MULLAGH publican, Noel Moroney is making a habit of doing things in style. He was the star of the show on a night at the Galway Greyhound Racing Stadium last August when he had three winners and the spotlight was on him once more at the same venue last Friday night, when he came up with another three-timer. All three winners are owned and trained by him.

He had already two winners on the card with Tiermana Buss and Tiermana Streak. before Tiermana Club completed the treble by taking the feature A3 graded final race over 525 yards.

First into the winners’ parade ring was Tiermana Buss, who was first to cross the line in the sixth race, an S3 graded 350 yards event. The Tuam-owned Kilbannon Bertie made full use of the inside line to to show first but close on his heels was the Ennistymon-owned Consequential, in trap four, and Tiermana Buss, in trap two. When they reached the bend, it was time for Tiermana Buss to make his move and he shot into a two-length lead. The daughter of Head Bound-Tiermana Hawk remained in front to win the race by a length and a half in 19.11 from the Tom Flanagan-owned Consequential, who finished two-and-a-quarter lengths in front of the third-placed Kilbannon Bertie.

The second part of the treble was achieved by Tiermana Streak in the 10th race, an A4 graded 525. Showing good early foot from trap three, the daughter of Droopys Scolari-Sharons Promise headed Mister Oh, in trap four, and Cragbrien View, in two. Tiermana Streak went a little wide down the back but maintained her lead and held off the strong challenge from Cragbrien View (Martin Cronin, Ennis and Jack Marham) to win by two and a quarter lengths in 29.28. Three lengths further back for third place was Rathmeehan Brett, owned and trained in Ballyea by John Browne.

Tiermana Club, a litter brother of Tiermana Buss, completed the treble by taking the next race, which was the featured one on the card. Drawn in trap six, Tiermana Club was another who showed good early pace to lead at the first bend by a length from Aulton Ron in one and Glasheen Sally in three.

By halfway, Tiermana Club had stretched his lead to four lengths but it was a different picture by the home bend as the challengers drew much nearer. In the very tight finish, Tiermana Club held out to win by a neck in 29.25 from Glasheen Sally, with the Pat Hogan and Michael Enright-owned Aulton Ron taking third place, a length and a quarter back.

A grand late effort by the Newmarket-on-Fergus owned Snuggie Babe was not good enough to see off Tyrur Sammon, the winner of the opening race on the card, an A4 graded 575. Owned by Breda Casey, Snuggie Babe was runner-up to Tyrur Sammon, the 32.21 winner by two and a quarter lengths.

Quin owner Helen Vaughan won the next race, an A7 graded 525 with Vals Moment, in trap five. The daughter of Hades Rocket-Classical Moment moved away from Ellie Mia, in trap three, at the opening bend to go a length clear. Trap six runner, Ashcarne Ella started to close in on the leaders down the back but Vals Moment remained on as the front runner and crossed the line a length and three quarters ahead of Ashcarne Ella. The time was 29.84.

It was the turn of Gort owner, Tony Walsh to visit the winners’ ring after his Burgoyne Barack won the following race, an S8/S9 graded 350 yards event. The son of Drumcrow Obama-Podium Chic disputed the early lead with Clongoreys Crest but took the initiative after rounding the opening bend. Despite moving off the home bend slightly, he had enough in hand to take the race by nearly three lengths in 19.80.

The Stephen Murray (Kilmurry) trained Sensivity finished third in an S6 graded sprint won in 19.63 by the County Cork-owned Unknown Buzz.

Cratloe owner, Gerry Manley also had a winner with Confused Bigbang (Barefoot Bolt-Pennys Shelly), the joint 7/4 favourite for an A6 graded 525. Despite missing the break from trap three, the black showed good pace to lead at the opening bend. By halfway, he was three lengths to the good but with the nearest challengers closing in on the run home, Confused Bigbang held out to win by a neck in 29.84 from the locally owned Ballyhale Claire.

The sixth Clare win of the night was recorded by the trap three runner, Inagh Ivy (Shaneboy Lee-Inagh Spice) in an A6 graded 525. Owned in Inagh by Noel Hehir, the black bitch just shaded it at the opening bend from the favourite, Castlegar Lass, in trap five, and Confused Jenny, in trap one.

