Early week racing: Offaly greyhounds hit top form

Three massive stakes that have been a staple of the racing calendar for many a year got underway this week. Eleven heats of the Willwego.com Irish St. Leger in Limerick, twelve heats of the Bar One Racing Irish Sprint Cup in Dundalk and eight heats of the Kasco A1 Derby in Cork. Plenty of other top class sweepstake action along with a magnificent number of Offaly winners.

Early week racing: Offaly greyhounds hit top form

Nothing of note in the first four days of the week.

Friday racing

First Offaly winner of the week was at the BAGS meeting in Mullingar on Friday afternoon, in the final race on the card Killeshill Glam won an A5 525 in 29.67 (50 slow) by six lengths at 9/4 for Croghan owner Vincent Lynch.

Three Offaly winners at the evening meeting in Galway with two for Geashill trainer Margaret Bolton. In the first race of the evening, an S9 sprint Chutehall Tigger won by one length in 18.76 (10 slow) at 5/2. In an A5 grade Seekers Jet was her second winner in 30.17 (20 slow) by a neck at 5/2. Our remaining winner was Crinkle Chief for Birr owner Gerard Milne also in an A5 contest in 29.94 (20 slow) by four lengths at 5/4 fav.

One final in Shelbourne Park with €2k to the winner. In the final of The Retired Greyhound Trust A3 Dual Distance stake with last week’s semifinals over the 550 yard trip and the final Friday over the 575 course Knockmant Ali (Ballymac Bolger-Bull Run Banter) won out for the Downs in Mullingar owners Ronan and Oliver Colgan in 31.19 (20 fast) by two lengths at 5/1.

Saturday Racing

Curraheen Park, Cork, first round of the Kasco Derby A1 stake won last year by Jacktavern Bolt and Graham Holland. Eight heats with Churchtown Syd setting the bar highest for local trainer Denis Fitzgerald in 28.52 by five lengths at 4/1.

The four best races in Galway were the quarterfinals of the Michael Fahy Memorial A4 stake. Margaret Bolton was back on the winners podium in heat two as Kelpie won by three lengths in a smart 29.19 (10 slow) at 7/4 fav. 

One of the main events in Limerick that got underway on Saturday was the Willwego.com Irish St. Leger. It was won last year by Clonbrien Treaty and again by Holland.  The Leger has been a mainstay of the racing calendar since its commencement in 1932 where it was run in Belfast's Celtic Park. It has had brief stays in Clonmel, Harolds Cross and Shelbourne before finding its permanent home on the Dock Road track in Limerick. The great Ger McKenna made this stake his own winning it a magical thirteen times. Another legend of the game Matt O’Donnell won it on seven occasions with Gowran trainer Paul Hennessy winning it four times. 

There was a splendid field for the first round with many champions on view. 

Pat Buckley was the only trainer to have a double which including the fastest heat winner and Produce Stake winner Unanimouspanther, when he stopped the clock in a super 29.34, winning by six lengths at 4/6 fav. Long way to go in this extremely hot stake and predicting a winner an impossible task. 

It was a bumper night for Offaly winners in Mullingar with seven winners on the rostrum in total. There was a brilliant treble for Vincent Lynch. In an A3 race Killeshill Ranger won in the fastest time of the night in 29.34 by nine lengths at 3/1. In an A6 contest Killeshill Melon was first home in 30.32 by one length at 6/1. Lynch’s remaining winner was in an A5 grade as Killeshill Messi recorded his first career win in 29.66 by four lengths at 2/1.   In the first race on the card, an ON2 unraced Kilbride Tractor won for Edenderry trainer David Hanlon in 29.55 by a whopping fourteen lengths at a well backed 1/2 fav.  Clara owner P.J. Cleary was also on the winners podium as Lahinch Ayda won an A9 event in 30.84 by six lengths at 2/1. Paddy McCormack wasn’t to be outdone as he also paraded a winner as Ripley Delight won an A3 grade in 29.62 by three lengths at 3/1. 

Our final winner was in the best grade of the night, an A1 and Lingrawn Aoife had her seventeenth career win for Moneygall owner Liam Jones, in 29.73 by one length, at 6/4. All races in Mullingar on Saturday were rated .50 slow.

Dundalk, twelve heats in the first round of the Bar One National Sprint Cup, won last year in brilliant fashion by Carrick Aldo for Edenderry owner Thomas Glynn.  This stake was first run in 1943 and was set up as the leading stake north of the border. It was held in Dunmore on the outskirts of Belfast until its closure from ‘43 to 2000, then to  Ballyskeagh for the next four years until moving to the County Louth venue in 2004 to this present day.  All twelve heats were won in exceptional times with one outstanding one as Broadstrand Syd stopped the clock for Johnny Linehan in 20.57 by five lengths which is a new track record.

Two Offaly winners on the  night,  2023 Champion Stakes winner Trinity Junior had  his sixteenth career win for Edenderry owner Timmy Slevin with Peter Cronin training in 20.92 by four lengths and Carrick Aldo is certainly not going to relinquish his title without a fight when winning in 21.04 also by four lengths for Glynn with David Murray training. Another to catch the eye was in heat nine where Peppered Sean won for the Laurel Lodge Syndicate beating the current derby winner The Other Kobe by two lengths in 21.28. Again a long road ahead before we know the winner of this stake. 

Two more Faithful County winners in Shelbourne, in the semi-finals of the This Runs Deep Open Unraced. Yorkie Ollie won for Birr owners Michael Hennessy and Adrian Sheils in 28.37 by a wide margin of fifteen lengths at 4/5 fav with Owen McKenna training. The other semifinal was faster as Boylesports Blue won for Paul Hennessy and owner John Boyle in 27.98 by seven lengths at 4/6 fav.  In a novice 750 Carrick Cantona just got up on the line to win in 41.70 (40 fast) by a head at 1/1 fav again for Thomas Glynn and David Murray.

In the semi-finals of the Sporting Press AAO Open bitch stake last week’s winners of the Shelley Fennelly Memorial in Cork Ballymac Run was back with the winners jacket on in 28.11 for Liam Dowling by two lengths at 4/1. Murray trained the second semi winner as Arent We All won in a very smart 27.92 by three lengths at 2/1.

Sunday Racing

Two more Offaly winners at the matinee meeting in Mullingar. Vincent Lynch’s good form continued as Over The Top brought his win tally to five wins in three days  when winning an A6 race in 29.96 (50 slow) by five lengths at 3/1. Our final winner of the week was in an A3 contest as Lingrawn Focus won again for Liam Jones in 29.75 (50 slow) by four lengths at 5/2.

Upcoming Events

Saturday, quarter-finals of the Kasco A1 Derby in Cork, second round of the Bar One Irish Sprint Cup in Dundalk, second round of the Willwego.com Irish St.Leger in Limerick, semifinals of the Michael Fahy Memorial A4 stake in Galway and finals of  the This Runs Deep Open Unraced and Sporting Press Open Bitch stakes in Shelbourne. Plenty of top class action to look forward to next weekend. 


Tribune Offaly Dog Of The Week

It was a tough decision this week as there were some fabulous winners from the Faithful County dogs. Yorkie Ollie gets the nod for Birr owners Michael Hennessy and Adrian Sheils for winning in the semi-final of the This Runs Deep Open Unraced in Shelbourne on Saturday in 28.37 by fifteen lengths. Super performance.

Offaly Winners

A magnificent eighteen Offaly winners this week. Congratulations to all connections.