Roche’s Feeds Oaks to attract big names

Imelda Cahalan, sales, commercial and operations manager at the Limerick Greyhound Racing Stadium, said they were delighted to welcome back Roches Feeds and it was fantastic to see support like this coming from a local business.
A full complement of 48 entries has been received and some top-quality racing is being looked forward to over the next four weeks.
It proved to be a very exciting event when staged for the first time, attracting a lot of big names with some great times being recorded. The inaugural winner was Sharon Hardy’s Cornmaddy Swift (He Said So-Clonteen Tornado) in 28.46. She won by three parts of a length from Local Flyer owned by members of the Pistol Knight Syndicate. Beaten and a short head into third place was Tyrur Tinkerbell, trained by Paul Hennessy for Miss Grace Hennessy.

Not quite Slick enough

A GOOD run down the back by the Cooraclare-owned Good Slick was not sufficient to prevent Rockchase Bullet from winning the top graded A2 race at the Galway Greyhound Racing Stadium last Saturday night.
The pace was set by the trap five runner, County Hurlers, trained in Gort by Noel Mullins but by the time they reached the opening bend, the Pat Conway-trained Call Me Bullet in trap four had gone in front of the rail hugging Good Slick in one. The Cooraclare-owned dog closed in as they made their way down the back but Call me Bullet kicked clear again to win the race by two and a half lengths from Good Slick. The time was 29.21.
The card also featured three semi-finals of the Katherine Burke Memorial A4 event over 525 yards, the first of which was won by reserve runner Unknown Argument. At the halfway mark, the leaders were the Kilmihil-owned Joinedupthinkjing and Capuka but at this stage Jumeirah Socks and Unknown Argument were starting the process of closing in. The race was wide open as the field turned for home but the best effort came from Tony Hegarty’s Unknown Argument (Tucks Mein-Unknown Sheba) who went on to win by half a length in 29.70 from Jumeirah Socks. Just outside the qualifiers in third place was Sean Hehir’s Dunsallagh Lisa.
The County Cork owner also won heat two with Unknown Tornado in trap four. He was in front all the way for a 29.21 success, beating Tommie Gallagher’s Master Slick by seven lengths.
Brigid and Patrick O’Loughlin won the final heat with Jumeirah Prince who also led from start to finish for his two-length win over the Sligo owned Ineagh Gold in 29.38.
In what was just his second outing, Young John won the first race of the night for Ennis owner, Frankie Sheehan. This was an A8 graded 525 and leading the way at the opening bend was Tracy’s Destiny in trap one. She was two clear down the back but over the final two bends Young John (Hondo Black-Money Go Lucky) started to motor on the outside and go clear up the straight to beat Tyrur Latoya by three and a quarter lengths. The winner’s clock was 29.91.
This was the first of three winners on the trot for the Clare contingent. The next up was Michael Mahony from the Miltown Malbay area whose Knockcallan Girl triumphed in an S7 graded sprint. Though not fastest away, the son of Razldazl Billy-Knockdine Lady in trap five had enough gears to go two lengths clear at the opening bend. She was helped by crowding behind her as she stayed in front to record a two lengths win in 19.57. from the West Clare-owned Alva Alice (Michael Lillis and Frank Sheehan). Michael Mahony also owns the third dog home, Nell’s Fantasy with Helen O’Brien, Miltown Malbay which was one length back.
Doonbeg owner-trainer, Jimmy Normoyle made it three in-a-row with his Doonbeg Phanter doing the business in an A7 graded 525. Clairwell Jewel in one set the pace but she was being well policed by Doonbeg Phanter in trap five. Coming from the back straight, the Doonbeg-owned brindle made his move to move in front and race on to a win by three parts of a length in 29.67. The runner-up was Moneypoint Ray (Madeleine Walsh, Gort) and third home was Value Impact (Martin Keane, Kilmihil).
Clune Topps, owned in Killimer by Pat Madigan, was third in an S3 graded sprint won in 1 9.49 by Outback Delboy.
Winning in Galway for the fourth time was Clapton Master, owned by Martin Keane, Kilmihil. His latest success was in an A3 graded 525 for which he was sent off the joint 6/4 favourite with Premier Glory. Well drawn in trap one, Clapton Master was well to the fore once the traps lifted. In front by a length at the opening bend from Winter Dream, the son of Impact-Face the Value had extended his lead to two lengths by the halfway stage. However, from the third bend, the other 6/4 joint favourite, Premier Glory, came menacingly close but Clapton Master held out to win by a neck. His clock was 29.13.