However, moving well down the back, the winner extended her lead to four lengths. However, by the third bend, the lead was considerably reduced by Confused Jenny but Inagh Ivy held on to her lead to win by a length in 29.565 from Confused Jenny, again owned by Gerry Manley.

There was another tight finish to an A5 graded 525, which saw the locally owned Willing Listner showing good early pace to lead by three lengths. Railing well over the last two bends, the daughter of Kinloch Brae-Great Delight looked to have the race wrapped up but Snuggie Jack was not finished yet and he came with a late burst down the middle of the track.

Willing Listner held out to prevail by a neck from Snuggie Jack, owned by Myles Cummins, Newmarket-on-Fergus. The time was 29.67.

Dogs before Cats for Davy

BEFORE marshalling his troops for the National Hurling League game against All-Ireland champions Kilkenny in Ennis on Sunday, Clare hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald has an engagement at the Limerick Greyhound Racing Stadium on Saturday, where he will have more than a passing interest in the outcomes of the semi-final heats of the country’s richest ever puppy event, the Con and Annie Kirby Puppy Stake.

With Clonlara brothers, Diarmuid and Eoin Garrahy, he owns Droopys Banner (Black Stone Gene-Droopys Bolero), which runs from trap six in the opening semi-final heat of the puppy stake.

Trained in Toomevara by Pat Guilfoyle, he recently won the final of the Fast Trap Stake in Thurles.
He ran from trap one in the third-round heat of the puppy stake last Saturday night, a heat that produced the best performance of the night by the Paddy Hennessy-trained Comerford Cakes National Puppy stake winner, Leamaneigh Turbo (Ace Hi Rumble-Turbo Flight), whose 28.16 win was the fastest clock to date in the event.

Drawn in trap three, Leamaneigh Turbo was fastest away to go clear by four lengths at halfway. Roxholme  Bully was in second place, with Droopys Banner going into third place down the back. Leamaneigh Turbo raced on to win the race by a length and a half frm Roxholme Bully. Droopys Banner took the third qualifying spot, three and a half lengths back.

Another qualifier for the semi-finals is Stone Boy King, owned by Eleanor Mullins and Mark Curtin, Gort. He finished third in the heat won in 28.46 by Scolari  Express, who beat Plus Five by three and a half lengths. Stone Boy King finished two lengths back for third place.

The results from the other heats were Asford Castle (28.35) from Slippery Robert and Oran Maestro; Kisses For Cloda (28.34) from Melodys Gambler and Royal  Diva.

Ashford Castle and Roxholme Bully are now the 3/1 favouries; 9/2, Leamaneigh Turbo; 8, Oran Maestro; 9, Scolari Express; 12, Kisses For Cloda, Melodys Gamble and Slippery Robert; 25, Royal Diva; 40, Droopys Banner and 66, Stone Boy King.

Semi-final draw: heat 1: 1. Melodys Gamble; 2. Ashford Castle; 3. Scolari Express; 4. Stone Boy King; 5. Kisses For Cloda; 6. Droopys Banner; heat 2: 1. Oran Maestro; 2. Royal Diva; 3. Roxholme Bully; 4. Leamaneigh Turbo; 5. Slippery Robert (m); 6. Plus Fie (w).

Feed Me Cherrys, owned in Mountshannon by Kim Knell, was always second in an A2 graded 660 and  finished as runner-up, 10 lengths behind Ballymartin Wok, the 32.51 winner.

Mullagh owner-trainer, Noel Moroney, who had a fine treble in Galway on Friday night, was second with Tiermana Star in a mini open 525, won by reserve runner, Raggletaggle Rio in 28.74 and by two and a half lengths.

Third placed in the following race, an A4 graded 600, was Steragel Mine, owned by Brendan Carroll, Newmarket-on-Fergus. The race was won by Banbas Sapphire in 32.98.

Following his 29.69 win with the Gurteenree Syndicate-owned Carhumore Ego in Limerick on March 6, Kilmurry trainer, Stephen Murray had another winner at the same venue last Friday night. This time he scored with Ballymac Juice (Black Shaw-Coolavanny Minor) in an A5 graded 525. Owned by the X In Bed Syndidate, whose  members are Clare employees of De Beers in Shannon, Ballymac Juice showed great early pace to remain in control all the way for his 29.21 win, six lengths in front of Shaneboy Alfie.

