A DOUBLE for County Cork owners Tim and Rose O’Driscoll and a well-deserved win for the Kilkee-owned She’s All Talk were the highlights of the enjoyable and successful Killimer-Kilrush coursing meeting at Aylevarroo last weekend.

West Clare venues have been good to the O’Driscoll family in recent years and this season, their Skellig Way won the all-aged cup at the Miltown Malbay fixture. Their brindled was again in top form at Aylevarroo where he landed another cup, the Gilligan and McMahon Mermorial Cup for 16 all aged dogs.

Skellig Way and Hunter’s Glory, already a winner of two cups this season at Ballyheigue and Cappoquin were the two big names for Killimer-Kilrush all-aged cup and were installed as 2/1 joint favourites before coursing. At the top half of the draw, they came through their first-round tests at the expense of Moonveen Badher and Halsbak to set up a mouth-watering clash in the afternoon. It was Skellig Way who went through to the semi-finals after a four-length win.

Also through in this half for the second day was the Kilmallock-owned Shining Toby (10/1 before coursing).
Coming through to the semi-finals from the bottom half were Eshwary Sea (6/1) and the Spanish Point-owned Star Point (4/1) who had the measure of Windfarm Eiscir (6/1) in the opening round.

Skellig Way was now the 2/5 favourite on Sunday to repeat his Miltown Malbay win, while Eshwary Sea was 2/1 and Shining Toby and Star Point were available at 4/1.

Skellig Way got the first and only turn in his five-length win over Shining Toby in the first of the semi-finals, while Eshwary Sea was in control all the way in a straight run in the second semi-final.

Skellig Way (Mafi Magic-Skellig Beag) was in front from slips and was five lengths in front for the opening points in the final against Eshwary Sea (Sandy Sea-Itellyoumikey) trained by Dan Brassil for Gary Anderson of Bessbrook. The winner was nominated by JJ O’Dea, joint honorary secretary of the Killimer-Kilrush Coursing Club and Eshwary Sea was nominated by Kiera and Mary McNamara.

The Haugh family from Kilkee were popular winners of the Aylevarroo All-Aged Bitch Stake (16). Their She’s All Talk was beaten in the finals at the regional and Tradaree but it was third time lucky for the connections of the daughter of Bexhill Eoin-Fisherman’s Lucky who gave another very genuine performance on her way to success at Aylevarroo.

Before coursing, the odds-favoured She’s All Talk, Jeru Melody and Meadow Star, were all at 3/1.

In the top half, Larchill Millie (10/1) and the Pat Curtin-trained Parker Lady (14/1) qualified for the second day.
She’s All Talk and Jeru Melody were the qualifiers from the bottom half.

Betting for the semi-finals was 5/4 Larchill Millie, 4/1 Parker Lady, 2/1 She’s All Talk and 1//2 Jeru Melody.
Larchill Millie got through to the final after beating Parker Lady by three lengths in the first semi-final. She’s All Talk survived the challenge of Ruth O’Donoghue’s (Cree) Jeru Melody in the second semi-final, winning by four lengths.

In the Galway-Clare final She’s All Talk, trained by members of the Haugh family, got the better of matters from the start of the climb to win by two lengths from Larchill Millie (Kingsmill Dynamo-Larchill Lil) carrying the hopes of Loughrea-based Michael Donoghue (owner) and Paddy Donoghue, trainer who also has past links with Larchill near Ennis.

Jimmy Normoyle, Doonbeg, nominated the winner and Larchill Millie was nominated by Paddy Troy from near Kilkee.

Skellig Tivili (Adios Alonso-Beyond Tivoli) brought off the first part of the double for the O’Driscoll family by winning the Oaks trial stake (32).

Jeru Magic and Careful Ivy both at 3/1, Gourna Delight, Ballymac Vista, Mountain Fancy, Coshair Padi, Knockbrack Lucy, Skellig Tivoli, Bend You Knee and and Yorkvikle River, all at 4/1, were the pre-coursing market leaders. Most of them survived for the second day, the casualties being Jeru Melody when off line in her first-round defeat to the reserve Crafty Aramdo: Careful Ivy who went out in the opening round to Martin Keane’s (Kilmihil) Flushing Chick; Mountain Fancy who was beaten two lengths by the Ennis-owned Deirdre’s Delight in Round 1; Coshair Padi who was also beaten in the first round by the Miltown Malbay-owned Knockbrack Lucy and the Abbeydorney-owned Bend You Kee who beat reserve runner Kineilty Jazz in the first round but was not on the list of second-round winners.

Betting on Sunday saw Skellig Tivoli, the even-money favourite; 2/1 Ballymac Vista, 5/2 Flushing Chick and Promises, 3/1 Jane Óg and Crafty Armado, 4/1 Deirdre’s Delight.Yorkville River was withdrawn.
It was very tight all the way in the first of the quarter-final buckles but Jane Óg just got up to beat Liam Dowling’s Ballymac Vitta.

Crafty Armado had two and a half lengths on Vincent Quinn’s Deirdre’s Delight, while Flushing Chick changed sides before being beaten half a length for the first turn by Skellig Tivoli. Gerard Brassil’s Promises had a bye run through the absence of Yorkville River.

