Big win for Offaly football folk hero in big greyhound race

This week's greyhound racing included the final of the valuable Boylesports Champions Stakes in Shelbourne and locally the final of the Pat Curtin Memorial A4 Stake in Mullingar. Numerous other sweepstake action around all the tracks with Offaly dogs to the fore.

The winner of the Pat Curtin Memorial A4 Stake was Fahy Shop, a dog owned and trained by one of the greats of Offaly football, the fabled Iron Man from Rhode, Paddy McCormack.

A famously tough defender who won national fame for his take no prisoners approach, McCormack had a terrific football career, winning All-Ireland senior football medals in 1971 and 1972 as well as being a key part of the full back line on the all important breakthrough team, the 1960 and 1961 Leinster senior football champions.

He has five Leinster senior football medals,also collecting in '69, '71 and 1972 while he won four Senior Football Championship medals with Rhode in 1958, 1966, 1967 and 1969 – an eye injury ended his career in 1973 before Offaly won Leinster for a third consecutive year but relinquished their All-Ireland title when losing to Galway in the semi-final.

A former publican in Edenderry and Tullamore, McCormack has had a lifelong passionate interest in greyhounds, racing a host of very successful ones and naming them for his home town land of Fahy in Rhode.

The Croghan native won €3,500 for first prize – Fahy Shop went to the post at odds of 5-2 and had a length to spare over another Offaly dog, Lahinch Toby, owned by Clara man PJ Cleary, who won €1,500.

Another former Offaly footballer trained the winner in the final race on the card in Mullingar on Saturday evening. Remeniss was trained by former Edenderry footballer David Hanlon to victory in an A2 grade race, priced at 6-4 joint favourite – Hanlon played senior football for Offaly for Offaly in 2012, '13, '14 and '17 and won Senior Football Championship medals with Edenderry in 2011 and 2015.

Early Week Racing

Great night in Enniscorthy with the semi-finals of the WGOBA Open Unraced Stake both won by Croghan and Offaly dogs. Sallagh Larry won the first for Naula Lynch in 28.77 by six lengths at 3/1. The second race went to Sallagh Curly who remains the only unbeaten dog in this competition, for Mick Lynch in 28.78, by nine lengths at 2/5. Both these very progressive dogs are being trained by Pat Buckley.

Two finals in Shelbourne on Thursday. In a Novice ON3 Unraced Stake Banacek (Deerjet Sydney-Freddies Girl) for Joseph Hyde in 29.28 by a short head at 8/1 with €1.5k going his way. In the final of the Tuono Charlie @ Stud ON2 Stake the €2.25k pot went to Down Tothe Wire (Airmount Nando-Millions Dream) for Newry trainer Brendan Mathews in 28.81 by one length at 5/2.

Friday Racing

First winner of the weekend was at the matinee SIS meeting in Mullingar as Killeshill Messi won an A5 contest for Croghan owner Vincent Lynch in 29.74 (60 slow) by ten lengths at 11/8 fav. In an S8 325 sprint in Newbridge Clonearl Mist won for Daingean owner Eugene Glennon in 18.05 by three lengths at 6/4. Shelbourne, semi-finals of an A2 stake, Highview Rapid won the first for Croghan trainer Gerry Merriman in 29.31 by a head at 5/2.

Saturday Racing

Curraheen Park, Cork held the semi-finals of the Shelley Fennelly Memorial Open Bitch Stake. Westway Rossa won the first for Northern Ireland trainer Damian Maginn in 28.43 (10 fast) by six lengths at a short 2/5 fav. The remaining semi was won by Imokilly Roxanne for Adam Dunford in 29.23 (10 fast) by one length at 6/4. Dundalk staged the final of the Eamonn and Paddy Carroll Memorial A3 stake. Maginn was in the winners enclosure here aswell as Rolo Tokyo (Coolavanny Hoffa-Oi Oi Upenalty) proved too strong for his rivals in 28.15 by seven lengths with a winners cheque for €2.6k heading his way. Saturday's best race in Limerick was the final of the Faypoint Sean @ Stud Treaty Cup Open Sprint. The €5k winners purse went to Stonepark Browne (Malachi- Coolavanny Ella) for Michael O’Donovan in 18.30 (.05 slow) by two lengths at 4/7 fav. 

The two best races in Thurles were the semifinals of the Centenary Agri Tipperary Cup Open 525. Heat one was won by Borna Thyme for Ruairi Dwan in 28.90 (10 slow) by one length at 1/1 fav. The other semi was won by Cagey Billy for Christopher Delaney in 28.76 (10 slow) by eleven lengths at 2/1.

The most valuable final of the week was in Shelbourne with the conclusion of the Boylesports Champions Stakes Open 550. The €20k first prize went to Seven Beach (Pestana-Whitings Gift) fresh from winning the Callaway Pro Am @ Stud Race Of Champions in Tralee in early June. The Jennifer O’Donnell trained black and white dog who turns four year old in September has now amassed over €81k in winning prize money when winning this final in 29.39 by one length at 11/8 fav. Cheque For Cash was second for Karol Ramsbottom winning €5k. 

In the final of the Boylesports Champion Plate the €4K pot went to Liam Dowling as Ballymac Tibet (Ballymac Best-Ballymac Minton) in 29.40 by three lengths at a big price of 10/1. There was a dramatic finish to the final of the Celtic Cooling Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Open Unraced stake also at Headquarters. There was a deadheat finish where the two leaders in the market could not be separated on the line. Magical Major (King Sheeran-Magical Mary) for Pat Guilfoyle at 10/11 fav and Ballymac Stud (Droopys Sydney-Ballymac Minton) for Dowling at 15/8 second fav each receiving a cheque for €9.5k when stopping the clock in 28.23 in a brilliant buckle. Expect these two magnificent young dogs to be putting their names on trophies as the years progress and no doubt will battle finals out again between them in due course. 

Sunday Racing

One Offaly winner at the matinee meeting in Mullingar. In an A3 grade Foulkscourt Best won for Moneygall owner Liam Jones in 29.87 (50 slow) by four lengths at 11/4. 

Upcoming Events

Monday, Enniscorthy, final of the WGOBA Open Unraced.

Friday, final of A2 sweepstake in Shelbourne. Saturday, final of the Shelley Fennelly Memorial Open Bitch Stake in Cork and final of the Centenary Agri Tipperary Cup in Thurles. 

One For The Notebook

Sallagh Larry looks a very interesting prospect for Croghan owner Nuala Lynch when winning his semifinal of the WGOBA Open Unraced stake in Enniscorthy on Monday in a super 28.77 by six lengths. Cracking run. Expect to be reading a lot more of this dog over the next year or so.

Tribune Offaly Dog Of The Week

Fahy Shop gets the nod this week for winning the final of the much sought after Pat Curtin Memorial Cup in Mullingar for the ever green Paddy McCormack in a super 29.69 (50 slow). Great run. Well deserved. 

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Offaly Winners

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