Clare qualifiers storm home in Galway

THERE were three West Clare-owned qualifiers, Spot the Way, Burnpark Dolly and Wood Leo from second-round heats of the Online Bookings A7 525 event at the Galway Greyhound Racing Stadium last Thursday night.
In the opening heat, both Monagea Becky and Glenside Evens were quick off the mark and were three lengths clear of the rest of the field at the opening bend. Between the final two bends, Glenside Evens, owned by the Green Leaf syndicate, challenged for the lead and finished strongly on the way home to win by close on four lengths in 29.34 from Monagea Becky. Spot the Way, owned by Cathal and Michael Meaney, was third home.
Heat two was won by the Doireann Forde-owned Last Flaming, who overcame trouble at the opening bend and come from a long way back to win by three and a half lengths in 29.43 from Tomeli Export. Third place was filled by Maria Browne’s Burnpark Dolly.
Heat three was won by Pat O’Loughlin’s Pat’s Hero (29.50) from Zoe’s Bell and Magical Zara while 29.44 was the clock for Farkland Snow when clinching the final heat by two and a half lengths from Swift Una. Wood Leo, owned by Carl Maguire and Adrian Ennis, took third place.
That Lad There, owned by Martin Keane, Kilmihil and Clare native Albert Long, was third home in the opening sprint race of the night won in 19.67 by the County Galway-owned Elvira Prince.
The big race of the night, the final of the Easter Eggs A5 was won by Hanover Maeve (29.10) from Wood Enda and Ballina Rambler.
Winning at the Galway Greyhound Racing Stadium is nothing new to Quin owner/trainer Frank Browne with his brindled bitch, Mine Echo. When they won the concluding race there last Friday night, they were visiting the winners’ arena for the ninth time at the College Road venue.
Their latest success was in an A3 graded 525, which Hanover Blue in trap two just held the initiative at the opening bend from Mine Echo in four and Colie O’Loughlin’s Pal Duke in six. However, down the far side, Martin McDonagh’s Hanover Blue was now three lengths clear of Mine Echo who railed well at the second-last bend. With the leader moving wide at they turned for home, Mine Echo was handed a great chance and the daughter of Hades Rocket-Jumeirah Jess accepted it by slipping through along the rail and getting up near the line to win by half a length in 29.45 from Hanover Blue with Combo Lisa taking third place.
In the previous race, also an A3 graded 525, the Tony Hegarty-owned Unknown Buzz, led from the opening bend but showed great determination at the finish when holding out to beat the Miltown Malbay owned Knockdine Black ( Michael O’Brien) by half a length. The time was 29.37.
The Loughrea-owned Clongoreys Crest (trap one), the early leader in an A6 graded 525, held on to his lead to beat Fast Fit Mandy (John Quinn, Gort) by a length and a quarter in 19.75. Beaten a neck into third place was Knockdine Ash (Helen O’ Brien, Miltown Malbay).
Gort and Miltown Malbay owners were also involved in a thrilling finish to an S5 graded sprint race in which the locally owned Wrong Dog went two lengths clear at the opening bend. However, in doing so, he went wide and Mary Davoren’s Willbrook Man in trap four challenged strongly for the lead. The effort just failed when Wrong Dog held on to win by a head in 19.50. Third home was John Quinn’s Fast Fit Lar.
The Gort owner fared better in the next race, an S0 graded 350, which was won by Sellout Fast Fit, which John Quinn’s owns with Peter Connolly. As usual, the son of Killahahan Phanter-Posh Again broke smartly from trap five to lead by a length at the first. He had an advantage of three lengths when turning for home and at the line was one length in front of Cavansheath Messi. The time was 19.42.
Cooraclare native Tommy Gallagher and his Pat Be Slick are also making a name for themselves at the Galway stadium. They won there again last Friday night to mark the fifth career win for the son of Hondo Black-Bling Bling Flo. This was an A5 graded 575 yard contest, which saw Pat Be Slick in trap one hit the front approaching the third bend and staying on in the long run home to win by a length and a half in 32.20 in an all-Clare finish. The winner was in third place behind Hold It Hades (Mark Shannon, Burren) and Knockdine Dream (Eoin O’Brien, Miltown Malbay) up to the to halfway stage before making his winning move when coming from the back straight. The runner-up was Hold It Hades and third was Fernpark Express (Ann Carey, Cooraclare).
Another who is making a habit of winning races in Galway is Wilbrook Fawn, owned by Michael Davoren, Ennistymon. The fawn daughter of Prince Monalulu- Missouri Dame, was again among the winners in Galway last Friday night, making it a grand ninth career win. In this A4 graded 525, she broke smartly from trap five and set the pace with Unknown Shyla in trap two over the opening two bends. However, as they passed the halfway stage, Wilbrook Fawn made a move on the outside to leave the rest behind. And at the line she had three lengths on Tyrur Hannah in a time of 29.40.

