Gone to the dogs: Nine Offaly winners
With the Derby starting this weekend most of the top dogs were resting up with a few still in prep races mostly on a good card in Shelbourne on Saturday. The highlights of the week were mostly in the midlands with the final of the Bosco Gleeson Memorial in Newbridge and the quarter-finals of the Fair Warrior Sprint in Mullingar on Sunday. Some very exciting Offaly winners in the mix once again.
Early Week Racing
Enniscorthy, Monday, first round of The Lord Of Charity Open Unraced Stake, won last year by Barefoot Awesome for Paul Hennessy. Eight heats with a double for Pat Buckley. Fastest of the octet was Bushpark Mel for the Upstairs-Club-Syndicate who stopped the timer in an amazing 28.48 (20 slow) by a whopping twenty four lengths at 1/2 fav. Next fastest was Mystical Jet for Buckley in 28.90 (20 slow) by nine lengths also at 1/2 fav. One Offaly winner Rubys Trinity won heat three for Edenderry co owner Timmy Slevin with Enniscorthy native Conor Hyland in 29.46 (20 slow) by five lengths at 6/4 fav.
Thursday, Shelbourne, two finals of note, in the finale of an A3 sweepstake Ravenswood Chica (Laughil Blake- Ravenswood May) won the €1.5k first prize for Gerard Barber in 28.84 by one length at 4/6 fav. In the final of the Upcoming IGBOF National Puppy ON2 stake the impeccably bred Meenagh Minsk (Broadstrand Bono-Meenagh Miracle) won the €3k first prize for Northern Ireland trainer Michael Corr in 28.68 by one length at 4/1. Highview Aurora was second for Croghan trainer Gerry Merriman and received a cheque for €1.5k.
Also on Thursday, in Enniscorthy, the final of the Jim Bolger Memorial A3 Stakes was the highlight of a decent card with the €3k pot going to Bonnie Big Jaws (Whitewood Lad-Indian Prayer) for Patrick Whelan who was a deserved winner as he went through the stake unbeaten and won the final in a smart 28.67 (20 slow) by six lengths at 4/5 fav.
Friday Racing
First Offaly winner of the weekend was at the SIS matinee meeting in Mullingar where Lahinch Toby won an A5 race for Clara owner P.J. Cleary in 29.75 (30 slow) by one length at 2/1 fav.
In Clonmel, in the final of the Unanimouspanther ON2 Bitch stake Dangan Cara (Confident Rankin-Ardera Love) won the first prize of €1.6k in 28.88 by one length at 1/1 fav making it three wins from three starts in the competition for Adam Dunford.
The best four races in Kilkenny were the quarterfinals of the Time Greyhound Nutrition A3 stake with Lemon Mundy setting the bar highest for Tom Lennon and Michael Kennedy in 28.92 (20 slow) by three lengths at 5/4 fav.
There was a fine crowd in Newbridge for the final of the Bosco Gleeson Memorial A2 stake and a sweet Offaly winner up in the heart of Kildare as Syrax (Dorotas Wildcat-Correctandwrong won the €3k first prize for Edenderry owners Paul and Chloe Cronin in 28.74 by four lengths at 5/1. This was the fifteenth career win for this ultra consistent bitch who has now amassed over €8k in winning prize money for the Cronins. Also in Newbridge in the semifinals of the October ON2 Unraced stake Morning Bono won the first for Clonard trainer Kevin Losty in 28.88, by three lengths at 4/5 fav, with Singalong Madge the second for Kieth Powell in 29.29 by two lengths at 5/4 fav.
Shelbourne, semi-finals of the Upcoming Puppy Oaks Open Unraced stake. The first went to Droopys Kathleen in a fine 28.33 by four lengths at 4/6 fav with Robert Gleeson training for jockey Dylan Browne-McGonagle. The second semi was a slower affair as Innfield Fifi was first home in 29.17 by three lengths at 4/1 for Kinnegad trainer Barry Clancy.
