Derry Greyhounds: Old Fort Lakota, fastest at Brandywell so far this year

The first round semi-finals of the Brassneck Dual Distance 300/500 were the feature events on a 7 race programme at Brandywell on Monday. This event is sponsored by Marty Healy and the Track Lotto Team.

The £50 Brandywell Greyhound Supporters Group (BGSG) End Of Month Bonus for April was also in play, the Track Lotto Team sponsored a box muzzle for all the race winners and Andrew O’Neill continued his weekly sponsorship of a bag of O’Neills dog food for the winner of one of the races.

First to earn a spot on the winners podium was the Denis Murphy owned and Micky Corr trained Sunnyside Aoife (Callaway Pro Am x Cardi Duke, Oct ’23) who was making her racing debut. Her supporters travelled many miles to be at the track to show their support.

Drawn in trap 4, she was evenly away from boxes and barely visible between the larger dogs drawn either side of her. The early pace was set by Brandywell Pride but Aoife showed a great burst of pace as the first turn approached where she emerged into a threatening looking second place position.

Aoife dug deep on the home straight to get up by a short head from Pride in 16.93 for the 300 yards. It was a genuine, competitive effort that bodes well for her future and it was no doubt a thrilling victory to watch for her connections.

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Race 2 was declared void after a mechanical issue with the starting traps but the Track Management Team soon had the issue fixed and Race 3, the 1st semi-final of the Brassneck and Track Lotto Dual Distance 300/500 got underway. Little Ace (Signet Ace x Emers Velvet, Feb ’23) booked his place in next week’s final for Peter McMenamin after his early pace from trap 3 was enough to led around the first turn and hold off Karen Who by 1 length for victory in 16.94 for the 300 yards.

Curraheen Coco was a further 2.25 lengths away in third place but could be the dark horse in this event. Coco is a new recruit to the Sniper Kennels of Kevin & Kealan O’Kane but may well excel given the step up to the 500 yard trip in the final.

Diegos Manna (Premier Fantasy x Sidarian Fern, Jun ’22) earned himself the title of track specialist in Race 4 after making it an impressive 3 wins in a row around Brandywell’s 4 bends.

Brandywell on Monday; Paul Hughes (left) whose Ontimeforthree has made it through to next week’s Brassneck Bar & Track Lotto 300/500 Final. Francis Reynolds (middle) who notched up a double at Lifford on Sunday & Martin McLaughlin (Control Steward).

The early paced battle was won by Do It Jella who made it to the sprint boxes before Diego kicked into top gear and took up the lead. He galloped on strongly to hold off the late challenge of Inniskeen Mandy by 0.75 lengths in a smart 27.95 for the 500 yards. It was another terrific performance from Leigh Thompson’s hound who has an incredible strike rate of 11 wins and 6 seconds from only 20 races.

Race 5 saw the BGSG £50 Bonus come into play and it went to Thomas Mullan after his early paced Bit View Noreen (Slippy Cain x Kinielty Roxy, Aug ’22) made amends for a slow exit from trap 5 to record her first career success on her 11th attempt. Noreen was in just the right place at the second bend when the leaders moved wide and offered her a clear passage into the back straight. She made the most of the opportunity to win by a decisive 4.25 lengths in 28.71 for the 500 yards.

The 2nd semi-final of the Brassneck Dual Distance 300/500 went to Gary & Cormac McHugh’s Dreenan Jacko (Pestana x Alien Queenie, Jul ’22) after a flying exit from trap 6. He had a commanding lead at the first turn but ran off the second bend wide and allowed Ontimeforthree to narrow his lead on his inside. However, Jacko had enough in the tank and won by 0.75 lengths in 16.99 with Roseville Bob 4.25 lengths away in third. The Final will be decided on Tuesday 6th May as racing is postponed from its normal Monday slot due to the Derry City football match.

