Gone to the dogs: Six more Offaly winners
The third round of the Star Sports and TRC English Derby in Towcester dominated the week’s racing. Twenty two of the forty eight dogs remaining were from this side of the Irish Sea, Pat Buckley held the strongest hand with six dogs, Graham Holland with five and Liam Dowling had four. It turned into another very favourable Saturday night in Northamptonshire for the Emerald Isle as we tightened our grip on the English blue ribbon event.
Domestically the semi-finals of the Sporting Press Irish Oaks, the final of the RCETS AO stake both in Shelbourne and the quarterfinals of the Produce Stakes in Clonmel were the feature events on the home front in another super week of racing.
Early Week Racing
Monday, Enniscorthy, quarter-finals of the Elite Black @ Stud May Unraced with Ballinabola Jake again setting the standard for the second week in a row for Pat Buckley when stopping the clock in 29.04 (20 slow) winning by a wide margin of fourteen lengths at 4/5 fav. First Offaly winner of the week was in Thurles on Thursday when Totos Blue won an A6 525 for Birr owners Tony McCormack and Denis Fogarty in 29.45 (10 slow) by fifteen lengths at 5/4.
Friday Racing
Two finals in Shelbourne, firstly the A3 tri-distance 550/575 and the final over 600 yards with the €3k first prize going to Old Tricks (Droopys Sydney-Zola Princess) in 32.87 by six lengths at 1/1 fav for Rathangan trainer Reggie Roberts. The second final was an AO dual-distance with the final again over the 600 yard trip after last week’s semis over 575. The €2.2k pot here went to Dapper Zara (Droopys Sydney-Designer) for Sam McQuade in 32.49 by three lengths at 3/1.
One Offaly winner on the supporting card, in an A4 contest Highview Jasmen won for Croghan trainer Gerry Merriman in 28.81 by one length at 3/1.
Tralee hosted the Semifinals of the Callaway Pro Am @ Stud Open 550. The first semi went to Ower Cracker for Pat Buckley in 29.57 (20 fast) by four lengths at 9/4. The second semi was a track record breaking run by the winner of the Lee Strand 550 in May Dashing Toro who stopped the timer in an amazing 29.20 (20 fast) by four lengths at 7/2 for the Twice A Day Everyday Syndicate.
Limerick staged the first round of a new stake with €20k to the winner. The Time Greyhound Nutrition A4 Derby, twenty four heats in total with twelve on Friday and another twelve Saturday. Fastest on Friday was By Yourside for John O’Brien in 28.78 by three lengths at 5/2. One Faithful County winner in Galway, Geashill trainer Margaret Bolton brought Cushcallow Flyer and duly won an S8 sprint in 18.35 (10 slow) by five lengths at 6/4.
Saturday Racing
First Offaly winner on Saturday was in Mullingar, in an S6 400 sprint, Ollys Ten won for Banagher owner Mary Moran in 21.93 (20 slow) by four lengths at 3/1 with Gary Moloney training.
The remaining twelve heats of the Time Greyhound Nutrition A4 Derby dominated the card in Limerick, with Drombeg Pearl going fastest for Evan McAuliffe in 28.56 by nine lengths at 5/2.
Some great racing at Headquarters, the two semi-finals of the Sporting Press Online Edition Irish Oaks were the feature events. The first went to one of the fastest dogs in training as Droopys Mandolin broke smartly and was never in trouble when coming home two lengths clear of the field in a super 28.05 at 4/5 fav with Robert Gleeson training. The second semi went to A Lucky Julie for Robertstown trainer Jerry Melia in 28.20 by eleven lengths at 5/2. Short Grip finished a credible third for Rhode owner P.J. Cocoman despite missing her break and getting loads of bother and heads into Saturday’s final with a serious sporting chance.
In the final of the RCETS AO stake, a very decent pot of €10k first prize went to Miami King (Ballymac Vic-Newline Mo) in 28.23 by ten lengths at 3/1 with Gary Dempsey training. Abbeyside Spice was second for Murt Leahy and also won a nice cheque for €4K. The final race on the card was an AAO 550 and again Gerry Merriman had the winner as Highview Splash proved too strong for his rivals in 30.01 by two lengths at 5/4 fav.
English Derby
Eight magnificent heats in Towcester in the third round of the Star Sports and TRC English Derby. Three of the heat winners were Irish trained dogs and were Ballymac Slick for Liam Dowling, Grouchos Duke for John Byrne and last year's Irish Derby winner The Other Kobe for Graham Holland. Of the remaining twenty four dogs thirteen are Irish and with over fifty percent of the runners its hard not to see us retaining the trophy. Of the thirteen Irish remaining dogs Liam Dowling has four, Holland has three, Pat Buckley and Ginger McGee have two each with John Byrne and Paul Hennessy each with one.
Any of the remaining Irish dogs all have the class to win out and identifying a winner from this bunch remains an impossible task.
Leading Irish Bookmakers Paddy Power has installed King Memphis as 4/1 fav to lift the trophy with The Other Kobe at 5/1 for Holland, De Lahdedah is third fav for Dowling at 7/1. 10/1 bar.
Sunday Racing
One Faithful County winner at the matinee meeting in Mullingar. In an A4 grade Lingrawn Grace had her twelfth career win for Moneygall owner Kevin Jones in 29.78 (50 slow) by four lengths at 9/4 fav.
At the evening meeting in Clonmel, in the quarter-finals of the Kasco National Produce Stakes, Silverhill Adam set the bar highest for Graham Holland in 28.51 (10 slow) by two lengths at 6:1.
Upcoming Events
Friday, final of the Calloway Pro Am @ Stud Open 550 in Tralee. Saturday, quarterfinals of the Star Sports and TRC English Derby in Towcester, second round of the Time Greyhound Nutrition A4 Derby in Limerick and final of the Sporting Press Irish Oaks in Shelbourne Park. Sunday, semifinals of the Kasco Produce Stakes in Clonmel.
Tribune Offaly Dog Of The Week
Saturday in Shelbourne, Highview Splash won an AAO 550 for Gerry Merriman in a fine 30.01 by two lengths. Well deserved winner.