GONE TO THE DOGS: Six Offaly winners in past week

A MUCH quieter week this time around with the highlight being the Dundalk International on Friday - Ireland's most valuable one off race with €20k to the winner. Most of our top hounds are trialling or in prep races in Limerick for the Irish St.Leger which is kicking off next week. Plenty of sweepstake finals action as is the norm around all the tracks with the Offaly dogs in the mix once again.
Early Week Racing
Monday, Enniscorthy, final of the June Open Unraced Stake, the €1.25k first prize was won by Tenyearshutterin (Vic Vega-Ontheredcarpet) for Declan Beary and Orlaigh McCarthy in 28.83 (20 slow) by four lengths at 6/4 joint fav.
Friday Racing.
First Offaly winner of the week was once again in Galway as Crinkle Denis won an S5 sprint in 18.06 (.05 slow) by four lengths at 7/2 for Birr owner Gerard Milne.
The best race of an eleven race programme in Clonmel was the final of the Phil Holland Memorial A2 525. Bushpark Katie (Laughil Blake-Yahoo Diva) took the spoils and the cheque for €1.8k for The-Pool-Room-Five
-Syndicate in 29.24 by one length at 5/4 fav.
Shelbourne staged the first round of the This Runs Deep Open Unraced Stake. Four heats with what looks like a superstar in the making going fastest as Yorkie Ollie stopped the clock in 28.09 winning by sixteen lengths at 1/1 fav for Owen McKenna. Seldom has a pup on debut done this type of run and certainly one to keep an eye on moving forward.
One final of note on the night with the winner from the Faithful County, the A3 Sweepstake conclusion went to Croghan trainer Gerry Merriman as Coolemount Trust (Pat C Sabbath-Highview Jayne) proved to be the best in the field when winning by five lengths at 2/1 in 28.76 with a first prize of €1.75k going his way.
In Tralee, in the final of the Friends Of University Hospital Kerry A2 stake, Val Tashadelek (Dorotas Wildcat-Tic Tock Lizzy) won the €3k purse for trainer Nelius O’Connell in 28.48 by a neck at 2/1 joint Fav.
The most valuable race of the week was in Dundalk with the running of the Time Dundalk International Open 550 won last year by the great Rafa Mofo for Murt Leahy. This €20k to the winner is the richest one off race in Ireland and was inaugurated in 1968 to attract the three best dogs in the UK to tackle the best three in Ireland. This happened for many years until the UK dogs stopped coming but the competition still remained with the invite always there. Some top class dogs have won this competition including to mention just a few, Ivy Hall Flash in 1971, Cooladine Super in ‘81, the great Quick Suzy in ‘83, Farloe Melody back to back in ‘91 and ‘92, Droopys Maldini in 2005 and Jaytee Jet in ‘17. Ger McKenna and Francie Murray have won this race on four occasions each with Pat Guilfoyle on three.
Six of our best dogs went to traps on Friday with the winner of the RCETS Open Unraced in Shelbourne in August and the Galway Oaks in November and one of the fastest greyhounds in training Droopys Mandolin (Laughil Blake-Droopys Curio) taking the trophy and the €20k pot for Robert Gleeson in 29.72 by two lengths. This was Mandolin’s fourteenth career from twenty one starts and has now amassed over €51k in winning prize money. Last week's Tipperary Cup winner Tribal Syd was second for Murt Leahy and received a purse of €6k with last month’s Produce Stake winner Unanimouspanther third for Pat Buckley winning €3.5k. All remaining three won €2.5k each. Super line up, super race and a magnificent winner in Droopys Mandolin.
Saturday Racing
Two cracking finals in Curraheen Park in Cork, with the first being the Michael Galvin Memorial A3 Tri-Distance Stake over the 575 yard trip. The €3.75k pot went to Butterbridgejohn (Ballymac Bolger-Ballymac Trudi) in 31.27 by four lengths at 3/1 with Cork specialist Kieran Lynch at the helm.
The second final was the Shelly Fennelly Memorial Open Bitch Stake and for the second year in a row Ballymac Run (Bull Run Bolt-Jaytee Pearl) took the honours for Liam Dowling getting her seventeenth career win and this €5k first prize bringing her career total to over €28k. Her winning time was 28.50 by five lengths at 6/4 fav.
Nearly the entire card in Galway was given over to the first round of the Martin Fahy Memorial A4 stake, seven heats in total with two going to Geashill trainer Margaret Bolton. Kelpie was her first winner in 29.14 (10 slow) by two lengths with Echo Faith her second in a slower 29.54 (10 slow) by three lengths.
In Headquarters, the three best races were the first round heats of the Sporting Press AO stake with Deelish Nora setting the bar highest for Ginger McGee in a fine 28.15 (20 fast) by one length at 4/5 fav. One Offaly winner on the undercard as Highway Smart won an A2 contest for Merriman in 28.45 (20 fast) by one length at a decent 8/1.
Sunday Racing.
One Offaly winner at the matinee meeting in Mullingar, in the final race on the card, an A6 grade Killeshill Callie made it three wins from three starts when stopping the timer in 29.78 (50 slow) winning by five lengths at 7/4 fav for Croghan owner Vincent Lynch.
It was Festival time at the evening meeting in Kilkenny on Sunday where six final were up for grabs with the highlight being the Track Bookmakers and KGOBA A3 stake with €2k to the winner. Kilkenny specialist Murt Leahy supplied the winner as Teasie on Faya (Dromana Bucko- Droopys Berry) won by a short head in 29.28 (20 slow) at 6/4 fav.
Upcoming Events
Friday, semifinals of the This Runs Deep Open Unraced in Shelbourne Park and first round of the National Sprint in Dundalk.
Saturday, first round of the Irish St.Leger in Limerick, quarterfinals of the Martin Fahy Memorial A4 stake in Galway and semifinals of the Sporting Press AO stake in HQ.
Tribune Offaly Dog Of The Week.
Coolemount Trust gets the nod this week for winning the final of an A3 sweepstake in Shelbourne on Friday night by five lengths in 28.76 for Gerry Merriman. Well deserved.

Offaly Winners
Six Offaly winners this week. Congrats to all connections.

DC.