LARGE attendances have been in Limerick as the race to win the Con and Annie Kirby Memorial kicked off in earnest.
The prestigious Con and Annie Kirby Memorial at Limerick Greyhound Stadium is well underway where large attendance have witnessed the cream of the crop battle it out for the showpiece final on April 18th.
Recent Clare winners at the Track were, Aqua Camillia for Tulla’s Michael McNamara in 30.01, a daughter of Dromana Bucko and Rockalong Aqua this was her second career success. Jacop Star recorded his ninth career success for Myles Cummins from Newmarket-on-Fergus with a 29.22 victory he is a son of Jacob Tashadelek and Miles Girl.
It was Thursday and Friday night action last week at Galway Greyhound Stadium with the A1 graded sixth contest being the feature event on Thursday nights card which also featured two mini stake finals in the A4 and A7 Grades.
In the final of the A4 graded Mini Stake the striped jacketed Ballyea Warrior looked to increase his wins to run record to five from six and the son of Ballymac Kingdom and Wilfofwallstreet delivered in style as he powered to a seven length success over Hollywell Flint in 28.76. The Noel Gavin of Ballyea owned runner was away very smartly as Hollywell Flint showed pace along the inner also on the run towards the opening bend. As the bend loomed though Ballyea Warrior really powered into the corner and cutting to the rails entering the back straight he was his rivals well and truly cooked racing down the back. Striding further clear with every stride the Declan McDonagh of Liscannor trained runner was full value for his winning margin as he sauntered up the straight all alone.
The opening contest of the night was an A4 graded affair and from traps the blue jacketed Claudegreengrass was away well and showing his customary early dash the Larry Keleghan owned son of Magical Bale and Notimetotalk led by two lengths from Burkos Breeze and Hollywell Raptor on the run towards the opening bend, Tracking well around the opening two bends Claudegreengrass extended his advantage to almost four lengths passing halfway as Blakemount Solo and Portumna Syd took up the chase but out front the Albert Mullins of Gort trained Claudegreengrass was home and hosed scoring by two and a half lengths from Blakemount Solo in 29.46.
Friday night’s Galway card was dominated by stakes action with the opening round heats of both the Paul McKenna Memorial A5 525 and also the opening round of the Galway Unraced N2 350 yards stake. In Heat 3 of the Paul McKenna Memorial A5 Stake, young Kilrush trainer Colm Fitzgerald is developing a fair strike rate with his kennel runners and he struck in this heat with the Flyers Racing Syndicate owned Flyers Penney who routed her rivals by upwards of twelve and a half lengths in a time of 29.21. Very smartly away from her trap one berth the daughter of Signet Ace and Pennylane Sheba really motored to the opening bend rounding which she led Ballygibbon Fury and Highview Exotic by over four lengths and with bunching behind she found herself all alone in front passing halfway. Tracking well out of the back straight Flyers Penny powered clear right to the line as Highview Exotic got the better of Ballygibbon Fury for the second spot.
In the second heat of the Galway Novice N2 Sprint Stake Island Millie was best away on the wide outside but on settling down it was the blue jacketed Cascade Thor who showed the best early toe to lead from Island Millie and Lissatouk Robbie on the run towards the opening bend. Rounding the bend the leader tracked well as Lissatouk Robbie lost ground by running wide and swinging for home the Jack Browne of Ballyea owned Cascade Thor (Dromana Bucko-Cascade Phantom) looked set to score readily. On the run home though Lissatouk Robbie was back on an even keel but the John Browne of Ballyea trained Cascade Thor held the challenge at bay by a length and a half in 19.42 to complete an open in double for his litter.
