Derry Greyhounds: Shrewd Stories clinches the Joseph Hurley Memorial Trophy

PICTURED ABOVE: Brandywell on Monday; Race 3,The Brandywell Gold Cup 1st Semi-Final was won by INNISKEEN MANDY in 28.05. Pictured with (from left) Martin Hagan (Co-Sponsor) Sean Melly, Colm Mc Conomy (Owner) Fionnulla O’ Kane and then winning trainer Stephen Radcliffe.

There was a good crowd at Brandywell on Monday for the first round semi-finals of the Gold Cup and the Joseph (Joe) Hurley Memorial 500.

First to grace the winner’s podium on the 8 race programme was Dolores Corr’s Hut Fitter (Ballyhimikin Jet x Meenagh Mags, Sep ’23) who made good use of his trap 1 draw on his racing debut. Well away from boxes, he won the early pace battle and with crowding behind him at the first turn, this lad drew clear by 9.5 lengths from his nearest rival and he flew up the home straight to clock a smart 16.89 for the 300 yards.

Trap 1 also produced the winner of Race 2. Damien Patterson’s Maizys Cookie (Burgess Bucks x Smell The Cookies, Sep ’22) challenged for the early lead with the aptly named Early Pace.

As the field approached the first turn, Cookie was lying in second place but tracked the bends well to emerge into the home straight with a couple of lengths advantage. She ran on well to win by 3 lengths and clocked 17.11 for the sprint. This was her second career success on her 15th start.

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Next up were the semi-finals of the inaugural running of the Brandywell Gold Cup over 500 yards. It is generously sponsored by Michael Young, Greg White and Martin Hagan, in conjunction with the Brandywell Greyhound Supporters Group (BGSG). The first two from each of the 3 heats qualified for next week’s final with the third & fourth placed dogs going into a Consolation Gold Cup Final.

Colm McConomy’s evergreen Inniskeen Mandy (Superior Panama x Slaneyside Kerri, Sep ’21) is heading towards her veteran era of racing but she showed she still retains plenty of ability after a determined effort to land the 1st semi-final for trainer Stephen Radcliffe. Housed in trap 2, she had to relinquish the early lead to the super consistent Diegos Manna in trap 3. Mandy followed behind the leaders around the first two bends and still had a lot of work to do entering the back straight. She had moved into third position at the third bend but her stamina really kicked in on the home straight and she won by 1.25 lengths in 28.05 from the gallant Manna who also secured his place in the Final.

They went slightly faster on the clock in the second semi-final which saw another track specialist rewarded for a really gutsy performance. The Andrew White owned and Ray White trained Do It Jella (Broadstrand Bono x Coolatee Molly, Mar ’22) bounced back to the sort of form that saw her win last year’s Bart Teague Memorial Oaks at the circuit.

Drawn in trap 6, the prolific Do It Jella and Causeway Faye in trap 5 were in a ding dong battle throughout as the lead flip flopped between them at least a handful of times. But on the run to the line, Jella got back up by a neck to claim victory over Faye in 27.99. They are the only wide seeds qualified for the Final and their dual for wide supremacy promises to be a thriller in itself.

Brandywell on Monday; Race 5, The Brandywell Gold Cup. 3rd Semi-Final was won by GABRIELS DREAM in 27.89. Pictured with (from left) Martin Hagan & Seamus Morgan.

We saved the fastest to last with the third semi-final winner posting a 27.89 clock. The Pearce O’Neill owned and Kieran Morgan trained Gabriels Dream (Broadstrand Bono x Ardevan Jewel, Dec ’22) was afforded a clear path from trap 2 on the run to the first bend after Old Fort Lakota on his inside flew out of the boxes.

Dream entered the back straight with a couple of lengths to find on Lakota and unleashed an eye catching burst of pace on Lakota’s inside approaching the third turn to take up the lead. He held off the late challenge of Lakota at the finish by 1.25 lengths for a deserving victory.

The trap draw for the Gold Cup Final is: T1; Gabriels Dream, T2; Diegos Manna, T3; Old Fort Lakota, T4; Inniskeen Mandy, T5; Do It Jella, T6; Causeway Faye.

Consolation Gold Cup Final draw is: T1; Mineola Peerless, T2; Meenagh Milan, T3; Reenaderry Road, T4; Mineola Oyster, T5; Drumdoit Magic, T6; False Claim.

