FOR the second Saturday on the trot young Glenamaddy trainer Conor Fahy had a double with his father’s charges at the Greyhound Racing Stadium.
He was joined by Killaloe trainer Michael Downes, who also made two trips to the winners’ enclosure.
The Fahy double was with Tyrur Lauren (29.03) in the featured A1-graded race and Tyrur Gerado (28.93) in an A3-graded 575. In the featured race, the Michael Downes-trained Ta Toosh filled third place.
The Downes kennels were also represented by Stormy Dan in the opening A7-graded 525-yard race but the Limerick-owned Fancy Bigboy was always in front and won by two and a quarter lengths in 29.85 from Stormy Dan.
Parteen-based trainer Joe Collins opened the Clare account with Matt Bird winning race number two, an S7-graded 350-yard event. Drawn in trap two, the daughter of Matt Hyland-Scattery Mac was off to a flyer and was four lengths in front in the run to the opening bend.
Although challenged by the Cooraclare-owned Bridge Blaze, owned by Anna Carey, Matts Bird maintained her advantage and crossed the line close on five lengths in front of Bridge Blaze with a clock of 19.42. Owned by the Shanakyle syndicate from Parteen, Matts Bird was following up on her two recent wins in Limerick.
The next race also came the Banner County’s way, this time Blaze Flame doing the business for Ennis owners Anthony Brigdale and Margaret Burns. The winner was well supported in this A5-graded race but it was Kilrush-owned Ler Nadal who set the pace from trap two.
However, at the first the early leader moved off the rail and this allowed Blaze Flame in one to go through and hold the initiative going for the back straight. The daughter of Black Shaw-Sheehans Cottage built up a lead of two lengths and although Ler Nadal closed the gap in the run home, the Ennis owned black bitch had enough in reserve to beat Ler Nadal, owned by John Fitzgerald, Kilrush, by one length in a time of 29.34.
Ballyea-based handler John Browne scored again with Brickhill Frank in the fourth race, an S3-graded sprint. The son of Ballymac Maeve-Rathmeehan Maura led the field by three lengths with Deerpark Rachel in the run to the first bend, where the eventual winner shot to the front.
He galloped strongly from here to the line to hold off the fast-finishing Dunarus Corker – owned and trained by Jennie Griffin, Gort – to win by a length and a quarter in 19.15. The winner is owned by the Bogey Boys syndicate from Ballyhaunis.
There was a further Ennis success in another sprint event and this time the honours went to Cragbrien Hincho, owned by Martin Cronin and Jack Markham. Electro Digweed in trap four showed the way but Cragbrien Honcho in six soon found his stride to lead at the first. The son of Top Honcho-Castleview Lady continued to show the way to win the race by five lengths in 18.97 from the John McDonagh-trained Kilbannon Magic.
The Michael Downes-trained Reargrove Gent finished third in an A2-graded525, which was won in 28.91 by the locally owned Burnpark Julie, trained by Rynal Ruane.
The Killaloe trainer fared better in an open sprint race with Rock of Lacala, owned by Pat Reeves and Cathal Kilmartin, Limerick. First to show was the even-money favourite and Jerry Griffin-trained Rockbarton best in trap two. However, he was soon joined by Rock of Lacla, who took the lead after the first.
The son of Crash-Floating Lass was three clear at the home bend and although General Tom closed in on the way home, the Michael Downes-trained black still had nearly two lengths to spare at the line. His winning time was 18.98.
The second part of the Downes double came in the last race on the card with Donoughmore Lass. The A1-graded 550 saw the Michael Downes-trained fawn bitch lead by one length at the first and despite the best efforts of Buy More Lifts, the daughter of Tyrur Ted-Any Customer was still good enough to hold on to her lead and win by four lengths in 30.46.
The bumper was an A1-graded 550 and on the long run to the opening bend the Michael Downes-trained Donoughmore Lass (trap 5) led by a length from Gone To Mirah (trap 3) and Tyrur Friday (trap 2) . Rounding the opening bend, Gone To Mirah ran wide, hampering all bar the leader, who quickly opened up a four-length advantage on her rivals racing towards halfway.
Approaching the third bend, Buy More Lifts (trap 1) went in pursuit of the leader but Dounoughmore Lass (Tyrur Ted-Any Customer) was home for all money as she galloped to a four-length success in 30.46.