Placed in their races were Juicy Prince and Candy Cottage (Anna Carey, Cooraclare) and Upland Chill (Harry Galvin, Cratloe and Sean Dinneen, Kerry).

There will be a race night on Good Friday, March 29 at Limerick Greyhound Racing Stadium, when there will be 11 races on the card.

There will be a fundraiser for Garryowen RFC in Limerick this Friday night.

Entries are now being accepted for open races on March 30 and the  next sale in Limerick will be on Tuesday, May 14, for which entries are now being accepted.

Hard to beat An Ould Habit

THE fourth win on-the-trot by the Gort-owned An Ould Habit gave him one of the four finals down for decision at the Galway Greyhound Racing Stadium last Saturday night.

Running from trap two in the Like Us On Facebook A8 final, the son of Top Savings-Nannas Stool was in third place at the opening bend, where Leonies Nick, in trap six, led by two lengths from Rosehill Boy, in three, and An Ould Habit, the evens-money favourite. Leonies Nick had stretched his lead to six lengths by the halfway mark from An Ould Habit, who started to make inroads from the third bend. Off the home bend, the Gort-owned black switched inside and managed to get up at the line to beat Leonies Nick by a neck in 29.22 and earn a €1,330 cheque for owner Jason O’Donoghue.

Milesian Story, owned in West Clare by Patrick Conlon, finished third in the Tote Guarantees Every Night A4 final won by Hughie Keleghan’s O’Garney Princess (Hondo Black-Money Go Lucky) in 29.32.

Ascot Ace, trained in Killaloe by Michael Downes for his wife, Janet Downes, and the Maurice Mullaney (Gort) trained Swift Milo have qualified for the Follow Us On Twitter A3 final. In the second of the semi-final heats last Saturday night, Swift Milo did not get the best of breaks from trap four but nonetheless had enough early foot to lead Springwell Busty, in trap one, and Ascot Ace, in trap two by two lengths at the opening bend. Springwell Busty was unsuccessful when trying to cut inside down the back where Ascot Ace (Ace Hi Rumble-Floating Lass) was full of running. At the home bend, Ascot Ace hit the front and followed through for a 29.26 win, beating Clonrooske Blue by a length and three quarters. Third home was Swift Milo, the same distance back.

Des and Elliott Whyte’s Oran Style (Premier Fantasy-Oran Majestic) won the first semi-final heat in 28.81 from Winter Dream and Tyrur Ella.

Clare owners took the first and runner-up spots in the top graded race of the night, an A0/A1 graded 550. After an even break, the Ennis-owned Bypass Blackie, in trap two, managed to get through at the first bend to open up a three-length lead  by halfway. The lead stretched to five lengths before the Shannon-owned Starlight Kevin in trap three started his big challlenge.

By the home turn, the lead had been cut back to two lengths and as they sailed for home, Starlight Kevin (Express Ego-Mid Flavour) came flying through to snatch a narrow win for Shannon owners, Thomas and Niall O’Sullivan. The time was 30.39. Runner-up Bypass Blackie is trained by Donie Duggan for Paddy Darcy. The even-money favourite, Tennesse Morning, was third, a length and a quarter back.

The in-form Faoie (College Causeway-Nebrsaka West) won another Galway race for Caherea owner, Martin Griffin. Her latest triumph was in an A2-graded 550. Getting off to a lively start from trap two, she led the race to the first bend, went six lengths clear down the far side and, at the line, was nearly seven lengths in front of the runner-up, Lismadine Jack, owned by Paddy Troy from near Kilkee and Conor McInerney, Clarecastle.
In the all-Clare finish, third spot went to the Donie Duggan owned and trained, Knoppogue Green. The winner’s clock was 30.49.

Gort bar and restaurant owner, NoelMullins did not come away empty handed as Hurling Nun, which he owns and trains, was successful in a D3 graded race over the 810 marathon trip. Well away from trap one, the daughter of Kiowa Sweet Trey-Express Vintage had jumped into a four-length lead after negotiating the first two bends. After the first circuit, the trap two runner Fanningstown Ace started to close in, before taking a slight lead at the second-last bend. However, Hurling Nun came again and with a great response on the way home, she got up to win the race by a length in 46.75.