Win celebrated in the Black Hills of Dakota

EVEN though he was travelling in a coach high among the Black Hills of Dakota at the time, West Clare born priest, Fr Jack Meade kept in touch with what was happening in Shelbourne Park on a date last June. His fellow coach travellers were also aware an important greyhound final was taking place in Ireland and joined in  celebrations after Fr Jack’s Dalcash Dvinsky won the Sporting Press Irish Oaks.
Details of how he and the American tourists were kept up to date with the Oaks final were disclosed by Fr Jack at the Irish Greyhound Board’s National Greyhound Racing Awards function in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Meelick last Sunday afternoon when his Dalcash Dvinsky was named the Bitch of the Year.
He said that while travelling in the coach, he heard the Oaks final commentary on his mobile phone. The man in charge of the coach also asked was there anybody on board who had a greyhound in a big race in Ireland. Travelling with them were tourists from New Zealand and Canada and they thought the Clare man had something running in the Kentucky Derby.
Fr Jack also told the attendance he also travelled to Little Bighorn where Custer and Crazy Horse fought it out. On that same evening, he picked up a pamphlet about Custer to find out that in 1872, he had greyhounds in Kansas and he hunted on the plains of Kansas with them.
Fr Jack said he had been involved in sport all his life. He played Gaelic football in Clare, rugby in Dublin and he also played golf but the greyhound sport was the best thing he ever got involved in.
Also in contention for the Bitch of the Year award were Clearview Kelly and Cooloaderry Fizz, consistent performers all through the year.
However, Dalcash Dvinsky had a great record. She raced 15 times, winning 10 races and she won her last seven races on the trot. Her unbeaten run carried her through the semi-final and final of the Olympic Bee Puppy Oaks and all through the five rounds of the Sporting Press Irish Oaks. On the night she won the Sporting Press Oaks final, she was still four months short of her second birthday.
A daughter of Ace Hi Rumble-Dalvcash Diva, Dalcash Dvinsky is owned, bred and trained by Fr Jack, who is a native of Knockliscrane, Miltown Malbay and is president of Rockwell College.
It was also a great occasion for Glenamaddy owner PJ Fahy, whose Tyrur Big Mike, Tyrur Enda and Tyrur McGuigan were the three dogs nominated for Dog of the Year. The nod went to Tyrur McGuigan, who won the Ladbrokes.com Irish Derby.
His Tyrur Temptress was also named Brood Bitch of the Year, beating off Sean Meade’s (Miltown Malbay) Dalcash Diva and Regards to Alice owned by Brendan Gervin, Coalisland.
John Doyle from Enniscorthy is owner, trainer and breeder of Kiltrea Kev, named the top marathon greyhound of the year.
The sprint title went to Sheepwalk Mac owned by Dessie Gilroy, Belfast.
The awards were presented by Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Shane McEntee, who forecast exciting times ahead for the greyhound industry. He said that they in government would do everything to push the industry forward. This would involve all within the industry and the new IGB chairman, who would be announced this week.
He added it was his intention to visit every greyhound track in the country and meet all people involved.

