There is a great nights racing to be enjoyed this Friday night coming, witht the undoubted highlight being the final of the Boradway Petfoods McCalmont Cup final. This great event has thrown up some of the greatest nights racing Kilkenny Track has ever seen. When you mention the McClamont Cup, it invoke memories of some our greatest hounds. Paddy Dunphy’s, The Grand Champion won the event 3 times, and of the 6 finalist’s to go the traps, Lough Moskova, is the only won that doesn’t have The Grand Champion in her dam line. However her sire line is littered with his influence.
The supporting card promises to offer come superb entertainment, with each race sponsored as part of the Castlecomer Community School benefit night. The first final of the night is the Castlecomer Credit Union Sprint final, where the Liam Butler trained Grandgate Lad will surely go off favourite. However, Seaview Mandy and Kilkenny sprint specialist Ballybough Kid will have a big part to play.
The M&A Coaches A5 525 will also be a cracking affair. So far in this stake, the Paul Hennessy trained Kilara Alice has looked a top class bitch in the making, and while she has yet to get a clear run through the first bend, it is her phenomenal back straight pace that has won her last two efforts for her. However, this week’s final will need another big effort from her, as Pauline Lennon’s Lemon Mel and the Hugh Deery charge Millbrook John, both have plenty of early gears and should be around the first bend in front.
The Harrington Bookmakers 725 final looks to be a buckle between two staying stars. Last week Marie Gilberts charge Leap of Faith gave a superb front running display to ease home by seven lengths in a very fast 40.52, however St. Mullins Pride got himself into all sorts of bother last week, but his finishing pace from the 5th bend home was superb and if he can get out on terms with Leap of Faith we could be in for a great final.
Then it is onto the big one, the Broadway Petfoods, McCalmont Cup final for 2012. In Trap 1, we have one of the fastest dogs in Ireland to a bend, Shaneboy Spencer. Those son of Droopys Scolari has been showing phenomenal early foot every week, but the real encouraging thing for the Kiely’s will be that he is staying the trip better with each run. He should lead, but by how much ?
In Trap 2, the Tony Howard owned Olympic Rockstar, a product of last year’s Red Mills Champion unraced, this son of Hades Rocket and Kilara Evelyn, does his best work into the tight 3rd bend and home, but with so much early pace in the race, that maybe too late for ‘Rocky’.
In Trap 3, Jack Molloy’s Lough Moskova, is another that shouldn’t bother the main protagonist at the opening bend, but will be finishing strongest of all of them. This dog is a son of Westmead Hawk, with a dam line that traces back to some of the finest coursing bitches of all time, to possibly the finest of them all, Jack Mullan’s Mille May. He will be any price you like on the boards, but should run on strong for the place money.
In Trap 4 , the first of Murty Leahy’s two finalists, Princess Gael, the only female going to traps. Owned by a syndicate of hurlers, of the field and the ‘on the ditch’ variety, from the Loughlin Gaels hurling club, she will have a right chance of upsetting all the dogs here. Conventional wisdom on this bithch’s running style is that she wants the rails and is too far out to figure hear, but that dictate was blown away when she did a 4.41 split and 2910 from this very trap in the quarter final. She will, no doubt be a popular winner if she can get it right on the night.
In Trap 5, another local dog, Stage Gold Gary, owned and trained by the Hoban’s in Knocktopher, this dog is a model of consistency. Since reaching the final of the Dobbs Oil unraced last year as a raw pup, ‘Gary’ has been giving great pleasure to his owners and followers, as he is always in the shake up. He start and stays, and while a career best effort will be required to win here, he certainly has it in him to upset the apple cart here.
In Trap 6, we have the second of Murty Leahy’s finalist, and likely favourite, Sawdust Terry. Up to last week’s semi-final, when held off by a head, he had been imperious in this competition, clocking a superb 28.90 in the quarter final. A confirmed wide runner, with plenty of early pace, Terry should have the pace to get around the opening bends in touch with Shaneboy Spencer, and from there on in is anybody’s guess. Spencer held on last week.. can he again ?
Come racing this Friday night, you won’t be disappointed.
26 April 2012
18 April 2012
McCalmont Cup Semi Finals This Friday
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.
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.
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.
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