Not only did Hee Haws Sheriff claim the scalp of kennel companion Quietly in the opening quarter-final of the Greyhound & Petworld Supersprint on Saturday night at Curraheen Park, the Ian Reilly-trained runner also knocked nine spots off the track record which his kennelmate set just seven days previously.

It was great to get confirmation from Declan Dowling that GMHD.ie Insurances will continue their association with the Juvenile Classic at Tralee in 2016.

The moving of the Laurels to the early part of the year caused much consternation when the decision was made in early 2015, and its current residence will re main under scrutiny for as long as it remains a pre-summer date.

One hundred and forty-four greyhounds will contest the opening round of the Boylesports Irish Greyhound Derby, following the draw, which took place yesterday morning at Shelbourne Park.

Rastafari Vic hasn’t been seen in action at Curraheen since his exploits in the Laurels earlier in the year, but he should make a winning return in race nine, which is the last of six heats of the Greyhound & Pet World A1 525, which has a winner’s prize of €5,000.

Rockybay Thomas can send Curraheen punters home on a high by making the most of a favourable draw in the finale.

The Burgess A1 Puppy Stake was the feature on Saturday night’s programme at Curraheen, and victory went to the sponsors, JJ Fennelly and Sheila Spillane, Killeagh, with 5-2 chance Burgess Tadhg (Ace Hi Rumble – Dower Twilight).

The Red Mills Unraced Bitch Stake series, run in conjunction with the individual track supporters’ clubs, continues be a great success, and last Friday night’s victory for Badminton Rossa, in the Youghal renewal, was further testament to that.

The Laurels final went off well, with a performance befitting a champion, and now the Curraheen wagon rolls on to the Barry’s Tea, which starts in little more than a week. Entries for that stake close next Tuesday, May 19, with the heats four days later.

Just seven months after Vimmerby was crowned Laurels champ of 2014, there’ll be a new name on the trophy on Saturday night.

Following his semi-final victory and a favourable draw 2014 Consolation winner Midtown Raffa will likely head the market for next weekend’s final of the Irish Laurels at Curraheen Park.

The quarter-finals of the Laurels take centre stage tonight at Curraheen and Ballymac Alamo can make the most of a favourable draw in the first heat.

The first prize on offer in the Laurels could be decided on Saturday night as the three remaining bitches in the stake have all been drawn in the same heat.

Barefoot Apollo became the standard setter during an eventful second stage of the Irish Laurels on Saturday night at Curraheen Park.

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.

On a relatively quiet week on the greyhound front, it was good to hear a sponsor has been secured for the Laurels, albeit on a short-term basis. 

It has been reported the unveiling of a new sponsor for the Laurels is imminent, and the incoming backer has signed an initial one-year deal.

Farloe Blitz continued his serene progress through the Greyhound & Pet World and Odds On Dog Food Supersprint with a wide-margin victory in the first semi-final on Saturday night at Curraheen Park.

The 2014 Night of Stars, which takes place on Saturday at Shelbourne Park, promises to deliver in spades.

The 2014 Connolly’s Red Mills Irish Laurels got underway with some terrific performances in last Saturday night’s opening round and, based on those runs alone, it looks like we’ll be seeing some sub 28.00 runs this year.

Derby final night last Saturday at Shelbourne would have to be deemed a great success. The stadium was packed, the action was brisk, the atmosphere was good, and the final itself produced a winner, Laughil Blake, who, in leading around despite a modest break, showed he possessed a touch of brilliance befitting a champion.

ONE of the biggest wine scandals of the past few decades reached its final chapter in a New York court on August 7 last when Rudy Kurniawan was sentenced to 10 years in prison for selling fake wine.

The surface at Curraheen Park has been very fast in recent months and so it was no great surprise to see two track records broken on Saturday night, but the hardest question to answer is why it took so long for the 550 mark to go.

The final of the Willie Kenny Memorial A5 525 returned a fittingly classy performance from Local Student, who landed the spoils for owner Patrick Sheehy, Tralee, and trainer John O’Sullivan.

We’d all like to see six dogs line up for the Derby — not least connections of Kereight King — but there are five great stories with those still standing and I don’t suppose whoever is lucky enough to pick up the trophy and the €125,000 cheque on Saturday night will worry about how many rivals his/her greyhound beat in the final.

The Kerry Agri-Business St Leger gets underway at Limerick tonight and Derby champion Skywalker Puma returns to competitive action for the first time since his stunning success in Ireland’s premier classic.

The local greyhound racing community united in celebration on Saturday night as Knockglass Billy, owned by Martin Murphy of Ladysbridge, ran out a facile and very popular winner of the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish Laurels.

Just two days to the semi-finals of the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish Laurels at Curraheen Park and, thankfully, still no negatives emanating from any of the kennels involved.

Saturday night’s second-round action in the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish Laurels saw racing at Curraheen Park brought to a whole new level when Liam Dowling’s Ballymac Vic became the first greyhound to break the 28-second barrier in competitive action at the venue.

Ballymac Vic, who was beginning to make a real impact on the Irish Derby when his challenge was cut short at the quarter-final stage, came out on top in the hottest of last Saturday night’s opening-round heats of the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish Laurels at Curraheen Park and he rates nap material to follow up this evening.

Vedfield Emperor produced a much-improved and top-class performance when winning the first semi-final of the valuable Greyhound & Pet World A1 525 at Curraheen Park on Saturday night.

The week started on a very encouraging note with news of Red Mills’ sponsorship of the Irish Laurels at Curraheen Park for a three year period. It is a great boost for the sport in the south and will allow all involved to plan well into the future.

MUCKY Donal, trained by James Kelleher for Don and Gerard Buckley, is a very promising youngster and he produced the performance of his fledgling career to win Saturday night’s final of the New Year A3 550 at Curraheen Park.

THE summer staging of the London Olympics and the Euro Championships have had the combined effect of making the early season build-up to the English Derby a rather rushed affair.

The calendar of major events for 2012, which has been just released by the Irish Greyhound Board, contains a number of changes that have already generated plenty of debate that is sure to continue for some time.

EIGHTEEN of Ireland’s best will tonight bid to join Laurels winner Razldazl Rioga, Derby runner-up Dream Walker and local qualifier Piercestown Con in the semi finals of the Red Mills Waterford Masters at Kilcohan Park.

ON THE greyhound scene, the Laurels takes centre stage and despite the most unfortunate absence of semi-final winner St Louis Charlie, it’s still a terrific contest and one that’s not easy to solve.

THE Pat Hennerty Sales Irish Laurels is the centrepiece of a magnificent card at Curraheen Park on Saturday night.

TOMMY Delaney’s Leeview Jet ensured there would be local representation in next weekend’s Classic climax when he produced his best performance of the year to run home a most impressive winner in Saturday’s first Pat Hennerty Sales Irish Laurels semi-final at Curraheen Park.

THE Pat Hennerty Sales Irish Laurels is building up to a huge crescendo with two fantastic semi-finals lined up for Saturday night.

I’M still struggling to figure out how Deerfield Music, who posted 28.21, managed to get beaten in the opening round of the Laurels, but he’s undeniably well drawn in tonight’s second round second heat and is confidently expected to make a return to winning ways.

YOU’RE going to have to pardon my ignorance here, but I thought I knew all I needed to know about betting.

WHAT'S the difference between 28.16 and 28.46? The answer is simple: it’s the right draw and a clear run.