New stadium record for Tinkerbell

THE Paul Hennessy-trained Tyrur Tinkerbell, owned by Grace Hennessy, Gowran, has posted the fastest time yet at the recently opened Greyhound Racing Stadium in Limerick. In the last few stride, he got up to beat Cornamaddy Swift by a neck with an outstanding clock of 28.28 in the first semi-final heat of the Roches Feeds Oaks last Saturday night. Third home was Express Trend.
There were traffic problems in the second semi-final, which saw the Rachel Wheeler-trained Inshaarla producing a great run down the back to lead at the third bend and go to win the heat by two and a half lengths from Borna Del. The clock for this heat was 28.64. The trap draw for thefinal on Saturday night is 1. Express Trend; 2. Cornamaddy Swift; 3. Loca Flyer; 4.  Inshaarla; 5. Borna Dell; 6. Tyrur Tinkerbell.
First-time runner, Knoppogue Mate, (Kinloch Brae-Climates Kewell) was a 29.70 winner for owner-trainer, Donie Duggan, in Limerick last Saturday night. He won the N2 graded 525 by three lengths.
North Clare owner, Martin Kelly, Tubber, also had a winner on the same card, his Rathorope Blanco (Droopy’s Kewell-Rathorpe Baby) again obliging. In the A1 graded 525, he took up the running at the third bend and went on to score a four-length win in a time of 28.91.
Placed in their races were Inagh Heineken (Michael McGuane, Inagh), Snogborough Gent (Myles Cummins, Newmarket-on-Fergus) and Not A Bob, trained by Denis O’Malley for the Castlefergus Syndicate Quin.
There were two Clare winners at the same venue on Friday night. Mullagh owner, JohnO’Kelly, had success in the third race, an A3 graded 525, with Cragaknock Tina. A daughter of Westmead Joe-Safari Princess, she went off the 5/2 favourite from trap three. For her trap-to-line win, she had a clock of 29.13, finishing two lengths in front of Mary’s Bud Light.
Donie Duggan also visited the winners’ arena after the first semi-final heat of the Roches Feeds A2 event with Manus Chesnut (Crash-Baby Jean), which he trains for Pat McInerney, senior, Manus. Leading all the way, Manus Chestnut had a clock of 29.08 when beating Nemos Star by three and a half lengths.
The 29.28 winner of the second semi-final was the Grahamn Holland-trained Bawna Amber. She won by two and a half lengths from Mary Reidy’s Barntick Luke.
The Donie Dugan-trained Peadar’s Touch, owned in Shannon by Peter Russell, finished third in the opening race of the night, a semi-final heat of the N2/N3 Unraced 525.
Looks Like Tracely won an N2 graded 525 with a clock of 29.51.The wining distance was five lengths from Confused  Maeve, owned by GerryManley, Cratloe. Third place went to the Michael Downes-trained Ascot Ace.
O’Briensbridge owner, Mary Crotty, had Inislosky Magoo in trap four in a semi-final heat of the Roches Feeds A2 event and he came home in third place.

IGB spreading its wings to China

THE Irish Greyhound Board is planning to expand its activities to China. The plan is to build a number of stadia in China and Bord na gCon would provide the management expertise to deliver on this potential.
In return, the Irish Greyhound Board would receive a significant management fee per stadia per year with all their costs already covered. The IGB would be the sole suppliers of greyhounds for this venture, thus ensuring very significant outlets for hard-pressed breeders in Ireland, IGB CEO, Adrian Neilan, told the annual National Greyhound Awards function in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Meelick last Sunday.
In addition, this opportunity will deliver significant employment opportunities as they ramp up the business. However, they have many steps to take to deliver on this. Moreover, they would not do anything to damage their well-earned welfare management strategy by both investigating or developing this opportunity.
He added they have a marvellous opportunity to explore with regard to expansion opportunities in China. They were in a unique position and they needed to capitalise on the opportunity. They have to submit proposals that require Department of Agriculture and the Department of Finance approvals but he was sure they will get the necessary support for those proposals. They have already received significant indications that the necessary third-party funding will be provided, taking on all project risk. However, as an industry all stakeholders will need to move with unity and cohesion to capture this opportunity.
Mr Neilan added that during the past four years, the Irish Greyhound Board has generated a total cash surplus of €13.8 million. This figure is 10% higher than the comparable figure from the period from 2003 to 2006. Better still, the distribution of prize money during the past four years amounting to €29.8m is nearly 5% higher than those earlier boom-filled period. The annual operating cost in 2010 was over €7m or 30% lower than the 2007 figure. They reduced annual labour costs by 30% or €3m compared to 2007 figures.
He stated they have invested these capital surpluses wisely in significant capital development programmes, which will underpin the industry in the future.
“Racing in the Mid-West has been reborn through the brave decision to build a world-class stadium that the people of Limerick of embraced. Indeed, for the month of November, the monthly operating profit from Limerick was higher than any other stadia in the country. The people of the Mid-West have embraced this stadium as their own and this has helped greyhound racing to develop a worthy lofty profile in this region and long may that continue,” Mr Neilan said.
The CEO also paid tribute to their former chairman, Dick O’ Sullivan, who retired recently.