Lennon prospect lights up Saturday evening at Thurles greyhound stadium

Never surprising to see a smart young prospect from the Threecastles kennel of Denis Lennon, the Saturday action at Thurles Greyhound Stadium saw the Kilkenny handler unveil another promising pup when Luminous Rocks (Droopys Sydney-Luminous Fancy) lit up the weekend fixture with a sparkling debut display in the opening ON2 525.

A first litter for his Lennon owned dam, the September 2019 whelp was quick to react at trap rise and smoothly reaching full stride, immediately began to draw clear throughout the initial exchanges. Charting a straight line from trap 3, the Lennon pup turned the opening bend with over a length to spare as Cocoon secured second to the top of the back-straight.

Reaching his eight-length winning margin with the verdict settled by halfway however, Luminous Rocks impressed with slick early dash and never sighted a rival as he completed victory over Cocoon in a brilliant debut time of 28.92 (-20).

The highest graded event over four bends on Saturday was the A1 525 and finally gaining some due reward for her most competitive career thus far, Kim Taylor’s Breathtaking (Good News-Ballymac Abigal) secured a second win from her last three starts.

Entering the event as an A2 runner, a tough assignment was readily brushed aside when the April 2018 whelp found her best break from trap 3 and immediately taking command, she turned the opening bend with a length in hand of Cabra Luna.

To her credit, the latter closed to the third turn and remained a persistent threat throughout but resolute in front, Breathtaking was full value for her third career win while two lengths too strong in 29.09 (-20).

Mick and Tracy Crown O’Connor double

Claiming an early double on Saturday, James O’Connor guided a brace of litter comrades to maiden victory when firstly, Micks Energy (Tarsna Havana-Send The Answer) built on the early paced promise shown in his 525-yard debut when relishing a swift switch to sprinting for the S5 330.

Displaying the best early dash to emerge in front on the run to first bend following his level start in trap 5, the October 2019 whelp edged clear to a one length lead before turning. Closely pursued by Montore Toots and Cant Stop Busy, it was the latter who would chase the O’Connor pup home but never under serious threat, Micks Energy posted 18.17 (-10) in a cosy two and a half-length verdict.

Quickly doubling up in the following A6 525, comrade Tracys Crown was not scoring out of turn having filled second in each of her last two starts and she secured a first race win at the fifth time of asking, and in similar early paced fashion.

Level away from trap 3, she took a one-length lead to the first bend and remaining in command throughout, held off the late threat of the eye-catching Ballyphilip Fab by half a length in 29.88 (-20).

Tyson completes Hasty Scally double

Also registering a double on Saturday while extending a recent purple patch, the Scally family kennels firstly guided Ava Scally’s Cabra Hasty (Kinloch Brae-Cabra Ebony) to victory in the second of the night’s A6 525 contests. Breaking well from trap 6, the September 2019 whelp secured a first clear run in three starts when smart early dash saw her sweep the bend in advance of Holiday Gal. Always in command thereafter, she held off the strong running Tarsna Soda by four lengths in 29.43 (-20).

Connections hadn’t long to wait for the double as Cabra Tyson (Kinloch Brae-Cabra Ellie) returned to winning ways in the following A3 570, securing a third career win, just!

Swift to stride from trap 5, the April 2019 whelp relished the long run to the opening bend and quickly taking command, held three lengths over Bull Run Buddy to the back-straight. The Scally charge would have his lead reduced beyond halfway however, and finishing best of all, Aghadown Aliysa all but joined Cabra Tyson on the run to the line but with head bowed in timely fashion, the latter held on for a shorthead verdict in 32.00 (-20).

Bogger Gina to the fore

Another kennel in an extended run of fine form, Liam Peacock got on the scoresheet in the concluding A4 525 when Bogger Gina (Skywalker Farloe-Billys Girl) secured the ninth win of her hugely competitive career.

Breaking just off the pace from trap 2, the July 2018 whelp tracked Flashy Duke to the opening bend and remained within a length of that rival when challenging on the outside along the back-straight. A strong runner at the standard trip, the Peacock charge impressed when edging to the front approaching the third turn and she duly settled the race when drawing clear to a three and a half-length verdict over Flashy Duke in a career best 29.25 (-20).

That effort came soon after the impressive first career win of Fintan Kennedy’s Cu Magoo (Droopys Sydney-Samiya) as the lightly raced August 2018 whelp found smart improvement to land the A3 525 in dominant fashion.

Breaking smartly from trap 2, he held a tight one length lead over Courty Girl to the back-straight before settling a competitive buckle at the closing bends, seeing out the trip well for a two-length verdict in 29.29 (-20).

Crokers Seventh

The remaining sprint on Saturday’s card saw Christopher Delaney’s Crokers Paradise (Paradise Madison-Flomur Jodi) claim a seventh career win on the approach to his fourth birthday as the August 2017 whelp displayed powerful early dash to recover an early two-length deficit on fast trapping Eskvale Jaykay. Commanding the rail from trap 1, Crokers Paradise repelled Amazing Music around the opening turns before prevailing by half a length in 18.11 (-10).

Now filling a forecast spot in each of his last seven outings, Joe Bourke’s Demon Say Ten (Azza Azza Azza-Demon Cause) has been a model of consistency in his career start and the June 2019 pup claimed his third career win in the early A3 525 on Saturday.

Possessing sharp early pace, the Brendan Everard charge battled for an early lead when level away from trap 3 and turning the opening bend with a narrow advantage, skipped readily clear to halfway, with traffic in behind. All out to repel the strong staying Heavens Shadow late on, Demon Say Ten claimed his third race victory with half a length to spare in 29.48 (-20).

Benefitting for debut experience, Michael Ryan’s Get My Drift (Droopys Jet-Lady Midnight) shed his maiden tag at the second attempt in the A8 525. Striking the front off the final turn, the August 2019 pup stayed very strongly for a six-length verdict over Errill Elsa in 30.08 (-20) while the remaining A3 570 contest went to Doireann Quinlan’s Bull Run Burren (Good News-Bull Run Kite) as the September 2018 whelp impressed from halfway in a one and a half length defeat of Coolavanny Abba, posting 32.03 (-20) in a fourth career win.

Top Dog

Denis Lennon has another bright young talent on his hands in the form of Luminous Rocks (Droopys Sydney-Luminous Fancy) who could hardly have impressed more in a wonderful debut victory, posting 28.92 (-20) for the 525 yards.

Best Bitch

Breathtaking (Good News-Ballymac Abigal) went some way towards living up to her naming in a brave A1 525 victory, claiming a second win from her last three starts.

One To Watch

Reducing much greater arrears to just half a length when chasing home Tracys Crown in the A6 525, Jackie Sparrow’s Ballyphilip Fab (Skywalker Farloe-Ballyphilip Ace) thoroughly caught the eye from halfway and remaining in the grade, that level is unlikely to contain the June 2019 pup for very long, especially if drawn closer to the rail.