The BoyleSports Irish Greyhound Derby Now Reaching Semi-Final Stage
ROCKET BEATEN AS CHIMES CLOCKS FASTEST IN DERBY QUARTERS Michael Fortune Writes www.igb.ie/talking-dogs
It was quite a session of quarter final heats in the BoyleSports Irish Derby at Shelbourne on Saturday night.
Obviously due to the late racing at Leopardstown many members of the crowd were late in arriving at the track. When they did it was well worth their while.
There was a mixture of fancied winners and upsets, the biggest of all being the defeat of Clares Rocket as he was edged out in the final stride by Good News. Sonic and Black Farren completed a heat double for Graham Holland while the fastest winner of the session was the hugely impressive Native Chimes.
Heat 1 - SUPER SONIC POWERS CLEAR
Sonic was understandably a red-hot favourite for the opening quarter final and the brilliant son of Knockglass Billy and Vickis Dream didn’t disappoint.
Making a slick exit from trap five, the favourite was soon in front, but he had to show great determination to get around the corner unscathed.
As he drove the corner, he took a hefty bump from Hey Bound, who was forced wide by Drive On Tipp. This all resulted in Sonic maintaining his advantage with his kennel companion Clona Kid left second on the fence.
Hey Bound recovered quickly to move past Clona Kid down the back straight, but Sonic was simply too good for his rivals. Marian Maloney’s 2016 Derby favourite was pulling right away to secure his semi-final spot in style.
Meanwhile Jaytee Barracuda was motoring to move third entering the third turn and he came home strongly to take second, but this contest was all about Sonic. Powering up the straight, the June ’14 whelp went on to see off Jaytee Barracuda by eight and a half lengths in 29.61. the all important third qualifying spot went to Hey Bound, who finished a further length and a half adrift.
Heat 2 – A VICTORY FOR THE NATIVE
Native Chimes is certainly singing the right tune at present and the powerful son of Premier Fantasy and Native Gypsy secured his place in the final twelve in magnificent fashion in the second quarter final.
Although not the fastest into stride, the Johnny O’Sullivan trained star was left room to race by Ballymac Sarahjo as she cut inwards from trap four. This allowed Native Chimes to get up a head of steam and he powered into the corner to assume control.
Kilgraney Ace moved second before the turn from trap six, but was always going to struggle to get to the leader. As is his way, Native Chimes really flew down the back straight to open a commanding advantage. Native Chimes, owned by John Kelleher and Pat Norton, continued to stride out majestically up the straight to eventually cross the line three and a half lengths clear of the strong staying Kilgraney Ace in 29.44. Rank outsider Drumsna Star ran a big race to be a five length third.
HEAT 3 – FARREN ANOTHER FOR HOLLAND
Graham Holland had two runners again in this heat and they enjoyed contrasting fortune.
The hitherto unbeaten Droopys Cabaye was crowded in the early yards as the favourite Tyrur Harold edged inwards from traps and he disputed the lead into the corner with Milldean Skip.
Milldean showed in front into the back and he was chased by Tyrur Harold and Black Farren. The latter hit the front entering the third bend and was just ahead of Tyrur Harold on the third bend. Black Farren (Droopys Cain/ Ballycowen Moll), owned by the Lionheart Syndicate, kicked on at this point and won by two lengths from Tyrur Harold in 29.68. The evergreen Jaytee Jet ran on strongly to be a two length third, edging Milldean Skip out of third spot by a head.
HEAT 4 - ROCKET BEATEN IN DRAMATIC FINISH
Clares Rocket was a red-hot favourite to maintain his unbeaten record in the classic but for once he failed to deliver as he was edged out in the final strides by Good News.
This was a race which changed complexion on a few occasions and the result was in the balance until the final strides.
Clares Rocket didn’t explode out of traps and it was neck and neck up between Good News, Buckos Dream and Clares Rocket. The latter checked slightly into the corner and Buckos Dream moved ahead between bends to open up a two length gap over Good News. Clares Rocket then flew the back to go second at halfway and he challenged Buckos Dream at the third bend. He was cut off and lost at least a length as Buckos led for home. But Clares Rocket took it up on the run-in but was then collared in the final strides by the Pat Guilfoyle trained Good News (Definate Opinion/ Pippy) which prevailed by a neck in 29.59 with Buckos Dream a length third.
