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Money to provide immediate return

The 2012 Connolly’s Red Mills Irish Laurels gets underway tonight and all 11 first-round heats consume the bumper programme.

There are bigger names in action than Money Talks, who contests the eighth heat, but Paul Hennessy’s dog is one of a number of greyhound with the potential to step up to this sort of grade and if that’s to be the case, he ought to take his opening-round assignment with some swagger.

Off for almost three months until making his Curraheen debut at the start of the month, he showed tremendous early pace but was caught on the line by Derby winner Skywalker Puma’s brother, Tarbrook Tornado.

He showed the benefit of that outing when leading all the way just seven days later and he looks sure to make further progress over the coming weeks. The Lee Strand winner possesses stunning early pace and he can be expected to lead all the way in what is a decent contest. Sawdust Terry is well drawn on the outside and can fill the runner-up spot.

The final heat is the feature of the night and one-time Derby favourite Ballymac Vic faces a really stiff task from his trap-five draw.

Unquestionably, he has the form to win this race but the extremely talented Confident Rankin could not be better drawn than in trap one and he earns the vote to make the most of it.

Camas Crash is also ideally drawn on the rails in heat three and Rachel Wheeler’s exciting tracker should make a winning start.

The fastest dog over 525 yards at Shelbourne Park this year, he was mightily impressive in winning his first-round heat of the Derby but was forced to pull out before the second stage.

There’s a minor concern that he will be shade ring-rusty now but if he’s ready to resume the progress he was making when last seen in competitive action, he will not only win tonight but also be a real challenger for outright honours.

Knockglass Billy, second behind Milldean Panther in the final of the Formula One Grand Prix, can give him most to think about.

The thrice-raced Cornamaddy Jumbo is very inexperienced for one lining up at this level but he is a brilliant prospect and can take the opening heat for Skippy Gilbert.

He posted a blistering 1.95 early split en route to a 28.52 victory at Shelbourne on his second start and if he can transfer that breaking ability to this track, we could witness the development of a real star over the coming weeks.

Derby runner-up Cuil Cougar faces Cox Cup and Dundalk International winner Quail Hollow and Munster Derby winner Shaneboy Spencer in heat ten but Dolores Ruth’s dog gets the nod.

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