What A Tornado boosts Leger chances

WHAT A Tornado and Inislosky Magoo are the remaining Clare interests in the 2011 Irish St Leger at the Limerick Greyhound Racing Stadium. Trained by Paul Hennessy, What a Tornado was the fastest winner of the second-round heats last Saturday night and must stand a great chance of winning the classic, now that the outright favourite, Definate Opinion, and a few more fancied runners have been eliminated.
There were a number of shock results from the second-round heats, none greater than the elimination of Definate Opinion in the opening heat, in which Peony Flash was a non-runner in trap six. Definate Opinion went off the 1/3 favourite from trap five but after very early bumping from Tyrur Columbo, he was baulked at the opening bend and eventually finished in fifth place.
In contrast, Inislosky Magoo, owned in O’Briensbridge by Mary Crotty, had a flyer of a start from trap four. The son of Astronomic-Rushaun Breeze, the 6/1 outsider, always led the way from Allowdale Prince in trap five to win by three lengths in 29.92. Third home was Banba the Face.
What A Tornado finished with a great clock of 29.58, going very close to the new record of 29.54 set by Definate Opinion last week. A 29.67 first-round winner, What A Tornado was the 2/5 favourite in trap four in heat seven and the son of Crash-Natural Energy broke smartly and was just led to the bend by Mohane Eile in trap three. However, from here it was one-way traffic as What a Tornado pulled clear to eventually win by six lengths from Boherash Torres. Third spot in this heat went to Pool Hawk and down the field were Tony Daffy’s Inch Runner and Martin Kelly’s Rathorpe Hawk.
What a Tornado is owned by Ennis-based Dubliner, Peter Mulligan and Ennis native, Michael Hogan. He won his first race in Galway and afterwards went on to reach the semi-finals of Easter Cup, the Ted Hegarty 600 and the Texaco Puppy Stake in Newbridge.
The Michael O’Donovan-trained Big Appetite (Crash-Beaming Heart) won heat two in 29.95 from Whatsupjack and Bua Dearg, while Varra Captain came home in 29.87 in heat three, winning by two lengths from Killians Express. Third spot went to Dream Walker. The 5/4 favourite, Joey Jo Junior, finished fourth.
Tranquil Time made it a double for Paul Hennessy, winning heat four in 30.03 from Tyrur Lohan and Greenane Bingo. Other heat winners included Tyrur Brian (30.19) and Paradise Casino (29.61).
There were high hopes that Ocean Crash, owned and trained in Parteen by Tom Fitzgerald Jnr would be a strong contender for the Leger. However, he missed his break from trap three in the final heat on Saturday night, was baulked at the opening bend and finished in fourth place. Judicial Academy won the heat in 30.46, getting the verdict by a short head from Hey Gringo. Two lengths back for third place was Glenanore.
Inislosky Magoo and What A Tornado are drawn in the same third-round heat next Saturday night.
The full draw is as follows:
Heat 1: 1. De Ex Factor; 2. Tyrur Lohan; 3. Carrowkeal Rocky; 4. Paradise Casino; 5. Shelbourne Geoff; 6. Greenane Bingo.
Heat 2: 1. Tranquil Time; 2. Glenanore; 3. Big Appetite; 4. Hey Gringo; 5. Bua Dearg; 6. Killians Express.
Heat 3: 1. Tyrur Brian; 2. Varra Captain; 3. Banba the Face; 4. Dream Walker; 5. Judicial Academy; 6. Pool Hawk.
Heat 4: 1. Whatsupjack; 2. Inislosky Magoo; 3. Boherash Torres; 4. Big Bam; 5. What a Tornado; 6. Allowdale Prince.
The North Clare-owned Hold It Jennie won an A1 graded 525 yards race in Limerick last Thursday night. Although baulked at the opening bend, the daughter of Hades Rocket-Glenfort Rumble finished well for a 29.28 and half-length success for owner, Mark Shanon, the Burren.
The Michael Downes-trained and Enda Mulrooney (Galway) owned Donoughmore Lass finished third in the final of the A3 525 at the same venue on Saturday night. The race went to the 6/4 favourite, Broadacres Jet, trained by Graham Holland. His clock was 28.73, the best of the night.
Steves Sentinel, owned in Sixmilebridge by Sean Stack, qualified for the second-round heats of the Johnny Waters Memorial A2 over 525 yards. He was runner-up in heat three, one length behind the 29.18 winner, Trivia.
There was a small attendance when Monday night racing returned to Limerick this week.
Newmarket-on-Fergus owner, Myles Cummins, had early success with his Snugborough Gent, winning the first of 10 races. The son of Grup Rooster-Christians Lady led all the way for a three-and-a-half-length win in 30.24 in the A3 graded 550.
The next race on the card was won by the Downes family from Killaloe. Trained by Michael and owned by his wife, Janet Downes, Calling Belle won in the same manner as the previous winner. The daughter of Head Bound-Outcast Cygnet had a winning margin of seven lengths for her 29.32 win.
Sean Stack from Sixmilebridge made a return visit with Steves Sentinel and this time the son of Hondo Black-Corporate Group went all the way to win an S0/S1 graded 350 by three parts of a length in 18.91.The runner-up was Shandagan Lough, trained by Stephen Murray, Sixmilebridge and owned by him and JJ O’Dea, Derrylough.
Newmarket-on-Fergus owner, Leo McNulty, was runner-up with Bargain Green in an A4 graded 525 won by Fair Fantasy in 28.72, the best clock of the night.