Family and friends of the late Joseph Hurley were present to celebrate his memory on his anniversary with Race 6 being sponsored in his honour by his good friends Chontelle McMeekin and Mark McCallion. The presentation jacket was sponsored by the BGSG and the trophy by Barry Holland.

Brandywell on Monday; Race 8 was won by GENEROUS CASHOUT in 16.71. Pictured with winning owner Charles Baxter.

As soon as the lids lifted, the writing was on the wall as Dermot Coney’s Shrewd Stories (Dorotas Wildcat x Shrewd Clover, Sep ’21) flew from trap 6 to run out a facile 8.5 length winner in 27.97 for the 500 yards. Shrewd Stories, who is approaching the twilight of his career, has only won twice in the last year and one of those included a tight buckle against Sporty Bigman in June.

Bigman was one of the last pups that was raised under Joseph Hurley’s care before his passing. Maybe this connection to the winner of Joseph’s memorial race was a little sign from above?

Staying with 4 bend action, Race 7 saw Aiden Cullen’s Still Mulligan (Pestana x Springside Jiver, Jul ’23) make a winning debut. Only moderately away from trap 2, Mulligan had to settle in behind Ballyquin Tilly rounding the first turn but he had the better back straight pace and nipped up her inside at the third turn. He ran on well to extend his lead to 3 lengths as he crossed the line in 28.38 for the 500 yards. It was a really game performance from this novice pup.

The finale over the 2 bends turned into a 2 dog affair. Sniper Big Tom showed plenty of early dash but Charlie Baxter’s homebred Generous Cashout (Ballymac Best x Generous Daisy, Sep ’22) had enough pace to take up the lead entering the home straight. Despite swinging off the second bend wide, he had enough momentum and stamina to hold Big Tom at bay by 1.75 lengths in a fast 16.71 for the 300 yards.

Lifford on Sunday; Race 8 - the NORTHWEST GREYHOUND SUPPLIES A5 525 was won by TOBERGAL BEAUTY in 29.73. Alana Harte was at the Stadium celebrating her 18th birthday and she is pictured (4th from left) with her family members including Daniel & Yvone Harte & her boyfriend Ronan O’Kane who is holding her 18th birthday balloon. Nathan Coyle who owns the dog is in the centre.

Some solid performances coincided with the glorious weather at Lifford Stadium over the weekend and Beebees Princess (1/1) got back to winning ways in the top race on Saturday night. Trained by Niall McGhee for Martin Lafferty, this lady is a prolific performer at the Northwest venue but she looked in a spot of trouble early on after she failed to break as fluently as usual. However, trap one once again proved decisive in allowing the daughter of Grangeview Ten to slip up the rails and take control entering the back straight.

Chased at this point by Cloneden Flash, ‘Beebees’ set a blistering gallop thereafter and although the unlucky Ardnasool Arc emerged from the pack to give chase, the damage was done early as Beebees Princess crossed the line with three lengths to spare. The time, on a slow track, was 29.04.

Prior to that, there was a thoroughly professional performance over the two-bend trip as Brasidas defied the grader to win for the second straight outing. Installed at odds of 2/1, the son of Grangeview Ten was on the upgrade, however, he showed brilliant courage to hustle his way through at the opening bend.

In doing so, Mark Boland’s runner, trained by Cathal McGhee, steamed up the hill to see off Ardagh Sorrento by two and a quarter lengths. The time was 17.75.

Sunday night’s SIS meeting was dominated by the kennel of Charles Coyle as he accounted for no fewer than four winners across the twelve-race card. Indeed, it didn’t take long for the touch paper to be set alight as Mineola Redeem showed fine determination in the first race to narrowly edge out Ardnasool Lady by a short-head.

The time was 29.60. It was a case of grabbing your chance with both paws in race six as Ballinabola Finn came in as a reserve to seal the double. He ran out a convincing winner to cross the line seven and a half lengths clear, in 29.55.

The treble was completed in race eight as Tobergal Beauty got back to winning ways with a determined performance to see off Sniper Big Les, crossing the line three parts of a length clear in 29.73. A brilliant four-timer was secured in race ten in what proved a routine success for Forest Lizzo. Without a win Christmas of last year, the 11/4 chance pinged out on this occasion and she delivered in style, crossing the line over eight lengths clear of Bellatrix Doll. The time was 29.41.