Mini open win for Would He Alan in Limerick

WOULD He Alan, owned jointly by PJ Cooney Ballyalla, Ennis, and his brother, Michael, in Nenagh, was an impressive winner of a mini open 550 (Grade A0) race at the Limerick Greyhound Racing Stadium on Saturday night. Trained by Michael, the son of Droopy’s Scolari-Tracy Beaker showed great early pace from trap four to lead all the way for his 30.16 win. He had two lengths on the Holycross-owned Mohane Misty in trap one. Would He Alan also won an A1 graded race at this venue on April 6.
South-East Clare owner, Dan Flynn from Meelick, also had a rewarding trip as his Rallying Raider (College Causeway-Legal Moment) won an A3 graded 525-yards race. The black also showed great early pace from trap one to record a similar trap-to-line win by five lengths. His time was a good 28.79.
An A6 graded 525 was won in 29.30 by the Joe and John Hartigan-owned Swedish Birgitta (Hondo Black-Express-Mist) which beat John O’Kelly’s (Mullagh) Cragaknock Shaw by half a length.
John O’Kelly’s Cragaknock Zeno was third in the following race, anA9 graded 525 won by Egmont Pearl in 29.74.
Baulked at the opening bend, Princess Express (trap four) owned by Maura McDonagh, Kilnamona, ran on to be second home in an A5 graded 525 won by Gurtnacreehy Hobo in 29.24. The winning distance was four lengths.
O’Briensbridge owner, Bridget Casey, had a winner in Limerick on Friday night with Shyladee Lass. In the concluding race of the night, an A0 graded 525, the daughter of College Causeway- Lass Kewell was fast away from trap two to lead all the way for her 29.01 win. She won by half a length from Go Mandy.
Pansy Patch, owned by Ann Carey, Cooraclare, was third in an A8-A9 graded 525 won in 29.39.
The Crecora-owned Christy’s Scartty was a 29.60 winner of an A3 graded 525 by one-and-a-half lengths from Fernpark Phanter (Anna Carey, Cooraclare).Third home was Clonreddan Julie (Tom Keane, Cooraclare).
Newmarket-on-Fergus owner, Breda Casey, had Snuggie Boy in trap six in an A5 graded 550.  He was bumped at the opening bend, however,  and ran on to be third. The race was won in 30.66 by Blumoon Strummer.
There were two Clare winners from the Limerick meeting on Monday night. Ocean Rock, owned in Parteen by Tom Fitzgerald, led from the second bend to win an A4 graded 525 by three lengths. The son of Royal Impact-Ocean Lucy had a clock of 29.22.
Cratloe owner, Liam Caroll, had another win with his Portdrine Bobby (Hades Rocket-Jumeirah Jess). In the concluding race of the night, an A2 graded 525, the black broke well to lead all the way. However, from the third bend he came under pressure from Skywalker Kate but held on to win by a head in 29.10.