Race 7 looked to be a really tough contest on paper, but Old Fort Lakota (Coolavanny Hoffa x Atealive, May ’23) turned it into a procession as she clocked the fastest time of the year over 300 yards to win by 5.25 lengths in 16.57. It was a race with lots of early pacers, but they were no match for Lakota from her favoured trap 1 box and Tony Teague’s hound continues to build on the exciting promise she has shown since her 27.66 clock back in February over the 500 yards which is still the fastest of the year at this circuit.

Action from Lifford Greyhound Stadium

There were a number of top performances at Lifford Stadium over the weekend but the headlines must go to Ardnasool Stark after a thoroughly dominant performance in the NWGOBA A2/A3 525 on Saturday night. Clearly highly thought of having ventured to Shelbourne Park on debut, the October puppy returned to home soil to record a maiden victory for both Orla and Cathal McGhee. Coming into the event, the daughter of Ardnasool Jet and Ravenswood Storm was well-supported into 5/4 and such support was more than justified as she made every inch of the running.

Brandywell on Monday; Race 4 over 500 yards was won by DIEGO MANNA in 27.95. Pictured with owner Leigh Thompson (right) & Joyce Scott.

Running from four, ‘Stark’ came away racing from her middle berth and in doing so, clocked a rapid 2.63 opening sectional. As a result, she took command from the outset to set a majestic gallop into the back. So It’s Bono tried hard in second, however, the leader never broke sweat as she cantered to a four and a three parts of a length success, in a blistering 28.77.

Incidentally, earlier in proceedings Brasidas was to kick-start a kennel double for Cathal McGhee as he also comfortably landing his two-bend assignment. Chasing back-to-back wins on the night, the son of Grangeview Ten and Innfield Daisy was a 3/1 chance heading to traps and he showed the superior early dash to lead on the run-up. In doing so, he stormed up the hill to cross the line two lengths clear of Rackethall Nando in second. The time was 17.66.

On the Sunday SIS card, the card got off to a fine start as Rockpit Lenny finally notched victory after a couple of close calls for Charles Coyle. Supported from 3/1 into 11/10 on the night, he donned the favoured red jacket and he made no mistakes after trapping spritely from his inside berth. Thereafter, the son of Whitewood Lad was always in charge as he upped the ante off the final bend to storm home, five and a half lengths of Dewedger in second. The time was 29.22.

Further down the card the popular Lurgan owner, Francie Reynolds, scored a double with Glenfinn Eske and Tinks Lad. The former was the first to cross in front as she stayed on best of all to win in style. Drawn in one, the 9/2 chance disputed with Aghaderry Odhran throughout, however, scraped the paintwork around the final bend to create daylight. In doing so, the daughter of Ballymac Eske drew clear to win by an extending one length in 29.81.

Tinks Lad sealed the double in race ten as he brought up his half-dozen in trap-to-line fashion. Pinging out of trap two to lead, the reliable son of Grangeview Ten and Burning Candle set a smart gallop, before showing good determination to fend off the late challenge of Mimees Lad in second. The time was 29.68.

While Sniper Ria was one of the most consistent trackers during her time on the circuit, Kevin O’Kane’s strapping blue has proved equally as fruitful in the breeding paddocks. A winner of thirteen during her time on track, her most significant victory was a record-breaking performance at the Brandywell in Derry as she romped to a ten and a quarter length success in 16.40.

Indeed, while that time would be seen as just above average around some of the Southern circuits in Ireland, it is scarcely believable around the Brandywell and something that hasn’t been rivaled since March of 2022. A career in the breeding paddocks was an obvious path for the O’Kane Family given what Sniper Ria achieved on track and her first mating to Broadstrand Bono has proven a very successfully one. A strong litter of seven has now seen all offspring taste victory and that milestone was fulfilled on Sunday evening as Sniper Big Les crossed in front to complete the clean sweep.

Indeed, just a few weeks prior, Sniper Roro, who is the class animal in the litter as an SSO campaigner, claimed the valuable Lornie McMonagle Memorial Sprint at Derry as he justified favouritism to win for the ninth time in his career. The heavyweight blue has clearly inherited his dam’s electric early speed and connections can certainly have reason for optimism ahead of an eight-strong September 2024 litter to Malachi.