Gone to the dogs: Good wins for Offaly greyhounds

With over €150k in prize money up for grabs last week we had major finals decided. Major classics at Headquarters included the conclusion of the Time Juvenile Puppy Derby and Shelbourne Maiden Derby and in Limerick the final of the Callaway Pro Am @ Stud Irish St. Leger. Dundalk hosted the semifinals of the Bar One Racing Irish National Sprint with some decent sweepstakes action around most of our tracks. Once again Mullingar provided the majority of the Offaly winners with some younger dogs catching the eye.

Early Week Winners

Monday, Enniscorthy, final of the July Open Unraced Stake with the winner prize of €1.24k being won by Tassie Ted (Serene Ace-Tassie Princess) for local trainer George Roche by a head in 28.90 at 3/1.

Two finals were up for grabs in Shelbourne on Thursday.

In the Shelbourne Regulars A3 stake Bristow (Laughil Blake-Ales Smile) was too good for his rivals in 29.57 by one length at 7/4 fav. The €1.75k cheque has brought his career earnings to over €11k in his fifteenth win for Liam and Debbie O’Rourke. Aussie Promise was second here for Kinnitty trainer Jeanette MacKenzie with €850 going to the South Offaly handler. In the final of the Sprint Racing At Shelbourne S3 Stake Pennys Nugget (Droopys Sydney-Barn Swallow) won the €1.5k pot for Eugene and Rosemary Price in 18.79 by four lengths at 1/2 fav. First Offaly winner of the week was at this meeting as Highview Tony was an impressive winner of an ON2 unraced when coming from way off the pace to win by three lengths in 29.21 at 6/4 joint fav for Croghan trainer Gerry Merriman.

Friday Winners

First two Offaly winners of the weekend were at the matinee SIS meeting in Mullingar with both for Croghan trainer Vincent Lynch. In the first race on the card an A2 grade Killeshill Ranger easily delivered the fastest time of the day when stopping the timer in 29.64 (50 slow) by three lengths at 5/2. In an A5 contest Killeshill Milo had his tenth career win for Lynch when crossing the whitewash in 30.25 (50 slow) by two lengths at 3/1.

First major of the weekend was in Shelbourne with the final of the Time Juvenile Open Puppy Derby. The €25k first prize went to Getup The Boy (Ballymac Cashout-Peckies Flyer) who took the right night to record his first win after seven attempts, when winning by one length in 28.31, at a big price of 16/1 for Mark Robinson. Great win for one of the smaller kennels. Unanimous Leo was second for Pat Buckley winning a prize of €6k.

The €2k in the Time Juvenile Consolation final was won by Solo And Go (Ballymac Best-Ballymac Minton) for Liam Dowling in 28.33 by three lengths at 7/2. Two finals on the night both also worth €2k to the winners. In the conclusion of the Time Greyhound A2 Dual Distance stake over the 600 yard trip Boyne Road (Burgess Bucks-Cannobio) won for Navan trainer Ollie Bray in 32.79 by three lengths at 9/4. The €2k in the final of an A1 stake was won by Harry Houdini (Magical Bale-Rangefield Lass) for Stradbally trainer Karol Ramsbottom in 28.41 also by three lengths at 5/2.

The two best races in Newbridge were the semifinals of the Eamonn Wheatley Memorial A4 Stake. Heat one went to Hillroad Stevie for the Five-Mc-Syndicate in 29.00 by one length at 7/2. The second semi went to Ridgemount Sonic for James and John Nevin in 28.77 by two lengths at 3/1.

Kilkenny staged the final of the Georgie Leahy Memorial A3 Stake where the €1.5k first prize was kept locally as the Tom Lennon trained Lemon Hidalgo (Ballymac Best-Lemon Ariana) won in 29.23 (30 slow) by five lengths at 3/1.

The best race in Clonmel on Friday was the final of the Kilsheelan Gallop ON2 Unraced Stake where Norfolkandchance (Ballyhimikin Jet-Raha Gogo) got the better of the field in 28.81 by ten lengths with another €1.5k purse going to trainer Graham Holland.