Two final on the night, firstly in the A2 Dual-Distance over the 550 yard trip Westside Ranger (Dorotas Wildcat-Last Lady) won in 30.14 by a neck at 4/1 with a first prize of €2.25k going to Dave Bourke. In the final of the AO 525 stake Hawkfield Blue (Good News- Brownstown Tango) had his tenth career win for trainer Ginger McGee and Newbridge owner Jerry Connors in a fine 28.04 by seven lengths at 4/6 with €2.5k heading their way. No doubt this fellow will be in the Derby draw on Monday.
Saturday Racing
Galway, four heats in the first round of their biggest competition of the year, the Fonez Galway Oaks won last year by the brilliant Droopys Mandolin for Robert Gleeson. Three of the four heats were won by Kilkenny trainer Murt Leahy who also supplied the fastest heat winner in Annie On Faya in 28.72 (10 slow) by four lengths at 4/5 fav.
Limerick held the quarter-finals of the Gammell Car Sales A3 Kennedy Cup with the daughter of the great Susie Sapphire setting the fastest clock in 28.42 (20 fast) by five lengths at 5/2 for Paul Hennessy.
One Offaly winner in Mullingar, in the final of the October ON2 Unraced sweepstake Killeshill Milo (Superior Panama-Killeshill Beauty) won for Croghan Trainer Vincent Lynch in 29.82 (50 slow) by five lengths at 3/1 with a cheque for €500 in the post heading his way.
The best race in Waterford's Kilcohan Park was the final of the Whitewood Kennels A3 Stake with a first prize of €1.5k being won by Triangle Brando (Lenson Bucko-Triangle Delight) for John Codd in 29.24 at 5/2 by three lengths.
One final in Shelbourne Park, in an AAO Dual-Distance Open Bitch Stakes again over the 550 yard trip Undulation (Pestana-Unlock Unlock) won the €3.5k purse for Newry trainer Brendan Mathews in a super 29.47 by one length at 6/4. Two more Offaly winners on the supporting card both for Gerry Merriman, in an AO 525 Highview Mia was first over the whitewash in 28.41 by two lengths at a decent 8/1. In an AAO 550 Highview Splash was back in kennels first in 29.80 by two lengths at 4/1.
Sunday Racing
The quarter-finals of the Droopy's Stud Fair Warrior Open 400 sprint were the four feature races at the matinee meeting in Mullingar but there was also four Offaly winners on the undercard.
Last year's winner of the Fair Warrior Pavilion Fire went fastest of the four when stopping the clock for the sprint distance in 21.08 (20 slow) winning by seven lengths at 11/10 fav for Aidan McVeigh. Next fastest was Born Racer for Jennifer O’Donnell who won in 21.13 (20 slow) by five lengths.
P.J. Cleary supplied two of the four Faithful County winners as Lahinch Ayda won an A7 race in 30.04 (50 slow) by five lengths at 3/1 and Lahinch Molly won an A3 grade in 29.70 (50 slow) by one length at 7/1. Moneygall owner Liam Jones had Lingrawn Aoife on the winners rostrum for the eighteenth time in an A2 contest when crossing the line in front in 29.50 (50 slow) by two lengths at 3/1. Our final Offaly winner of the week was in an A4 grade as Killeshill Callie was first out of traps and never headed when coming home in front in 29.57 (50 slow) by one length at 9/4 fav for Vincent Lynch.
Upcoming Events.
Saturday,semifinals of the Fonez Galway Oaks, semifinals of the Gammell Car Sales Kennedy Cup in Limerick. On Friday and Saturday the much anticipated first round heats of the Boylesports Irish Derby.
Sunday, semi-finals of the Droopys Stud Fair Warrior Open Sprint in Mullingar.
Tribune Offaly Dog Of The Week
Syrax gets the nod this week for winning in the final of the Bosco Gleeson Memorial Stake in Newbridge on Friday for Edenderry owners Paul and Chloe Cronin in a superb 28.74. Fine performance. Well deserved.
Offaly Winners.
Nine Offaly winners this week. Congratulations to all connections.