Friday coming has thrown together one of the best cards we have seen in a while in St. James Park. A sign of things to come no doubt with big races stakes scheduled from now through to September.
The semi-finals of the M&A Coaches A5, will both be keenly contested affairs. The first semi-final looks to be a buckle between Raththorpe Boss in T1 and Millbrook John out in T6. These two met in their novice debuts and that resulted in a dead-heat. Both are housed ideally, but the Hugh Deery trained Millbrook John is fancied to take this one, with Kaysland, a seasoned campaigner the likely challenger to this pair.
The second semi-final will see Kilara Alice go off as favourite, after recording the fastest winning time of the first round, but she will need to break well if she is to get the rail at the opening bend from the early paced Lemon Mel.
We also have two semi-finals of an Open 725 stake, which has attracted some very good stayers. Veteran St. Mullins Pride is on the form of his life and will be fancied to take his semi-final from Kilkenny stalworth Welesbourne Dan, who had a nice pipe-opener over 55o last week. The other semi-final should see Mary Buggys Kilgraney Sport leading them, but he will come under serious pressure from Marie Gilberts charge, Leap of Faith in T1.
But the highlight of the card are the semi-finals of the Broadway Petfoods McCalmont Cup. Mickeys Trickster and Sawdust Terry were the stars of last week’s running, and they have been draw together in the first semi-final. Both hounds have super early pace, and with Terry staying wide they could go around the first bend together, and they we have a buckle the whole way home, and ‘Terry’ would be fancies to outstay Mickeys Trickster to the line. Behind them Droopys Comedian is a dog of huge backstraight pace, and if there is trouble in front he will pounce.
The second semi-final is a wide open affair, and a case could be made for all. However, Priceless Sky is a pup with huge potential, and if he can trap right they will all have to try and catch him.
All in all it is a great nights racing to look forward to.
18 April 2012
14 April 2012
McCalmont Cup Heats Up
Track specialists Sawdust Terry and Mickys Trickster maintained their great record at Kilkenny track when posting the fastest second round times in the Broadway Pet Foods McCalmont Cup on Friday night.
The Murt Leahy trained Sawdust Terry (Crash/ Lemon Soul) was a very easy winner of the opening heat as he shot from traps and was clear exiting the second bend. Untroubled, he raced on to win by six and a half lengths from Shes Only Saying in 28.90 with Lough Moskova a strong finishing length third.
That time was equalled in the second heat by the Martin Fortune trained Mickys Trickster (Westmead Joe/ Sporty Woman) as he also got away smartly and led all the way for a convincing four and a half length margin over Stage Gold Gary in 28.90. Lemon Major was a three length third.
Murt Leahy completed a double when Princess Gael (Head Bound/ Lemon Sophie) won the third heat where she led up and won by two lengths from Droopys Comedian in 29.10 with Olympic Rockstar a four length third.
The last heat produced the finish of the night as Colette Kiely’s Shaneboy Spencer (Droopys Scolari/ Shaneboy Maria) led from the first bend but was then collared in the last stride by Paul Hennessy’s Priceless Sky (Royal Impact/ Priceless Pearl) which forced a dead-heat in 29.32. It was another length to the staying Durrow Lark in third.
The Murt Leahy trained Sawdust Terry (Crash/ Lemon Soul) was a very easy winner of the opening heat as he shot from traps and was clear exiting the second bend. Untroubled, he raced on to win by six and a half lengths from Shes Only Saying in 28.90 with Lough Moskova a strong finishing length third.
That time was equalled in the second heat by the Martin Fortune trained Mickys Trickster (Westmead Joe/ Sporty Woman) as he also got away smartly and led all the way for a convincing four and a half length margin over Stage Gold Gary in 28.90. Lemon Major was a three length third.
Murt Leahy completed a double when Princess Gael (Head Bound/ Lemon Sophie) won the third heat where she led up and won by two lengths from Droopys Comedian in 29.10 with Olympic Rockstar a four length third.
The last heat produced the finish of the night as Colette Kiely’s Shaneboy Spencer (Droopys Scolari/ Shaneboy Maria) led from the first bend but was then collared in the last stride by Paul Hennessy’s Priceless Sky (Royal Impact/ Priceless Pearl) which forced a dead-heat in 29.32. It was another length to the staying Durrow Lark in third.
