Quick IGB chairman appointment likely
The recent Arctic experience was a very costly one for the greyhound industry and we simply cannot afford any more interruptions in the build-up to Christmas.
While the possible weather problems have been a major talking point over the last few days, the big chat has been about the impending retirement of the IGB Chairman Dick O’Sullivan. He will stand down at the end of January and he will be missed. He was dealt a difficult hand as his arrival on the scene followed the major transformations brought about by Paschal Taggart and coincided with the economic disaster which hit this country.
In the circumstances he has steered a steady ship through the turmoil and it is fair to say that greyhound racing is in a stronger position than many other sports in this country. So, we wish Dick a happy semi-retirement for, remember, he will continue in the role of Manager at Punchestown.
The search for a new Chairman will commence immediately and one suspects that given the current political scene, the appointment will be made sooner rather than later!
One of Dick’s final major tasks will be to oversee the final of the Kerry Agribusiness Irish St Leger at Limerick Stadium on Saturday.
He is very proud of this new stadium and with every reason. Saturday night should be a real celebration down by the Shannon and will be an historic one with the RTE cameras relaying the best of the action in an hour-long live telecast between 9 and 10 pm.
Judicial Academy is the favourite for the Leger final and clearly is the one to beat on the overall evidence of the form through the classic. Granted, a trap five draw in a field of five inside seeds is far from ideal and he will need a slick start if he is not to be the meat in the sandwich on the run up.
It all makes for an intriguing final but more about the big race on Saturday. There is a high class supporting card and it should be a marvellous occasion.
By the way, there has been a change of plan at Curraheen Park with the Annual Track Awards Ceremony now postponed until Thursday, December 30.
Originally it was planned to present the awards on Saturday night but this idea has been scrapped as the battle for some of the awards is currently too close to call.
Mention should be made of a very worthy meeting being staged tonight at Newbridge. It is a gala benefit meeting in aid of Motor Neurone Disease Research and is being promoted by Daragh Fitzpatrick. The card will include four finals as well as a number of open contests. There will be live entertainment for children and adults and also light refreshments.
The weather interruption has caused a reshuffle in the fixtures at Harold’s Cross with the result that the finals of the Ted Hegarty Marathon and Tote Gold Collar will be run next Tuesday.
The semi-finals of both will be staged tomorrow night and it constitutes a top class card
Tralee face a similar end of season schedule with the Greyhound & Petworld Kingdom Derby final to be run next Thursday, just two days before Christmas.
That will be a fabulous night at the Kingdom Stadium with the finals of a number of sweepstakes to be run. The semi-finals of all these competitions will be run tomorrow and Saturday.
The first semi of the Kingdom Derby throws up the intriguing prospect of a clash between those two smashing early pacers Calling Spice and Bling Bling Buzz but both inside runners have to run from the outside boxes. Liam Dowling’s General Dogsbody has been running extremely well and looks the one to beat in a second heat where his kennel companion Three One Three, Croom Star and Lolos Joe will be major players.
