Gone to the dogs: Five Offaly winners

Another brilliant week of racing up and down the country with valuable stakes progressing. The feature events were the first round of the McCalmont Cup in Kilkenny and semifinals of the Juvenile Classic unraced in Tralee on Friday. Saturday, final of the Cork Cup, final of the Tote Gold Cup in Shelbourne and more locally the semifinals of the Midlands Derby in Mullingar. On Sunday the semi-finals of the Cesarawitch also in Mullingar.

Sadly Offaly winners were thin on the ground. However some quality ones made the winners podium.


Friday Winners

Galway, quarter-finals of the Kilcolgan Castle Connaught AO 550 Derby. For the second week in a row Grouchos Gregor set the bar highest when stopping the clock in 29.88 (10 slow) winning by seven lengths at 1/1 fav for Doon (Limerick) trainer  Pat Buckley.

Seven heats in the first round of one of Kilkenny big events of the year the A1 McCalmont Cup won last year by Lotto Other News for Shaun Conway. A treble on the night for Stradbally trainer Karol Ramsbottom but fastest of the seven was Old Road Villain in 29.26 (40 slow) by six lengths at 5/2 for the Sunny-South-East-Syndicate.

First two Offaly winners of the week were at Shelbourne. Last week's winner of One For The Notebook Kirk Michael was straight back in the winners enclosure making it two wins from two starts when winning an S1 350 sprint for Kinnitty owner M.J. Corrigan in a smart 18.76 by three lengths at 4/1. In an A4 contest Aussie Alert won for another Kinnitty trainer Jeanette MacKenzie in 29.17 (10 fast) by five lengths at 6/4 fav.

The two best races in Tralee were the semifinals of the T. Nolan CVRT Centre Juvenile Unraced Classic. Blackstone Lexus remains the only unbeaten dog in the stake when winning for Michael O’Donovan in 28.07 (10 fast) at 3/1 by six lengths. The second semi was won by Ballymac Deniro for Liam Dowling who will have three in Friday’s final. Deniro won in 28.13 (10 fast) by three lengths at 5/4 fav.

SEE NEXT: So near, yet so far as Lowry suffers another agonising late loss

Saturday Winners

Curraheen Park, final of the Time Greyhound Nutrition A1 Cork Cup. The €5k purse was won by Made To Measure (Droopys Sydney-Singalong Sally) for Patrick Norris in 28.55 by a short head at 6/4. Microchip was second for Mary Clarke and received a cheque for €2k. 

First Offaly winner on Saturday night was in Dundalk. In the semifinals of the Time Greyhound Nutrition ON2 Unraced Stake Carrick Yorkie won heat one in 21.60 by a neck for Edenderry owner Thomas Glynn with David Murray training. 

One final In Lifford. In the conclusion of the Magical Kennels ON2 325 unraced stake, Bucko (Dromano Bucko-Ellie O) won by two lengths for Brian Robinson in 18.10.

The best race on a decent card in Limerick was the final of the J.P. And Pauline Ryan Memorial A1 Limerick Oaks.  The €7.5k pot was won by Pat Guilfoyle as Magical Hope (Dorotas Wildcat-Magical Poppy) won by one length in 28.33 at 9/2. Rossa Abi was second for Thomas O’Donovan winning €2.8k.

A super Offaly winner in the semi-finals of the Kilbride Kennels A2 550 Midlands Derby. Foulkscourt Cody was a five length winner of heat one for Tullamore owner Niall Deegan in 30.83 (50 slow) at 6/4 fav. Heat two was won by Pat The Doc in 30.95 (50 slow) and remains undefeated in this competition winning by one length at 1/1 fav for Brian Reilly.

There was a €1.5k purse for the winner of the 1 Xbet Ireland Tour Series A5 stake in Youghal. The winning hound was Lyreen Pearl (Malachi-Our Dog Bridie) for David Budd in 29.48 (20 slow) by a head at 10/3.

The most valuable final of the year so far was in Shelbourne with the finale of the Tote Gold Cup AAO 525. The €16k first prize pot was won by Colouraregreen (King Sheeran-Magical Mary) for Paul Hennessy in a fine 28.38 by three lengths at an exorbitant 17/2 recording his first win in the final round of this four week competition. Super training feat by Hennessy.  Solo And Go was second for Liam Dowling and won a runners up prize of €6.5k.

Sunday Winners

At the Matinee SIS meeting in Mullingar there were four heats in the semi-finals of the Time Irish Open 600 Cesarawitch won last year by Singalong Dolly for Pat Buckley.  This historic stake on the Greyhound Calendar started out in Navan where in its heyday up to 60 dogs were often entered at the start of the competition. With the closure of Navan it moved to Saturday night in Mullingar where again it was a mainstay on the program for the year with some top class dogs winning. In the last few years with it being moved to the SIS meeting on Sunday it certainly has diminished to a much more curtailed event. Last couple of years there were six semifinals with the winners qualifying for the final but this year it seems to have even lost more of its appeal with only four heats and twenty three dogs entering. If this is the future it certainly doesn’t augur well for the once famed Cesarawitch moving forward.

Of the four winners Offaly dog Durrow Star easily set the fastest time when winning for Diarmuid O’Neill in a superb 32.95 (50 slow) by eight lengths at 7/2 with Francis Murray training. Other three winners were Droopys Roar for Morgan Crowley in 33.86 (50 slow) by a head. Actindamaggot for Ian Reilly in 33.78 (50 slow) by one length. Final winner was Flight Club for Mark Connolly in 33.23 (50 slow) by three lengths. 


Upcoming Events

Friday, semi-finals of the Kilcolgan Castle Connaught Derby in Galway, second round of the McCalmont Cup in Kilkenny and final of the Juvenile Unraced Classic in Tralee.

Saturday, final of the Time Greyhound Nutrition ON2 unraced in Dundalk and final of the Kilbride Kennels A2 Midlands Derby in Mullingar.

Sunday, final of the Time Irish Cesarawitch Open 600 in Mullingar. 

Offaly Dog Of The Week

Easy decision this week as Durrow Star was comfortably the fastest winner of the four semi-finals in the Time Irish Cesarewitch, in Mullingar on Sunday, for Diarmuid O’Neill. Her winning time of 32.95 (50 slow) was of the highest order and will probably go into Sundays final odds on to win the Westmeath venue blue ribbon event of the year. Super performance last Sunday. Hopefully now another Offaly final win. 

One For The Notebook

Carrick Yorkie looks an interesting sort when winning in the semifinal of the Time Greyhound Nutrition ON2 unraced in a superb 21.60 on debut for Thomas Glynn. Hopefully another stake winner for the Edenderry owner who annually invests his money buying these expensive pups hoping to buy the future Derby winner. May have one on his hands with Carrick Yorkie. 


Offaly Winners

There were five Offaly winners last week. Congrats to all involved in any way.