Gone to the dogs: Five Offaly winners

After the high of the €80k  to the winner last week in the Con And Annie Kirby Memorial stake it was a quieter week of racing this week. The highlights of this week's racing included the final of the Select Stakes in Waterford with a winners prize of €10k and the semifinals of the Open 600 in Shelbourne. Some decent Offaly winners in the mix across the week.

Early Week Racing

Monday, Enniscorthy, first round of the Open April Unraced Stakes won last year by Dairyhill Stella and Paul Hennessy. Eight heats with Johnnys Dilemma setting the bar highest in the final heat when stopping the timer in 29.06 (20 slow) by thirteen lengths at 2/1 for Cormac Doyle. 

Friday Racing

Curraheen Park in Cork, final of the A4 Churchfield Stakes. The €1.6k pot went to Jackos Dog (Ballymac Bolger- Ballymac Tandi) for Kieran Lynch in 29.11 by one length at 1/1 fav.

First Offaly winner of the week was at Mullingar's matinee SIS meeting.  Lahinch Blaze won for Clara owner P.J. Cleary in 30.04 (60 slow) by a head at 6/1.

Two more Offaly winners in Newbridge, in an S5 sprint Parkrun won for Rhode owner P.J. Cocoman in 17.83 by two lengths at 6/4 making it two wins from three starts. In a Novice 750, a well supported in the betting market Airazor won for Edenderry owners Rebecca Cronin and Kate Hackett in a fine 42.41 by one length at 5/4 fav with Paul Cronin training.

Three finals in Shelbourne, the most valuable being the RCETS Open Unraced stake. The €4K purse went to the 5/1 priced Southfield King (Dorotas Wildcat- Southfield Bea) for Keith Powell in 28.92 by five lengths.

In the This Runs Deep A1 550, Honey Sky (Droopys Sydney-Traceys Pet) was first home winning €2.2k in a smart 29.67 by three lengths at 6/4 with Michael Donnelly training.
In the conclusion of The Barking Buzz App ON2 unraced stake, the €1.75k first prize went to Aayamza Liberty (Ballymac Best-Aayamza Royale) in 29.21 by one length at 5/2 with Nalin Monerawela at the helm.

In Tralee, in the final of the KGOBA A5 Stake, Leahys Sysco (Droopys Sydney- Kingdom Flash) was on the winner’s podium for Michael Murphy winning a prize of €1.8k in 29.14 by two lengths at 3/1.

Saturday Racing

On a packed night of action the only Offaly winner was in Mullingar. In an A6 race Dubai Desert won for Edenderry  owners Paul and David Hanlon in 30.26 (60 slow) by three lengths at 1/2 fav.

The best race in Galway was the final of the Ann Cheevers Memorial A4 stake with the €1.8k pot going to Brickhill Fayla (Good News-Twentylittletoes) in 29.22 (10 slow) by four lengths at 1/1 fav for Cyril Collins and Kate Comerford. 

Curraheen Park held the quarterfinals of the A2 Cork Spring Derby, four highly contested races with Coosey Hall going fastest of the four for local trainer James Kelleher in 28.65 by a neck at 7/4.

The  best race in Dundalk was the final of the A2 John McArdle Memorial stake. The €1.5k first prize went to Slaney Valley (Soul-Up The Shannon) for Slane trainer Martin Lanney in 28.85 by two lengths.

The two stand out races in Shelbourne were the semifinals of the Open 600 stake which strangely enough failed to attract a sponsor for the first time ever. The first heat went to the Cesarewitch winner in March in Mullingar Singalong Dolly for Pat Buckley in 32.02 by three lengths at 7/2. The second semi was won by Pennys Lynx for Eugene and Rosemary Price in 32.18 also by three lengths at 4/1.

The best race of the week was the final of the Time Greyhound Nutrition Select Stakes in a bumper night in Waterford where in conjunction with the final there were eleven other races with €1k to the winner. The winner of the €10k first prize in the final was Droopys Fidget (Out Of Range ASB-Droopys Natalia), for Rathangan trainer Robert Gleeson, who took up the running on the second bend and was never in danger winning by a length in 28.41 at 7/4 fav. A Lucky Julie was second for another Kildare man in Robertstown’s Jerry Melia winning a cheque for €3.5k. The Select Stakes in Waterford this year once again proved to be one of the outstanding features on the Greyhound calendar. 

Sunday Racing

One Faithful County winner at the matinee meeting in Mullingar, Horseleap Betty had her fourth career win for Sean McGuinness in an A4 race in 30.09 (50 slow) by a neck at 15/8 fav. 


Upcoming Events

Saturday, first round of the Islandbridge Open Sprint and final of the Open 600 both in Shelbourne and semifinals of the A2 Cork Spring Derby.

Tribune Offaly dog of the week

Airazor gets the nod this week for winning over the extended trip in a novice 750 yard race in  Newbridge on Friday in a smart 42.41 by one length for Edenderry trainer Paul Cronin. Good run.

Offaly Winners

Five Offaly winners this week. Well done to all involved.