A couple of weeks ago the new Red Mills Unraced Stake at Curraheen Park was unveiled. This is a great addition to the calendar at this track as it has long lacked a similar stake, the type which goes particularly well at other venues.

Ian Reilly’s two runners put down the early markers in the opening round of the Greyhound & Petworld Supersprint, Quietly doing so in the best possible fashion – with a record-breaking run in the very first heat.

Following last week’s brilliant run in the semi-finals of the Con and Annie Kirby Memorial at Limerick, it’s hard to look beyond Rural Hawaii in tonight’s decider for the €80,000-to-the-winner stake.

Late last year, when the movement of the dates for the Laurels was first mooted, there was some talk of the possibility of a bonus being put in place to reward any greyhound which could win the newly arranged Curraheen Classic and go on to land the English Derby.

The main action of the weekend took place in Limerick, where the semi-finals of the Con and Annie Kirby Memorial took place, and Rural Hawaii set the standard when readily accounting for the previously unbeaten Droopys Braedon.

There was drama in the second round of the Easter Cup on Saturday night at Shelbourne Park, as Derby champ Laughil Blake exited the competition after finding trouble at the first turn in a red-hot third heat.

Boylesports Hero, trained by Brendan Matthews for John Boyle, of Boylesports, ran out a most deserving winner of the Con and Annie Kirby Memorial on Saturday night at Limerick, justifying favouritism in some style.