Skellig Tivoli was still the even-money favourite at the semi-final stage with 6/1 Jane Óg, and 2/1 Crafty Armado and Promises.

Jane Óg was more on line for her four-length win over Crafty Armado, owned by the Divilly family syndicate fromn Claregalway, while Skellig Tivoli came from behind to win by three lengths from Promises in a straight run.

In another straight run in the final, Skellig Tivoli (Adios Alonso-Beyond Tivoli) always had the advantage and went well clear at the steep part of the hill to win by three lengths from Jane Óg (Bexhill Eoin-Jessie Jane) owned by members of the McReidy Syndicate from Coolmeen in West Clare.

West Clare owner John Meaney, originally from Cooraclare and now living in Burrane, Killimer, won the Reserve Derby trial stake (32) with Sharp Dancer (Razor Ashmore-Hand Pass). It was a pretty open contest before coursing and after two rounds on Saturday, the odds-favoured Clonmore Hunter at 2/1. Others were 3/1 Yorkville James, Bitofanutter Scrapper Jayo and Drean Valley, 4/1 Sharp Dancer, 5/1 Goforiteoin.
Absent on Sunday was the Denny Gould and Noel Hehir-owned Karlsrushe after wining two rounds on the opening day.

In the first of the quarter-finals, Sharp Dancer was led by  the Ballylongfdord-owned Yorkville James but came through to win by two lengths in a straight-up course;  Bitofanutter had two lengths on  Liam Shannon’s (Ballynacally) Gorforiteoin: Scrapper Jayo had a bye run through the absence of Karlsrushe, while the lead changed hands before Clonmore Hunter put out Drean Valley by two lengths.
Semi-final odds were 3/1 Sharp Dancer, even-money Bitofanutter; 5/2 Scrapper Jayo and 5/4 Clonmore Hunter.

Sharp Dancer got enough to do after scoring the opening points when one length in front of the Ardfert-owned Bitofanutter in the first semi-final. It was a closer affair in the second semi-final with Scrapper Jao going in front at the start of the climb to win by half a length from Clonmore Hunter. It was 2/5 for Scrapper Jayo (Kilbeacanty Hill-Cable Sal) and 6/4 for Sharp Dancer (Razor Ashmore- Hand Pass) in the final.
There was no denying John Meaney’s white and brindled when he went clear on the hill to win by three lengths. The runner-up is owned in Gort by Master Jason O’Donoghue.

The Members’ Stake for 16 dogs and bitches went to Mariners’ Matt (Matt Hyland-Mariner’s Susie) jointly owned by Caoimhghinn Carey from Ballyvorda, Liscannor and James Fennell of Carrigaholt and Kinvara. In the final,  he came from behind to beat Mahonburg Magic, owned by Kenneth Higgins and Bradley Higgins, Inch, Ennis, by two lengths. In the semi-finals, Mariners Matt accounted for Jeru King (Jenna O’Donoghue, Cree), while Mahonburg Magic had three lengths on Tromora Proof owned in Quilty by Kathleen Hogan.

In the Killimer-Kilrush final of the Members’ Surplus Stake (16), the honours went to John Fitzgerald, Kilrush, whose Fitzler Express came from behind to beat Scattery Shore (Bexhill Eoin-Scattery Express) owned by the Scattery syndicate from Killimer, by two lengths.

The final of the Hare Catcher Stake for 16 two-course dogs and bitches was divided between Castle Call (Adios Alonso-Cillowen Call), owned in Kilkee by the Never Go Home Syndicate and Sharp Ash (Razor Ashmore-Hand Pass) owned by Michael Meaney, Tullabrack, Cooraclare and Jason Meaney, a son of John Meaney, Killimer. The beaten semi-finalists were Astons Diamond (Lawrence Meaney, Tullabrack) and Clonreddan Bex (Thomas Keane, Cooraclare).

The officials in charge for the two days were Tony Reddan, Sixmilebridge, judge and new slipper Anthony McNamara from Moneen, Killimer. He performed well in what was his third meeting.

It was cold but dry on the opening day, while it was still dry and milder on Sunday when the Killimer-Kilrush Club decided to start 30 minutes earlier because of the forecast of bad weather in the afternoon. It was a wise decision and  the entire programme was over at 2.40pm before any rain reached the venue. The meeting was once again a credit to the host club. They had a good stock of strong running hares and they got through the programme on both days in a business-like manner.

 

Rathkeale-Rathcormack winners

IT was a good weekend for the Meaney family from Burrane, Killimer, for as well as featuring well at the  Killimer-Kilrush meeting on Sunday, they also had a winner at the Rathkeale coursing meeting on the same day.

Guts and Fire (Razor Ashmore-Hand Pass), owned by Louise Meaney, won the Deel Stake for eight two-course duffers. He won the final by two lengths from the locally owned Cry After Dawn (Murty’s Gang Sarah Mary’s Bell).

At the Rathcormack meeting, also on Sunday last, the Reserve Oaks Trial Stake (32) was won by Gambian Lady (Bexhill Eoin-Woodpark Rebel) jointly owned by Bernard Quinn, Woodpark, Newmarket-on-Fergus and Miss S Guiney. She won the final by five lengths from the Blarney-owned Sminky Short (Mafi Magic-Mountain Guest).