Summer Party - Sizzling Hot Pups

 The Kilkenny Track Supporters Club Summer Party Night. Theres a great card with 7 finals, an open 525 and Open Sprint. 

All eyes will be on the new "wonder" pup "Barefoot Scholar" ( Scolari Me Daddy - Luminous Flower) who runs from Trap 1 in the final of the Pat Dunne Open Unraced. After his 28.64 effort from Trap 4 when he moved for the rails, one can only wonder what he might do from Trap 1!! 

To put some context this is the 4th fastest dog ever around Kilkenny.    Boherduff Light the track record holder has 28.49 and 28.53 on his card.  The next best is Skywalker Puma, who produced a superb 28.63 in last years Champion Juvenile, before winning the Derby.  In recent years, Easter Cup, Gold Cup, Caesarewitch, Oaks, Derby, Ledger, Laurels winners have all been around Kilkenny.    None as fast as Barefoot Scholar. 

Another exciting pup is "Chicago" (Milldean Panther - Bebo Babe) who runs in the final of The Big Fella A3 Puppy 525, he will be the likely favourite after his 28.80 semi final victory.


Theres an auction on the night for 4 well bred bitch pups ( all 4 - 5 months old).
1: Ace Hi Rumble - Flomur Pebbles
2: Melodys Royal - Royston Sue
3: Forest Master - Lemon Lola
4: Droopys Scolari - Tyrur Fifi

Best Dressed Lady & Man Competion, Barbeque, Chidrens Entertainment & More........ 1st Race 7.30 pm

Future Stars

Theres a cracking card at Kilkenny Track on Wednesday night, with a 12 dog Open Unraced catching the eye. Among the entries are Station Panther ( Milldean Panther - Five Gold Bars) who qualified in 29.17 in Kilkenny while litter comrade Station House qualified in 29.60. Paul Hennessy's Barefoot Scholar ( Scolari Me Daddy - Luminous Flower) also jumps off the page with a 29.24 trial in Kilkenny & a 29.09 spin in Harolds Cross. Pat Guilfoyle's "Righteous Note" ( Vans Escalade - Toorphelim Miss) also has an impressive 28.93 qualifying trial in Thurles.

The semi finals of the Big Fella, Sound & Vision A3 Puppy Stake will also be run on Wednesday night where fastest 1st round winners "Chicago" ( Milldean Panther - Bebo Babe) who won in 29.01 & "Bellmore Torress" who won in 28.95 ( Ja Mann - Shelbourne Capri) go head to head in what should be a thrilling race.

The finals of all these sweepstakes will be run on Sunday Night which is The Tr
ack Supporters Party Night, there are 7 finals in total and 2 Open Races with 1st race getting underway at 7.30pm

Stars Are Born At Kilkenny

This summer is turning out to be a vintage one in Kilkenny, not only for the weather, but also for the superb pups that are turning out on the track, and last night was a special one. The standard was right up there with any of the Red Mill Unraced nights.

In the €3000 track supporters N1, we saw a superb prospect from Declan Byrnes kennel in Millies Tavern. This daughter of Droppys Vieri out of Whiteys Millie (dam of Produce stakes winner Whiteys Hawk), showed a nice bit of early pace to lead her rivals around the opening bend and power away, recording a very smart 28.99. 2 from for this Jan '12 Puppy. Declan started off a number of good pups in Kilkenny in recent times, including staying star, White Sox Rox and Oaks runner up, and Oaks runner up Melodies Diamond. This one looks the best yet.

Then in the very next race we January puppy produce a good run, in Margaret Barrett's Beautys Whisper (Ballymac Bull - Ballymac Sasha). This pup didnt trap at all well, but showed huge pace to the bend, and once he got away down the back he was very powerful in winning in a smart 29.25 by an 8 length margin.

In the A3 Puppy stake, the talking dog was Liam Walsh's Chicago (Milldean Panter - Bebo Babe). Coming off the back of an impressive spint in Waterford, this dog showed tremdous pace from the second bend, and the way in which he ran away from Barefoot Arthur, returning in a 4L win in an impressive 29.01. 

But, to top them all in the last race, it was Stephan Behan and Donal Lanigan's Bellmore Torres (Ja Mann - Shelbourne Capri) stole the show. It was arguably the most competitive of all the heats. Torres was away well, but surrounded by a lot of early pace, he shipped a couple of bangs well and absolutely ragged his rivals from the sprint box to home, returning a 5 length winner in a superb 28.95.

The above stakes due to culminate on the summer party night on Sunday 25th of August there is a lot more to come from these pups.

 Next Wednesday also sees a 12 dog Novice Open stake starting, and the word from the track last night is that there are a couple of special pups in the book for that stake also.

