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.