THE BOYLESPORTS IRISH DERBY SEMI-FINAL DRAW
1st Semi-Final
T1: BLACK FARREN
T2: HEY BOUND
T3: NATIVE CHIMES
T4: TYRUR HAROLD (M)
T5: BUCKOS DREAM (W)
T6: JAYTEE BARRACUDA (W)
2nd Semi-Final
T1: GOOD NEWS
T2: DRUMSNA STAR
T3: SONIC (w)
T4: CLARES ROCKET (W)
T5: KILGRANEY ACE (W)
T6: JAYTEE JET (W)
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ALEX SETS THE PACE IN THE DERBY PLATE
The best wine was kept to last in the three second round heats of the BoyleSports Derby Plate.
It saw the Noel Walker trained Fast Fit Alex (Droopys Scolari/ Now Its Alex) return to his best form as he broke fast from trap two and led up from Jaytee Dutch with Ballybough Dad moving second on the bend. The latter challenged hard but Fast Fit Alex raced home a length in front of Ballybough in 29.62 with Jaytee Dutch staying on strongly a similar distance third.
Earlier Rosemary Buggy’s Kilgraney Denver had guaranteed owner’s brother Tom with a semi-finalist in both the Derby and the Plate. Kilgraney Denver (Kinloch Brae/ Lady Kilgraney) just won the battle to the bend from Toolmaker Obama and he led into the back from Lisnastrane Gold. The latter challenged hard along with Elusive Heights but Kilgraney won by a length and a head from Lisnastrane and Elusive in 29.85.
The opening heat saw the Peter Cronin trained Cometwopass (Ballymac Eske/ Zero Two) gain an all the way victory in 30.00. He displayed his traditional early pace to go a few lengths clear to the bend and he was three lengths in front of Ballymac Galway down the far side. The Stephen Carroll owned Cometwopass was always in control and won by three lengths from Ballymac Galway with Dream Mover two lengths third.
SEMI-FINAL DRAW
HEAT 1
1 SLIPPERY BILLY
2 FAST FIT ALEX
3 TYRUR HUGO (M)
4 COMETWOPASS (M)
5 LISNASTRANE GOLD (W)
6 BALLYBOUGH DAD (W)
HEAT 2
1 JAYTEE DUTCH
2 ELUSIVE HEIGHTS
3 BALLYMAC GALWAY
4 DREAM MOVER
5 KILGRANEY DENVER (M)
6 SLIPPERY JOHN (W)
The night ended with the BoyleSports Getting Out Bitch 525 and here the Liam Dowling owned and trained Coolavanny Pet (Tullymurry Act/ Coolavanny Royce) showed the benefit of a lay-off when flying to the front before the bend and she then raced clear from Bangor Lily. The verdict at the line was four and a half lengths in 28.26 and the winner is surely going to be a major force in the forthcoming Sporting Press Irish Oaks.
SHEA RETURNS TO HIS BEST
Vancouver Shea was at his very best on the undercard as he posted a sensational 28.24 on his way to a brilliant victory in the fourth race.
Trained by Fraser Black for the Diamonds Are Forever Syndicate, the son of Tullymurry Act and Steely Passion hit the ground running and displayed superb early dash to clear Skywalker Rafa on the corner.
Once doing so he was never under any pressure. Skywalker Rafa turned second, but was never going to match Vancouver Shea from halfway. As expected Vancouver Shea pulled away in the latter stages to record a facile six length success over Skywalker Rafa.
Milldean Marie looked a very useful sort when winning the AO third race for the M & H Racing Syndicate. The daughter of Superior Product and Borna Gem was returning after a layoff, but there were no signs of rust as she flew from the inside box to make virtually every yard. Droopys King chased her hard throughout, but in the end the Marie Gilbert trained Milldean Marie pulled clear on the run in to see off her rival by three lengths in 28.52.
PJ Fahy’s Tyrur Van Gerwen got proceedings off to a flier when emerging a good winner of an A1 575. The son of Tyrur Ted and Tyrur Amelia really appreciated the longer run to the turn. Headed in the early yards by the fast starting Take The Call, Van Gerwen soon moved through the gears to assert well before the turn. Once doing so he was always comfortable. Colarhouse Gerry threatened entering the third turn, but Tyrur Van Gerwen stayed on well to score by a length from Colarhouse Gerry in 31.36.
Fintan Lawlor’s Butterbridge Bex (Aero Majestic/ Kranky Leona) displayed fine pace and determination to win the sole sprint at the expense of Ela Ela Genie. The latter was fast into stride and took up the running on the run to the turn. Butterbridge Bex was never too far away on the outside and he drove the corner to challenge the leader as they turned for home. Carrying more momentum into the straight, Butterbridge Bex got his nose in front in the dying yards to eventually win by the minimum margin in 18.84.
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