Ferdia comes from a long way back to clock fastest time in ‘750’
He came from a long way back to beat long time leader Tyrur Chris by three parts of a length in 41.65.
In the second semi the Paul Hennessy trained Group Skater hit the front before the fifth bend and went on to beat strong staying Rough Quest by two lengths in 42.02.
The times in the TRF Open 525 first round were astonishingly quick with Almost Chilli posting the fastest run of 28.35 while the other winners were Very Urgent 28.39, Ballycanal Chief 28.38 and Scolari Me Daddy 28.41.
The Larry Mason trained Ballymac Banjo made no mistake in Friday’s Red Mills Southern Sprint semi-finals at Youghal when powering home an easy winner in 17.53, having five lengths to spare over Rising Magic.
Owen McKenna’s Curlew Mountain showed a decent turn of early pace when taking the opening semi by two and a half lengths from the favourite Mumhan Aris in 17.57.
The other semi was won by the Bernie Connolly trained Seanachie Serena as she led all to win by nine lengths from the hampered Lord Casleisland in 17.60.
The two semi-finals of the Tony Brennan Memorial Unraced were also run and both Mucky Obama and Jolly Rodger go into the final with unbeaten records.
The first semi was won by the James Kelleher trained Mucky Obama as he came from behind to beat Shaneboy Robby by four lengths in 29.34.
In the second heat the John Kiely trained Jolly Rodger was an all the way winner when beating Tank Commander by half a length in 29.36.
Draws for Friday’s finals:
Red Mills Southern Sprint: 1 Lord Casleisland; 2 Seanachie Serena; 3 Mumhan Aris; 4 Curlew Mountain; 5 Rising Magic; 6 Ballymac Banjo.
Tony Brennan Memorial Unraced: 1 Clash Topgear; 2 Mucky Obama; 3 Shaneboy Robby; 4 Tank Commander; 5 Hallucination; 6 Jolly Rodger.
Tyrur Liz and Maireads Fantasy lived up to expectations when setting the pace in the opening round of the JP Moran & Trevor O’Donnell Newbridge Oaks on Friday night.
PJ Fahy’s Tyrur Liz had set a track record the previous week in a preparatory run and she produced another brilliant effort.
The Paul Hennessy trained 1-3 favourite rode a bump at the opening bend in Heat 3 to quickly show in front down the back and she raced away for an eight length verdict over Lady Deise in 28.42.
The other virtually unbackable favourite on the night was Joe Horan’s Maireads Fantasy in the following fourth heat and this Fraser Black trained bitch had things all her own way as she led all for a four length verdict over All Dolled Up in 28.57.
Another to impress was Darragh Robinson’s recent Puppy Derby third Cornamaddy Swift as she came storming through to lead on the fourth bend in Heat 7 for a three length margin over Trims Star in 28.68. The other heat winners were Pat Kelly’s Raughlan Rose in 28.75, Owen McKenna’s Faypoint Lauren in 28.71, Noreen Weir’s Kildallon Lee in 28.89, Pat Buckley’s Cabra Tiny in 28.85 and Sean Browne’s Rockcliffe Megan in 29.11.
Draw for Friday’s Newbridge Oaks semi-finals:
Heat 1: 1 Rockcliffe Megan; 2 Kildallon Lee; 3 Droopys Kina; 4 Cabra Tiny; 5 Tip Top Audrey; 6 Pipin Fawn.
Heat 2: 1 Forest Peg; 2 Toms Cailin; 3 Karma Down; 4 Tober Dot (m); 5 Maireads Fantasy (m); 6 Tyrur Liz (w).
Heat 3: 1 Cornamaddy Swift; 2 Raughlan Rose; 3 Kilara Lisa; 4 Lady Deise; 5 Imaal Pearl; 6 Faypoint Lauren.
Heat 4: 1 Manilla Katie; 2 Olympic Tippi; 3 Trims Star; 4 Ballymac Mitsy; 5 Exciting Girl; 6 All Dolled Up (m).
