Greyhounds: Wins for Cooraclare & Mullagh

by Michael Maher news@clareecho.ie

The final of the Online Race Entries A3 525 Yards Stake was the feature event at Galway Greyhound Stadium on Saturday night last.

Racing opened with an A7 garden contest over 525 yards in which Nationwide Jenny and Mounvoor Moll disputed the early lead with the latter taking command on the wide outside rounding the opening bend. Racing down the back Mounvoor Moll led the way by two lengths from Jackie’s Rosie as the pair race clear of their rivals.

Exiting the back straight Mounvoor Moll continued to lead but off the home bend the Martin & Louise Sexton of Mullagh owned Jacksies Rosie (Sonic-Ballymac Velvet) swung wide to deliver her challenge and she led close home to prevail by three parts of a length in 29.77.

Less than one length covered the field approaching the opening bend in the A4 graded contest with the James McMahon of Cooraclare owned Lissatouk Gena just holding a narrow advantage as they negotiated the turn. Racing down the back Lissatouk Gena led the way to Drombeg Diego and Portumna Sapphire and as the third been loomed Lissatouk Gena (Laughill Blake-Lissatouk Dolly) was four lengths clear as she railed well around the final two bends for a four and a half length victory over Portumna Sapphire in 28.98.

In the concluding A3 graded contest Astro Podge broke well along the fence and led to age opening been ahead of Ballygarry Ruby and Brickhill Daisy. Tracking well the leader opened ups a two length advantage racing down the back as Ballygarry Ruby and Dennys Best gave chase. Beginning the swing for home the pack began to close but the Madden-Pepper Syndicate of Feakle owned Astro Podge(Ballynac Best-Dynamic Cool Sky) dug really deep to prevail by a diminishing head from Dennys Best and score for trainer Donnie Duggan of Tulla.

Friday night’s Galway eleven race programme featured the finals of both the Galway Greyhound Stadium A5 525 & A6 525 Yards stakes with other Semi Final and First Round Stake action also on the card.

As the traps rose for this final of the A5 Sweepstake all six runners were away well with Bonzo Bourke just about best away and racing towards the opening bend he led form Lissatouk Sox and Blaze More Fire. At the bend the leader ran slightly wide and this allowed Lissatouk Sox to take over in front turning down the back and by halfway his lead was almost two lengths over Blaze More Fire. Between the final two bends the leader kept off the rails and this allowed the Kim Bennie and Tony Brigdale of Ennis owned Blaze More Fire(Ballymac Eske-Blaze Bee) to close on the rails and she struck the front close home to score by a length and a half in 29.29.

Of the twelve races on the card on Thursday night last at Limerick Greyhound stadium, 6 of them came the way of the Banner County. The first race on the card was an A7 contest and honours went to Mary Crotty form O’Briensbridge with Inislosky Isabel in a time of 30.29 – this was career win number four for this daughter of Droopys Roddick and Cailin Pol.

Tiermana Shower landed the spoils in an A4 contest for Mullagh’s Noel Moroney, in 29.11, and this was career win number 3 for this daughter of Laughil Blake and Cloneyogan Flash.

The fifth race an A7 graded contest went to Parteens’s Joe Collins with Ryans Lemon – a son of Droopys Cain and Lemon Abigail, he recorded a fifth career success in 29.86.

The performance of the evening was Amys Jack victory in the seventh race of the evening, owned by Peter Russell from Shannon and trained by Donie Duggan, this son of Skywalker Rafa and Notimetotalk ran his rivals a merry dance to cross the line in 28.64 and record career win number six.

Next in the winner’s enclosure for the banner was Quilty Horace for Seamus Burke from Ennis who had a commanding eleven length victory in a time of 29.46, a son of Droopys Cain and Klockwork Tip, this was his fourth career win.

Malbay Koda recorded a winning debut for Miltown Malbay’s Gerry Burke in the eleventh race of the evening, a son of Magical Bale and Malbay Ally, his winning time was 29.78.

From Shelbourne Park, last Saturday there was success for Ennistymon native Martin Crowe and his granddaughter Eve when Run Faster ran impressively to record his fifth career success in 30.12 for an Open 550 yards contest - a son of Droopys Cain and Sarista, he is in the professional hands of Tipperary trainer Owen McKenna.