Gone to the dogs: Nine Offaly winners as €80k goes to Bouncing Monarch

The live coverage on Vigin Media 2 of the Con and Annie Kirby memorial certainly didn’t diminish the crowd at a packed Dock Road stadium in Limerick to witness the finale of Ireland’s second only to the Derby most valuable final. A carnival atmosphere and a suberb night of racing witnessed by all.
Elsewhere the semifinals of the Kilkenny Champion Unraced, semifinals of the Suncroft Festival Puppy Oaks and first round of the Shelbourne Open 600 and final of the John and Mary Killeacle Dowling Memorial A1 570 were the feature events around the country. Plenty of Offaly winners once again in the mix.


Early Week Racing
First two Offaly winners of the week were at the SIS meeting on Thursday evening in Limerick. Liam Jones made the trip from the Offaly side of Moneygall with two dogs and duly won both races. In an A5 contest Foulkscourt Best won his fifteenth race in an A5 contest in 29.20 (10 fast) by one length at 11/8 fav.
In an A4 grade Foyle Con won his thirteenth race in 28.85 (10 fast) by five lengths at 9/4 fav.

Friday Racing
First two Faithful County winners of the weekend were at the SIS matinee meeting in Mullingar with both for Clara owner P.J. Cleary. In an A6 grade Lahinch Molly won in 30.29 (50 slow) by two lengths at 2/1 fav. In an A7 race prolific winner Lahinch Blaze had his twenty fifth career win in 30.58(50 slow) by four lengths at 10/11 fav. The best four races in Clonmel were the quarterfinals of the Sorley O’Dornan Memorial A4 Guys And Dolls Stake. Vernon Mist set the bar highest for Gerry Holian in 28.69 by nine lengths at 6/4 joint fav.

Two semi-ifinals in the Kilkenny Track Champion Open Unraced both won in identical time of 28.88 (30 slow). A brilliant Offaly winner of the first as Carrick Becks won by four lengths, at 3/1, for Edenderry owner Thomas Glynn with Robert Gleeson training. The second semi was won by Glengar Phantom for Pat Buckley by two lengths at 7/4. Hopefully the North Offaly dog can do the business in Friday's final. Also in Kilkenny the conclusion of the George Leahy Memorial A3 stake was held. The €2.5k purse was won by Mission Control (Daves Mentor-Highview Mission) for Michael English in 29.29 (30 slow) by three lengths at 1/1 fav.

One Offaly winner in Newbridge. In  the final race on the card  semifinal  of the Westgrove A1 525 Rubys Trinity won for Edenderry owner Timmy Slevin with Conor Hyland in 28.92 by two lengths at 5/2.

Final Offaly winner on Friday was in Shelbourne as Highview Carol won an A1 race for Croghan trainer Gerry Merriman in a smart 28.57 (20 fast) by eight lengths at 5/2.

The most valuable final on Friday was in Tralee with the completion of the John And Mary Killeacle Dowling A1 570 stake in a card completely sponsored by the Dowling family. Jaypees Cooper (King Elvis-Ballymac Merkle) won the €5k first prize for Nurney trainer Shaun Conway in 30.71 by five lengths at 8/1. This dog is turning into a good money spinner for Conway having won an A2 Daul/Distance 550/575 stake in Shelbourne last month.

SEE NEXT: Offaly break two big barriers to pick up deserved point in Leinster SHC thriller

Saturday Racing
Dundalk, final of the O’Neill Dog Foods A2 525. Drveen Lass (Burgess Bucks-Moss Avenue) won the €1.7k first prize in 28.73 by one length for Jim Joe McGrath.

  €4K went to the winner of the Northwest Greyhound Supplies A4 final in Lifford. Kilara Charli (Dromano Bucko-Kilara Odessa) took the spoils in 28.78 by two lengths for Northern Ireland trainer Dessie Kerrigan.

First Offaly winner on Saturday was in Mullingar. P.J. Cleary was back in the winners enclosure as  Lahinch Charlie won his first race on his third attempt in 30.41 (50 slow) by twelve lengths at 4/6 fav. 

A top class card in Shelbourne Park. The semi-finals of the Suncroft Festival Puppy Oaks took centre stage. Silent Noelle won the first heat for Nolan-Mullins-Ahern Syndicate in 28.15 (20 fast) by two  lengths at 1/1 fav. The second semifinal was won in Identical times by Singalong Cherry for Pat Buckley by four lengths at 5/2.  In the first round of the Shelbourne Open 600 last year won by Ballyhooly Bruno for Tom O’Neill. Three heats with Grouchos Gregor for Buckley again in 32.05 (20 fast) by two lengths at 5/1.

One Offaly winner on the undercard. In the first race of the night Coolemount Spy last weeks winner of One For The Notebook won again in 28.80 (20 fast) by a head at 2/1 for Gerry Merriman.

A super night of racing at the Treaty City track with the highlight being the finale of the Con And Annie Kirby Memorial Open Stake. In addition to the big race there were nine races worth €2k to the winners and one worth €5k. The €5k race was the final of the Sean O’Connor Memorial A1 stake. Brickhill Moana (Ballymac Bolger-Twentylittletoes) for Vincent McKenna in 28.24 by two lengths at 2/1.

The Noreen and J.P McManus sponsored Con and Annie Memorial Stake honouring Noreen’s parents didn’t disappoint as Bouncing Monarch (Deerjet Sydney-Lemon Elsa) pinged the lids for Michael O’Donovan and was never in danger, leaving loads of trouble behind him, winning by seven lengths in a spectacular 27.77 at 3/1. It was a super way to win the €80k first prize and presumably the Derby will be the next goal for O’Donovan’s super hound. Ballymac Setanta was second for Liam Dowling and received a cheque for €15k. Ballycowen Frank was third for O’Donovan again and also received €15k. Once again the Memorial Stake turned out to be a magnificent event. Expect to be reading a lot more about all six finalists as the year progresses.

Upcoming Events

Friday, Clonmel, semi-finals of the Sorley O’Dornan Memorial. Final of the Kilkenny Track Champion Open Unraced.
Saturday, final of the Suncroft Festival Puppy Oaks and semi-finals of the Shelbourne Open 600 both at Headquarters.

Tribune Offaly Dog Of The Week

Easy decision this week as Carrick Becks won his semi-final in most convincing fashion of the Kilkenny Champion Open Unraced in a fine 28.88(30 slow) by four lengths. Thomas Glynn has a real prospect on his hands here and hopefully can lift this much sought after trophy on Friday night. Fingers crossed.

One For The Notebook

Lahinch Charlie looks an interesting type for P.J Cleary when winning in Mullingar on Saturday in 30.41 (50 slow) by twelve lengths. P.J will no doubt keep this young dog racing in Mullingar and expect him to be in the winners enclosure loads of times over the coming season or two.

Offaly Winners

Nine Offaly winners this week. Congrats to all concerned.