13 April 2012
McCalmont Cup Resumes
After a break of two weeks the Broadway Pet Foods McCalmont Cup resumes at Kilkenny tonight and four very interesting contests are in prospect in the second round.
Murt Leahy’s Sawdust Terry is a real Kilkenny specialist, though he is pretty useful elsewhere also, and he can get the round off to a perfect start by landing Heat 1 from an ideal six draw. The obvious dangers would appear to be Nikitas Scut and Kanasef.
Talking about Kilkenny specialists, Mickys Trickster is another and he goes in a tricky second heat. Connections were very bussilsh even at odds on the last day, but he needs to come on for that run. He has the early pace to grab an early lead and go on to victory but the likes of What A Tornado, Paradise Siesta and Stage Gold Gary will all be finishing fast.
Droopys Comedian has returned to the Hennessy kennels after a spell in England and he has real prospects in Heat 3, though David Whelan’s Pull The Plug may be the one.
Hennessy looks to have a likely winner in the puppy Priceless Sky which can make the most of an inside draw in the final heat.
Murt Leahy’s Sawdust Terry is a real Kilkenny specialist, though he is pretty useful elsewhere also, and he can get the round off to a perfect start by landing Heat 1 from an ideal six draw. The obvious dangers would appear to be Nikitas Scut and Kanasef.
Talking about Kilkenny specialists, Mickys Trickster is another and he goes in a tricky second heat. Connections were very bussilsh even at odds on the last day, but he needs to come on for that run. He has the early pace to grab an early lead and go on to victory but the likes of What A Tornado, Paradise Siesta and Stage Gold Gary will all be finishing fast.
Droopys Comedian has returned to the Hennessy kennels after a spell in England and he has real prospects in Heat 3, though David Whelan’s Pull The Plug may be the one.
Hennessy looks to have a likely winner in the puppy Priceless Sky which can make the most of an inside draw in the final heat.
3 April 2012
Red Mills Juvenile Classic for Kilkenny
One of the great improvements in the Irish greyhound calendar in recent years has been in the area of puppy competitions.
A magnificent new event has just been announced for Kilkenny which will provide the top puppies with a magnificent introduction to their racing careers.
Red Mills have been very generous supporters of puppy racing through the years and they currently support the Produce Stakes at Clonmel and the Open Unraced Stake at Kilkenny.
Now stand by for the Red Mills Juvenile Championship which will follow on almost immediately after the Unraced events and will give the star young trackers four additional races in their own age group before being thrown into the big tough world of open racing.
Kilkenny manager Tom Kinane yesterday outlined the plans for this splendid new 48 dog event which will have a prize fund of €23,000, of which the winner will receive €10,000.
Said Tom, “We are very excited here about this new competition which will be just ideal for the dogs coming out of our Unraced Stake. It will be a nice stepping stone from the unraced competition for the dogs that might go on to challenge for the Irish Derby a month later”.
PROPOSED KILKENNY PUPPY DATES
May 4th – Red Mills Open Unraced 1st Round
May 27th – Red Mills Open Unraced Final
June 8th – Red Mills Juvenile 1st Round
June 29th or July 1st – Red Mills Juvenile Final
A magnificent new event has just been announced for Kilkenny which will provide the top puppies with a magnificent introduction to their racing careers.
Red Mills have been very generous supporters of puppy racing through the years and they currently support the Produce Stakes at Clonmel and the Open Unraced Stake at Kilkenny.
Now stand by for the Red Mills Juvenile Championship which will follow on almost immediately after the Unraced events and will give the star young trackers four additional races in their own age group before being thrown into the big tough world of open racing.
Kilkenny manager Tom Kinane yesterday outlined the plans for this splendid new 48 dog event which will have a prize fund of €23,000, of which the winner will receive €10,000.
Said Tom, “We are very excited here about this new competition which will be just ideal for the dogs coming out of our Unraced Stake. It will be a nice stepping stone from the unraced competition for the dogs that might go on to challenge for the Irish Derby a month later”.
PROPOSED KILKENNY PUPPY DATES
May 4th – Red Mills Open Unraced 1st Round
May 27th – Red Mills Open Unraced Final
June 8th – Red Mills Juvenile 1st Round
June 29th or July 1st – Red Mills Juvenile Final
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