A good night for East Clare trainer

CLARE owners came away with four wins from the Galway Greyhound Racing Stadium last Thursday night when East Clare owner-trainer  Donal Cooney scored a nice double.
His second part of the double was in the concluding race, which was the featured A2-graded 525 when Worth A  Wager was an impressive winner.
From the start, Hollywood Sinead  in trap three just showed in front of  Worth A Wager in four and Danthenavigator in two.  There was  bunching between all the participants when negotiating the first bend and as they headed for the back Donal Cooney’s charge went to the front and as they passed the half-way mark the son of Ace Hi Rumble and Culleen Sally  was three lengths to the good. From the third bend there was no stopping the black, who raced on for a four and half lengths win from the reserve runner, Grandas Mica. Owned by the Boys Club syndicate, Worth A Wager had a clock of 29.27.
Ennistymon owner Michael Davoren won the third race on the card, an S8-graded 350-yard event with Willbrook Dame. Trap two runner Castlesheela Lad just headed the field from the start but when he checked at the first, trap four runner Willbrook Dame took up the running and from here on the daughter of Prince Monalulu-Missouri Dame led the field  and won by half a length from Shes Fantastic with a clock of 19.51.
The Jerry Griffin-trained Churchview Joker was in flying form to win his debut race. This was an A8-graded 525 in which the winner emerged as the leader from the opening bend. He was two lengths clear going down the back and then found another gear to cross the line with the rest  of the field  well behind him. He won by 11-and-half lengths in 29.08 from the Seamus Fahy-trained Aulton Sekes, owned by Pat Hogan, Ballyalla, Ennis.
The Arthur family from Inagh also had a worthwhile trip to the College Road venue when they saw their Triggs of Inagh take an S8-graded 350-yard race. Owned by Aisling  Arthur, the daughter of Droopys Scolari-Cathy of Inagh was fast away from trap two to set up an early lead of two lengths from Dunarus Scolari in trap four. She extended her lead when the trap four runner switched inside and in the run for home Triggs of Inagh had enough in hand to win by one length from Willbrook Queen, owned by Michael Davoren, Ennistymon. A length and half back for third place was Dunarus Scolari,  owned and trained by Jennie Griffin, Gort. 
Scattery Vieri, owned by  PJ O’Halloran in West Clare, led  to the first bend in an A7-graded 525 from Peejays Hope, who took over the lead after rounding the bend. He was three lengths clear down the back but coming towards the third corner the Loughrea-owned  Cricket Mac had made up a lot of ground by the rail and he slipped through to take the lead and go on to win the race by a length and a half in 29.98 from the Clare-owned Goneinahurry (Laura Murray and Donald Devaney). Third place went to Peejays Hope, owned by Denis Halpin, Carrigaholt. The winner is owned by Jody Daniels.
There was another Clare win in the final sprint of the night, which went to Amsterdam Kid, trained by Stephen Murray for the Shannon Boys syndicate from Shannon. The locally owned Everylittle Helps in trap  three was first to show but it didn’t take long until  Amsterdam Kid in trap four got into his stride to take the initiative. While the son of Trendy Leigh-Mona the Minx moved off the bend carrying Enticement with him, he stayed in front and went on to win the race by a length and a quarter in 19.49 from Enticement. The West Clare-owned West Clare Dream, owned by PJ O’Halloran and Geraldine Ryan, Killimer, was third.
The first part of Donal Cooney’s double came in race eight, which was an A4-graded 525 with Killuran Alison. On the run to the first bend Selecta Solar in trap four led by two lengths from Fernpark Gold in five and Killuran Alison in one. However, down the back Killuran Alison made full use of the run on the inside lane and was the one to  beat as they approached the third bend and the son of Westmead Hawk-Lady Alison was in command to the finish line, where he had three and a half lengths on the runner-up, Murphy’s Surprise. The winner’s clock was 29.29.
The  Athenry-owned Kiltulla Fantasy was the 29.83 winner of an A5-graded 525, finishing three parts of a length in front of Ballard Susie, owned and trained by West Clare’s Seán Hehir.
Kinvara owner Michael Nash also had a winner on the night with his Lormic Bill doing the business in an A3-graded 525. He was fast off the mark  from trap one and led all the  way for his 29.50 win.

Faypoint takes Produce Stakes

There was no joy for Killaloe trainer Nicola Downes, whose Droopys Lennon finished down the field in the final of the Connolly’s Red Mills Produce Stakes final in Clonmel on Sunday night.
Recently purchased by Keith Allsop but still trained by Owen McKenna, Faypoint  Dave got off to a great start from trap  four. Down the back he was still heading the field from Movealong Catch and Valais Mover.  From this stage there was no stopping the son of Hondo Black- Drive On Fancy, who crossed the line two and a half lengths in front of the locally owned Valais Mover, with Movealong Catch beaten a head into third place. The winner’s clock was 28.64. The 7/4 favourite, Thorn Brae Brett, stumbled on the run up.
Nicola Downes was also out of luck in the Consolation final when her Big Ego finished in fourth place. Castlelyons Ralf, owned by Eddie and Denis Fitzgerald, put in a strong finish to win the race by a neck from Quick Lee with a clock of 28.58.

No winner

Clare owners did not feature that well in Limerick last weekend. They had no winner at all and the only placed runner was Shyan Tobias, owned by Mary Crotty, O’Briensbridge, who was beaten one length into second place by the Denis Hayes-trained Johnsies Crash, who had a clock of 29.77 for the A6-graded 525-yard race.