Jaytee Valencia’s game effort lands spoils in Gain Cup at Curraheen Park
Sent off the even-money favourite, he was trumped by the early pace of Oaklands Paddy but, crucially, just managed to take a length out of Creamery Robin as the first bend loomed.
After turning in second place, he challenged hard from the third bend, forged ahead up the home-straight, and hit the line a length in front of Lurriga Gold, in 28.48, with Oaklands Paddy a short head away in third place.
Martin Curran has a very promising sort in the shape of lightly raced August ’13 whelp Loskeran Ramsey, who had no trouble landing the odds in the Denis & Mary Rylan Citroen A3 525 final.
The 4-5 shot was in front early, in total control down the back, and stayed on strongly to beat Fionn Bound by two and a half lengths, in 28.55.
Kathleen O’Mahony’s Rockforest Jill has returned to top form in recent outings, and she ran out a comfortable winner of the Greyhound & Petworld A3 525 final.
The 3-1 chance flew out from the inside box, and always looked comfortable as she raced to a two-length victory over Not Unusual, in 28.94.
On the undercard Curraheen debutant Ballymac Sexton laid down an early marker for the Greyhound & Petworld Supersprint, which gets underway next weekend, with a tremendously impressive display in the McCarthys Pharmacy Schull open sprint.
Leonard O’Hanlon’s lightly raced tracker matched Outonalimb early and then pulled away in great style to beat that rival by two and a half lengths, in 17.48.
In the opener Pat Quirke and Willie Lombard’s June pup Blackwater Bruce made a winning debut.
A super show of early pace carried him clear early but he was all out to deny the late surge of Ballyfinn Gale by a head, in 29.35.
The night’s first sprint, an S2, went to Jason Cashman’s Cash Spice, which led all the way for a career-best 17.70 victory.
Race three was an A4 525 and the strong-running Paddock Chase, trained by Jack Hegarty, came from last to first to beat Shlow Down Dude by a neck, in 29.12.
In the A3 525 Franny Woods and Michael Leahy’s Coolagown did just enough to deny the wide-running Turbine Titan by the minimum, in 29.07.
There was a similarly tight finish to the A3 575, in which Joe and Frank Long’s Chinook Turbo made all the running and just held the charge of Sportsmans Zip by a short head, in 31.92.
The fastest time of the night came from Madra Deas, who bounced out and quickly opened up a significant lead in the Irish Whip Bar Ballydehob Open 525.
Trained by Kieran Lynch for Ted Murphy, he raced home three clear of the promising Skiproe Master, in 28.32.
Jackie and Kathleen Murphy’s Carrowkeal Bart produced his best form with a terrific effort in the A2 550. In front early, the 7-2 chance strode out purposefully to beat Jamies Rock by two and a half lengths, in 29.75.
Trainer Kieran Lynch completed a double on the night when Gringos Ace, owned by him in partnership with Eoin Ivers, made all the running.
The 3-1 chance led favourite Lavan Lad into the turn and used his position to fend off that rival by two and a half lengths, in 28.51.
