Greenwell Storm-Class Time) in trap three and she slipped through on the inside to hit the front as they made their way to the back straight. She then opened a four-length lead and at the line had nearly that distance to spare from the runner-up, Ascot Ace, trained by Michael Downes for  Janet Downes. The time was 30.41. The Maurice Mullaney trained Piper Mingo was third home.
In the other feature race, the A2-graded 525, the Pat Conway-trained and Mungret owned Solvitas Boy (Hondo Black-Fastaway Baby) was always in command for his four-and-a-quarter lengths win in 29.31 from reserve runner, Hold It Heather, owned by Liam Shannon, Burren.

Clare owners were well represented in the opening race of the 12-race card. Mine Echo (Frank Browne, Quin) and Canvas Aussie (Kim Knell, Mountshannon) were first to show and were neck and neck to the first bend, where Mine Echo egded out in front after her rival went wide. However, the Mountshannon-owned dog was back on terms as they came to the third bend and although going wide again off the home bend, the son of Droopys Scolari-Herbs Best stayed on well to win. The winning distance  from Highway Boy was three-and-a-quarter lengths and the time was 29.30. Third home was Mine Echo, three parts of a length back.

Trainer Maurice Mullaney, Gort, had the winner of race three, an A8/A9-graded 525 won by the Dunmore-owned Bold Inca (Tyrur Lee- Inca Queen) in a time of 29.81. He came good at the third bend on his way to an impressive win.

Tiermana Club (Head Bound-Tiermana Hawk) won an A6-graded 525 for Mullagh owner Noel Moroney. He was the hot favourite in trap six and broke fast to set up a two-length lead at the opening bend. He extended that lead down the back and came home a good  three-and-a-half lengths winner in 29.46, his second win in two outings.

The Downes kennels from Killaloe fared better in an A5-graded 550, Scariff Bound winning for owner Janet Downes. Two lengths clear as they approached the opening bend,  the son of Head Bound-Elouisa went slightly wide at the bend  and lost some ground. However, he moved into a different gear  down the back to go clear again and win by a length in 29.46 from the improving Pat Be Slick, owned by Cooraclare native, Tommie Gallagher.

Sean Hehir’s Dunnsalagh Pride had the advantage at the opening bend in an A3-graded 525. However, Tyrur Maggie came sweeping through on the outside to take over  from the third bend and  at the line it was Tyrur Maggie by five-and-a-quarter lengths in 29.44 from the West Clare-owned Milesian Story (Paddy Conlon).
Feed Me Cherrys, owned by Kim Knell, Mountshannon, was in front up to half-way in an A3-graded 575 when  Forthill Juno (Melodys Pet-Selecta Princess) challenged on the inside to take over at the home bend. Forthill Juno stayed on to win by a length in 32.09 from Feed Me Cherrys.