Hock injury rules Champ out of Leger
Despite the bad overnight forecast, some tracks remain hopeful that racing can resume from tonight onwards.
Shelbourne GM Patrick Flynn is confident that tonight’s meeting can go ahead and an early morning decision will be made. Inspections are also planned at Curraheen and Limerick while the Galway, Mullingar and Enniscorthy meetings were called off yesterday.
Already tomorrow’s meeting at Lifford has been called off while there will be morning inspections at Newbridge and Thurles. Other tracks will, no doubt, adopt a similar policy.
On the track front the big news is that Colorful Champ has been withdrawn from the Kerry Agribusiness Irish St Leger third round on Saturday night. Trainer Paul Hennessy yesterday reported that the dog sustained a serious hock injury in the second round but the extent is not yet known.
“He walked off the track okay but there was a lot of swelling in the hock on Sunday morning and he couldn’t put his foot on the ground. The vet was due to give the hock an x-ray but he couldn’t make it with the snow. I do know from looking at it that he will be out of action for quite a while”.
Colorful Champ was one of the leading fancies for the classic and it was obvious something was amiss on Saturday when he fell right away to finish third behind Beaming Dilemma after being clear into the back straight. He was again due to meet Beaming Dilemma in Heat 4 on his Saturday and other runners in that race are Ballyhannon, Jeddies Star, Thurlesbeg Joker and Mustang Johnny.
The Leger is now getting down to the critical stage and we’ll know the last twelve after Saturday. Competition for those dozen spots will be very keen and in the first heat Farley Turbo will come up against Slippery Bob, Bredas Girl, Confident Nestor, Westmead Bond and Skywalker Queen in a hot first heat.
Unbeaten in the classic, Pat Daly’s Judicial Academy can maintain his impressive path in Heat 2 where the big finishing Neon Tiger is an interesting rival. Fraser Black’s Westmead Bolt will take a lot of beating in Heat 3 where Slippery Dave is a likely leader.
There is a cracking meeting at Harold’s Cross tomorrow night with the second round heats of the Tote Gold Collar and the first round of the Ted Hegarty Marathon. Be prepared for a few reversals of first round running and I would expect the likes of Ballymac Tipp and Jonny Whitesox to leave first round running well behind.
The big clash in the Hegarty Marathon will come in the opening heat where Kevin Commins’ reigning champion Ferdia Bound will face a strong challenge from top UK stayer Killishin Masai and home runners Barrow Stamps, Bubbly Eagle, Air Force Donna and Corporate Trend.
Coolemount Glen looks the one to beat in Heat 2 while Ooh Black Betty, Welesbourne Dan and Taylors Riviera should pay to follow in the other heats.
Shelbourne will host the semi-finals of the Comerford Cakes National Puppy Stake on Saturday night and we are faced with two incredibly open contests. A few of the leading contenders haven’t quite shown their real talents just yet but they are capable of coming back to top form.
One of these is Marie Gilbert’s flying bitch Mozzletoff and she will need to step up considerably in the first heat if she is to get through in a race which includes the very impressive Simple Class, Rockchase Zico, Beaming Therapy and Boxie.
Mossie O’Connor’s Deerfield Music finally showed his true form around Shelbourne last weekend and he can overcome another serious test in the second semi. His rivals include Farloe Force, Colourful Fox and Greenwell Club.
The competition has been very intense in the Track Bookmakers Champion Bitch Stake and Saturday’s final looks very competitive on paper. Fastest on the clock last weekend was Paul Hennessy’s Tenters Bell, the youngest finalist, as she clocked 29.02. A six draw is a good one for the solitary non-inside runner and one suspects there will be quite a battle on the inside as the likes of Toms Cailin, Gone To Mirah, Glen Paddy Bay, Lughill Sarah and Tarsna Sal battle for early supremacy.
It could be that while they are dicing for superiority, Tenters Bell could be making hay on the outside and she gets the vote to take the prize.
It would be remiss not to mention the Greyhound & Petworld Kingdom Derby which commences at Tralee tomorrow night where there is a top class entry of 48. An intriguing race is in prospect in Heat 4 where Owen McKenna’s flying machine Tubbertelly Dubh will be opposed by the likes of Steeple Rd Obama, Three One Three and the flying early pacer Calling Spice. Others worth noting are Puppy Derby favourite Lolos Joe in Heat 2 and Bling Bling Buzz in Heat 7.