Come to Kilkenny, you will see a star !

Summer Party Night Stakes

There are a number of very good stakes coming up at the track, with a lot of them gearing towards what will be a great finals card on the summer party night. All finals Sunday August 25th – Track Supporters Club Party Night!!! €3,000 Danny McEvoy & Joe Daly A4 / A5 525 24 Greyhounds @ €20 each (B’graders Allowed) Winner €1,300 1st Rd Fri Aug 9th €3,200 A1 Rearing & Schooling A1 / A2 525 Kindly Sponsored By John Kennedy 24 Greyhounds @ €20 ( Backgraders Allowed) Winner €1,350 1st Rd Friday August 9th €2,800 Big Fella Sound & Vision A3 / A4 Puppy 525 24 Greyhounds whelped Sept 11 or younger @ €20 Winner €1,200 1st Rd Wed Aug 14th €1,500 Pat Dunne, Brittas Veterinary D1 / D2 725 12 Greyhounds @ €20 Winner €750 1st Rd Fri August 16th €2,500 O’Dwyer Dog Feeds A5 525 Sponsored By Billy & Majella O’Dwyer 24 Greyhounds @ €20 (No B’graders) Winner €1,000 1st Rd Wed Aug 14th €1,350 Happy Times Newsagents A3 525 12 Greyhounds @ €20 (B’graders Allowed) Winner €700 1st Rd Fri Aug 16th €1,300 Open Unraced 525 12 Greyhounds @ €20 Winner €650 1st Rd Wed Aug 21st €5,000 Droopys Stud A4/A5 525 36 Greyhounds @ €20 (B’graders Allowed) Winner €1,850 1st Rd Friday August 23rd €6, 000 Track Supporters Club N1 / N2 Unraced 525 Sponsored By The Track Supporters Club 48 Greyhounds @ €20 ( Non Members €30) Winner €2,200 - 1st Rd Wed Aug 7th

Yvonne Takes to the Skies

Julie Cowan Bryan and Yvonne Harrington will be taking to the clouds for a Skydive to raise money for the Glencarraig Sightsound Resue on August 15th. Julie operates Glencarraig Rescue from her home and they take greyhounds and lurchers from the pound, trainers or people who have had to give up their pet for adoption. They have re-homed 41 dogs since January of this year and any dog that comes into their care is given the necessary veterinary care as well as a lot of TLC! Yvonnes, our photographer, is great supporter of Kilkenny track, and has worked very hard to promote our little track. I hop you will consider supporting this great cause. Yvonne Harrington can be sponsored through their page on idonate.ie: https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/11950_yvonne-harrington-s-fundraising-page.html#

Summer Party Night

It has been a great year so far in Kilkenny. The Red Mills Champion Unraced was a super stake and the winner, Lough Messi is sure to make a splash later this year in the UK. The champion juvenile was a superb stake, with Michael Dunne's De Real McCoy a very good winner, who will now run in the Derby. While the Dobbs Oil Unraced turned out a great winner in Mr. Hooch for the Cashin family. Attention at Kilkenny Track now turns to the annual Track Supporters Club "Summer Party Night" which takes place at Kilkenny Track on Sunday August 25th. Tickets are now on sale for €10 with a number of fantastic prizes on offer. There is a wide variety of sweepstakes advertised at the moment with all finals on the 25th. It promises to be a great nights entertainment with face painting, barbeque, best dressed lady competion & more. This is the 3rd year in a row that the Track Supporters Club have run "The Summer Party" night and all proceeds from ticket sales & adds goes back into prizemoney. In the meantime, Friday nights card features the Semi Finals of The Droopys Stud A2 525. Michael & Sean Dunphy are also kindly sponsoring the Droopys Stud A4 525 which carries a €1,850 1st prize and gets underway on Friday August 23rd. After that attention turns to the Langton Derby A1 / A2 525 which gets underway on Friday September 6th. So a large variety of sponsored sweepstakes on offer, and more to come after.

Red Mills Champion Unraced 2013

Finally, there is a small bit of kindness in the weather, the grass is green again, and there is a stretch in the evenings.   The greyhound racing scene is also getting warmer, and its time for many to produce their red hot pups, for the Red Mills Champion Unraced.   For many greyhound men and women in Kilkenny this is the greatest time of the year.   We have just concluded a super McCalmont Cup, won by a Red Mills Unraced graduate, Boherna Rumble , and now we face into one of Ireland's premier juvenile events.     There is also added spice to it now that it is followed closely by the Red Mills juvenile, the competition that heralded the arrivals of Derby winner Skywalker Puma and SIS Gold Cup Winner Priceless Sky.