Saturday Winners

There was an abundance of sweepstake action on Saturday across the tracks with the most valuable final being decided in Limerick. In the final of the Callaway Pro Am @ Stud Irish St. Leger Open 550 the €30k first prize again went to a big priced winner.  Drombeg Banner (Explosive Boy-Hazelfield Echo) also took the right night to win his only heat in the competition returning at 20/1 in 29.57 (10 fast) by a short head. As the Leger is normally run after the Derby this classic in Limerick this year is probably not as strong as usual but it matters less for trainer of Drombeg Evan McAuliffe who had his biggest win of his career. No doubt big celebrations in Limerick as Evan won his first classic in his local track. Super training performance. Flight Club was second for Paul Hennessy and received a cheque for €8k with Blastoff Heffo third and €4K going to Philip Buckley.

Only Offaly winner on Saturday night was in Mullingar when Horseleap Lucy won heat one in the first round of the August ON2 unraced stake for Sean McGuinness in 30.07 (50 slow) by a neck at 2/1. 

Galway held the final of the Martin Fahy Memorial A4 stake where the €3k first prize was won by On The Latt (Broardstrand Bono-Brickhill Sharon) in 29.12 by one length at 3/1 for Gerry O’Donoghue. The €4K first prize in the William Potters Herlihy Memorial A3 stake in Tralee went to Ballymac Cloon (Ballymac Cashout-Cloondarone lady) for Liam Dowling in 28.42 (10 fast) by one length at 6/4 joint fav. 

Full card of sweepstakes action in Dundalk with the highlight being the semi-finals of the Bar One Racing Irish Sprint Cup. Droopys Patriot won the first heat in 21.16 for Robert Gleeson by two lengths with last years winner of this event Broardstrand Syd winning the second semi also by two lengths but in a faster 20.91 for Johnny Linehan. 

Semi-finals of the Kasko A1 Derby were the feature two races in Curraheen Park in Cork. Desert flower won the first for local trainer Kieran Lynch who will have three of the six runners in Saturday’s final in 28.68 (20 fast) by a head at 3/1. The second heat was won by Priceless Romeo for Paul Hennessy in 28.48 (20 fast) by a short head at 5/4 fav. One final on the card in Cork was the finale of the Pat O’Driscoll Memorial A3 stake with the €2.5k first prize heading to Johnny Linehan again as Ballyhimikin Rio (Good News- Good Poppy) won by nine lengths at a short 1/4 fav in 28.13 (20 fast). 

Waterford, semi-finals of the Dave Collins Memorial AO  Munster Oaks. Foyle Emma won the first for John Mackey and Tom Lennon in 28.66 by a short head at 4/1 with the second heat winner being Sundance Shirley for the Feelgood-Racing-Syndicate in 28.41 by two lengths at 2/1.

There was a bumper crowd in Shelbourne as most of the upcoming Derby dog were in action either in trials or racing. Two valuable finals of note were decided with most of the dogs participating heading for the Derby. In the final of the Shelbourne Maiden AAO 550 Derby the €10k purse was won by Shanahee Boomer (Good News-Droopys Dream) for Kieran Lynch, again in 29.60, by three lengths at 2/1 fav.  In the conclusion of the Shelbourne Museum AAO Stake Flashing Lilac (Grangeview Ten- Global Glengar) got the better of last years Derby runner up Cheap Sandwiches in a great buckle by four lengths in 29.49 at 10/1 with a cheque of €5k heading to trainer Pat Buckley. 

Sunday Winners

Just the sole Faithful County winner at the matinee meeting in Mullingar. In an A6 contest Apache Robin was a one length winner in 30.49 (50 slow) at 11/4 for Clara owner P.J. Cleary.


Upcoming Events

Friday, final of the Eamonn Wheatley Memorial A4 stake in Newbridge.
Saturday, semifinals of the August ON2 unraced in Mullingar with finals of the Bar One Racing Irish Sprint Cup in Dundalk, Kasko A1 Derby in Cork and Dave Collins Memorial Munster Oaks in Waterford. All roads will shortly be leading to Shelbourne for the first round of the Boylesports Derby. 


Tribune Offaly Dog Of The Week

Killeshill Ranger has been ultra consistent for Vincent Lynch with eleven career victories so far both in Mullingar and Shelbourne and on Friday posted the fastest time of the meeting in Mullingar when winning by three lengths in a fine 29.64 (50 slow). Superb performance once again. Well deserved. 


One For The Notebook

Highview Tony looks an interesting prospect for Gerry Merriman while missing the kick at the traps on debut but coming through the field to win by three lengths in 29.21 in an ON2 unraced in Shelbourne on Thursday. Showed an abundance of pace and definitely one to keep an eye on. Fine performance.

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Offaly Winners.

Five Offaly winners last week, well done to all connections.