Gone to the dogs: Seven Offaly winners

In another entertaining week of racing two top class annual spring stakes got underway this week in Newbridge, Galway and Kilkenny. There was also a valuable final in Cork and semifinals of some quality stakes around the country. Offaly dogs also had their usual fair share of wins.

Early Week Racing

First Offaly winner of the week was on Monday night in Limerick. Kitmans Greg won an A4 525 in 29.17, for Banagher owner Kieran White, by six lengths at even money fav with John Byrne training. Great to see Enniscorthy and Shelbourne back racing on a Thursday night with the latter always being a happy hunting ground for Faithful County winners. Sadly no winners this week but hopefully better days ahead.

Friday Racing

In Shelbourne, in the final of the Talking Dogs ON1 stake, the cream came to the top here as Hawkfield Blue (Good News - Brownstown Tango) was an easy five length winner, in the fastest time of the night,in 28.47 at 4/7 fav with the €1.75k first prize going to trainer Keeley McGee and Newbridge owner Jerry Conners.

Kilkenny staged the first round of one of their top events of the year the A1 Frightful Flash Kennels McCalmont Cup. This cup was historically one of the biggest events in Irish greyhound racing having first being run in 1947. It was so valued in the early days that treble Derby winner Spanish Battleship won it twice in 1954 and 1955. It has probably lost some of its prestige having been downgraded to an A1 contest. However it’s still very difficult to win as most local top trainers have a few lined up for this. Murt Leahy won this last year with Zoom and will be trying hard to retain this historical trophy.

Seven heats went to traps, with Burgess Bolger setting the early standard when winning in 28.99 (30 slow), by nine lengths at 5/2, for Cork owners Sheila Spillane and J.J. Fennelly. Next fastest was Grangeview Port for Lorrha owner Michael Hogan in 29.07 (30 slow) by one length at 3/1.

Newbridge hosted the first round of one of their biggest stakes the Brownstown Tango and NTSC Open unraced bitch stake. This very competitive stake has annually produced future champions and this years looks another quality field with some really eye catching runs from pups on debut. Five heats with all trying to progress to get their name on the trophy won last year by Tullamurry Faith with Damien McGinn training. Fastest of the five was Ballyhimikinluck for John and Noreen Dunne in 28.70 by two lengths at 7/2. Also on the night, in an A4 sweepstake final, Nelly Twink (Magical Bale - Midas Fern) won by six lengths in 28.86 at 6/4 fav with a cheque of €900 going to Colette Ennis and Megan Dee.

Big night in Tralee for the semi-finals of the Greyhound and Petworld Juvenile Classic Open unraced stake, two good winners with some big priced dogs qualifying for the final with some hot pots biting the dust. First winner was Terezas Mendoza for Pat Buckley in 28.37 by eight lengths at 5/2 with a 20/1 shot in second and an 11/1 in third. The second second semi went to Ballymac Marino for local trainer Liam Dowling in 28.29 by five lengths at 5/4 fav. Runner up here was 25/1 with the dog in third at 10/1. If ever there was a two dog final this surely is the one as Buckley and Dowling dogs have lengths in hand. Should be a great buckle between the two in Tralee’s main event of the year.

Saturday Racing

A super crowd in Curraheen Park for the final of the Time Greyhound Nutrition A1 Cork Cup. Last year local trainer Kieran Lynch trained Bartlemy Jas to win and this year Lynch again had the winner as the classicly bred Trouble (Ballymac Bolger- Ballymac Arminta) took the right night to win his only round of the stake and in doing so lifted the first prize of €4.5k for the Memphis- mafia Syndicate in 28.47 by two lengths at 5/4. 

Limerick, the final of the Talking Dogs A3 600 was their best race on a decent card, Ballygur Bale (Magical Bale - Ballygur Mel) took the honours and cheque for €1.55k in 32.96 by two lengths at 3/1 for William Hanlon.  The best two races in Mullingar were the semifinals of the Kilbride Kennels A2 550 Midlands Derby. Shady Bueno won the first for local trainer Tony Byrne in 30.80 by one length at 2/1 with the second leg going to Vinegar Joe for Seamus Reilly in 30.70 by six lengths at 2/1. The people behind the Kilbride Kennels who sponsor this stake annually are Frank Seery from Dalystown in Mullingar and his nephew former Offaly footballer and Edenderry native David Hanlon. Great credit must go to them as they are never found wanting when it comes to sponsorship. Sadly no Offaly dog made it through to the final this year.

Although four Offaly winners on the supporting card, in the first race on the card, an ON2 unraced, the well bred Clonearls Best won by five lengths for Daingean owner Conor McGrath in 29.83 at 3/1. In an A5 grade, Superior Pearl stopped the clock in 30.10 for Tullamore owner Niall Deegan by four lengths at a short 4/6 fav. In an A4 contest Lingrawn Buzz won for Moneygall owner Liam Jones in 29.96 by four lengths at 3/1. Fahy Grace had her eighth career win for Paddy McCormack in an A3 race in 29.77 by five lengths at 5/2. All races in Mullingar were rated .50 slow.

In Shelbourne, in the final of an AO 525 stake, Millroad Bolger (Ballymac Bolger - Goldmine Larky) was first back in kennels with a winning purse of €2.5k for Michael Donnelly in 28.47 by five lengths at 5/2. One Offaly winner here too and a good one it was as Highview Mags won an A1 race in 28.57 by two lengths at 3/1 for Croghan Hill trainer Gerry Merriman.

Thurles, first round of the Borna Kennels A4 525 sweepstakes, six heats all dominated by locally trained dogs, fastest of the six was Kilvil Robert for the Kilvil - Syndicate in 29.18 (20 slow) by five lengths at 2/1. The two best races in Kilcohan Park in Waterford were the semifinals of the Paddy and Ciara Sharkey Bookmakers and WTSC A2 stakes, Tinahue Brodie won the first for the Foxcall Syndicate in 28.77 by two lengths at 5/2 with Jays Swallow first across the line in the second for local trainer Declan Byrne in a slower 29.26 by a short head at 4/1.

The Showgrounds held the first round of of the annual Galway Greyhound Stadium A3 stake with a pot of €4K up for grabs, this stake always attracts a decent field and was won in 2022 by Headford Honey for Seamus Leahy. Five heats with Declan Byrne again going fastest with Role Model after making the long drive from Waterford worthwhile when winning in 28.87 (10 slow) by four lengths at 5/4. Easy journey back.

Sunday Racing

Just the one Offaly winner at the matinee meeting in Mullingar and that was again for Liam Jones as Lingrawn Woody had his eighth career win in an A5 contest in 30.04 (50 slow) by two lengths at 5/2. 

Upcoming Events

Friday, quarter-finals of the McCalmont Cup in Kilkenny, quarterfinals of the Brownstown Tango unraced bitch stake in Newbridge and final of the Greyhound and Petworld Juvenile Classic in Tralee. Saturday, Mullingar, final of the Kilbride Kennels Midlands Derby, Thurles, quarterfinals of the Borna Kennels A4 stake, quarterfinals of the Galway Greyhound stadium A3 stakes and final of the Paddy and Ciara Sharkey Bookmakers in Waterford. 

Tribune Offaly dog of the week

Highview Mags gets the nod this week having won an A1 in Shelbourne on Saturday night in a super 28.57 for Gerry Merriman. 

Offaly Winners

There were seven Offaly winners this week. Congrats to all involved in anyway.