However, it is the unraced that has really given us first sight of some of the stars fo the game over the years.  Pat Dalton's great brood bitch Airport Express took the laurels in 2001.   Spiral Nikita, Lemon Sash, Yahoo Jamie, Pacific Mile, Cool Performance, Definate Opinion, He Said So, Lax Law, Kilmessan Jet all started out in this great competition.   For those of you of a certain vintage, go back to one of the greats, Suir Miller, who Michael Barret brought down from Crohane to compete in the 1980 running.    Suir Miller won it, and went straight to Shelbourne park to compete in and win the 1980 Derby.

Rather disappointing is the volume of entries this year, back to 36 from last years 66, but the quality is by no means lacking.     To scan through the card there are few with breeding that indicates huge potential.

In the opening heat the Peter Cronin trained Dodging Bullets (Head Bound - Borna Skylark) is from a great early paced damline, and you don't have to move too far back in his pedgree to see the link to Produce Stakes winner and multiple track record holder, Geldrops Touch.   While Paddy Ryan is introducing a beautifully bred dog in Ruby Rouge (Big Daddy Cool - Finally Arrived) who is a half brother to Munster Oaks winner Beaming Olive.

Shaneboy Novak (Black Shaw - Shaneboy Kylie) is an interesting sort in the second heat, while Global Tally Ho (Westmead Hawk - Droopys Cher) is a member of a maiden litter for Droopys Cher a first round winner (29.41) in the 2011 Red Mills. 

In Heat 3, Sidaz Eagle (Westmead Hawk - Soviet Cheyenne) is the obvious standout.   A half brother to Matt O'Donnell's super charge, Ardfert Thunder, this pup has some super qualifying efforts on his card.   While in trap two Express Dasher (Kiowa Sweet Trey - Express Mist), is a grandson of the aforementioned Airport Express and a full brother to superb stayer Express Trend (from a repeat mating).

In heat 4, Bellmore Torres (Ja Mann - Shelbourne Capri) and Loansome Boatman (Scolari Me Daddy - Mrs De) have both qualified in impressive fashion.

Burgess Rumble (Ace Hi Rumble - Rising Angel) is a half brother to English Derby winner Taylors Sky, and he has a couple of nice Youghal qualifying efforts on his card.      While in the final heat, Lemon Dolores (Razldazl Billy - Lemon Abby) represents the Lennons of Thresscastles, and this bitch is a half sister to their stud dog, Scolari Me Daddy.

So, there is plenty to ponder there and a trip to Kilkenny on Friday night for any greyhound enthusiast is the area is a must.

Red Mills Unraced

The €12,000 Red Mills Champion Open Unraced was due to start at Kilkenny Track on Sunday May 5th at 3pm. However the Hurling League Final which features both Kilkenny & Tipperary is scheduled for Nowlan Park on the same day and at the same time so Kilkenny Track has decided to revert back to its original date which is the Friday May 3rd. We were hoping to get in an afternoon meeting on the Bank Holiday Weekend but it wont work out this time.

So owners & trainers please note that the Red Mills Open Unraced starts Friday May 3rd, 1st race 8pm. Entries are slow to come in so would owners & trainers please submit their entries asap. It carries a winners prize of €5,000 & will be followed by The Red Mills Champion Juvenile. With both stakes upcoming it gives trainers a great opportunity to get some proper schooling into their pups

McCalmont Cup

Entries for the  McCalmont Cup have poured in over the weekend and it has filled up nicely and will start this Friday Night. The McCalmont Cup is a famous competion on the greyhound calendar and one which attracts plenty of quality, the 2013 version will be no exception. Outside challengers come in the form of Swift Marathon, Danmar Benny, Dragon Shield, Killinan Cash & Bua Tommy. Local hopes rest on the shoulders of the likes of Mickys Trickster, Garryglass Marco, Figaruso, Buddy Minor, Yonko & Princess Gael. The McCalmont Cup is jointly sponsored By The Kilford Arms Hotel & The Track Supporters Club.

Fridays card is also a benefit night for The Irish Kidney Association. Paul Hennessy has generously donated a well bred 8 month old bitch( Premier Fantasy - Dream Ahead) which will be auctioned on the night. Dream Ahead, a 29.00 winner is a daughter of Top Honcho - Graigues Toss and is a half sister of Stateside Troika & Graigues Junior.

Theres plenty of action this week at Kilkenny Track with 3 finals down for decision on Wednesday night, the final of the Freshford C.C A4 525, final of the N2 525 and final of the Coursig Bred Open Unraced should attract plenty of interest.

Owners & Trainers are reminded that The Red Mills Champion Open Unraced will start in the 1st week of May and carries a winners prize of €5,000

Gain Retired Greyhounds

Gain Retired Greyhounds