Central City’s Derby victory defied all breeding traditions
By Ballymac Maeve out of ten time track winner Baby Hazel, Central City is a complete outcross for all coursing bloodlines. Both dam and sire are by Australian sires and this dog is likely to be of huge interest to coursing breeders. The dam, Baby Hazel, won ten races for Pat and Diane Flanagan and trainer Skip Gilbert and had a best time of 28.87 around Shelbourne.
He has been to slips now on 15 occasions since he made his debut on January 1 and has won all 15 as he collected the East Donegal All Aged, the Kilcreevin/Ballymote Trial Stake and now the Derby itself. And all that from an August ’09 whelp!
All in all, it was a very successful National Meeting and there was also a very popular Cork success in the Oaks as Skellig Babe won the classic for Tim and Rose O’Driscoll from Glounthaune. She was hugely impressive all the way and completed a great meeting for the O’Driscolls.
But one has to feel sympathy for Michael and Marie Field after the unfortunate injury to Kyle Ranger in the semi-final. He had performed brilliantly in reaching that stage and his injury also robbed the meeting of what would surely have been a great buckle.
It was also quite a week for Ballymac Maeve, the sire of Central City. He also sired the Graham Holland trained bitch Calling Spice which broke the track record when winning the final of the Imelda Phelan Open Sprint at Clonmel. This brilliant tracker will be a major contender for Irish Oaks honours this year.
The big race of the week at Clonmel, the Open Unraced Stake, was won, as expected by Seamus Whelan’s Piercestown Sand and we can expect this son of Ace Hi Rumble to go on to better things when he moves into open company.
Back on the track, Shelbourne will be the ring-leader with the final of the Tyrur McGuigan Open 575 backed up by the semi-finals of the Joe Dunne Memorial Puppy Stake and a few very interesting open races that feature some big names returning.
Liam Dowling, who has enjoyed the week of his life through those seven winners last Saturday and the subsequent exploits of his stud dog Ballymac Maeve, can have another big night tomorrow when he has three runners in the final of the Tyrur McGuigan and has the likely winner in the rising star General Dogsbody. This fellow has been a revelation since he “found” the 575 distance and it is difficult to oppose him in this final.
The big talking point of the Joe Dunne Memorial last week was the powerful run from Pa Fitzgerald’s Melodys Royal. His estimated 28.51 run looked even better than his Puppy Derby winning form of last season and if he can keep performing like this, then he is going to be a very major player this year.
On the undercard we have the likes of Mesedo Blue, Tolerton Crasher, Uncle Eoin, Another Jemmi, Tyrur O Gorman, Lolos Joe, Shelbourne Dawn, Legal Rebel, Allowdale Prince and Tyrur Valdez in action and there can be many hints to be gained for the future.
Elsewhere, the semi-finals of the Vetsearch International White E Kennedy Cup go ahead at Limerick tomorrow as well as the second round heats of the Guinness Trophy at Curraheen Park.
Liam Dowling has Ballymac Lefanta bidding to remain unbeaten in the Kennedy Cup when he wears red in the second semi. He can oblige again, whiled Joey Jojo Junior can overcome an unfavourable trap six draw in the other heat.
The Guinness Trophy at Curraheen looks wide open after the first round which saw the Chris and John Morrissey owned Oakfront Aga post the fastest run. This son of Bond has fine early pace and can poach a winning lead in the opening heat tomorrow.
CURRAHEEN: In conjunction with the Guinness Trophy, Diageo have lined up with 36 local pubs for the running of the stake. Each of these pubs has been assigned one of the greyhounds in the stake and there will be free passes and drink vouchers for Curraheen available from these pubs during the stake. Closing on Tuesday will be a 24 dog €1,200 A3 (No Bg) 525 and also the GOBA €350 Getting Out Open 550, both events to be run tomorrow week. The 12 dog Trial Stake for the All-Ireland Unraced will close tomorrow week.
GALWAY: There will be no racing at the western venue tomorrow week, with just one meeting that week. However the prizemoney saved from the Saturday will be put straight into stakes that will conclude on February 26. Starting on February 19 will be the 12 dog €1,000 All-Ireland Open Unraced Trial.
HAROLDS CROSS: A very large crowd is expected tonight for the Benefit Night on behalf of the Ballyfermot DLS GAA Club. The card will include three finals as well as the semi-finals of another. The semi-finals of the 12 dog All-Ireland Open Unraced Trial Stake will be run on Friday 18 and will have a winner’s prize of €1,000.
KILKENNY: The two meetings per week schedule will resume next week but the number of races allotted will be just 17 per week and the situation most weeks will be eight races on Wednesday nights and nine on Fridays — depending on the volume of interest of course!
LIMERICK: There has been an encouraging response to Roche’s Feeds Oaks and it is hoped to fill the 72 bitch event which carries a winner’s prize of €6,500 and will commence on Saturday, February 26. The All-Ireland Open Unraced 525 heats will be run on Friday, February 18.
NEWBRIDGE: It will be two meetings per week and 17 races per week from her on at the track, which will mean eight and nine race cards becoming the norm. The Track Supporters’ cash draw was won by Joe Kearns. A reminder that monthly membership now costs just €5 and all proceeds go towards the running of future graded stakes.
SHELBOURNE PARK: At a time when prizemoney is dropping everywhere, it is refreshing to hear that there will be a €25,000 winner’s prize for the Tote Gold Cup which closes on February 2. However, a major change for the event is that it will be run over 550 yards rather than the traditional 525. Closing on Tuesday will be the Swords Prince A1 (Bg) 525 with a winner’s prize of €3,000 and the heats will be run on Saturday week. Also on that night will be a 12 dog €1,000 Open 575.
THURLES: There will be an eight race card tonight and then tomorrow night it will be the turn of the Pop Gun races which were postponed from last week. This is a good class card with Slaneyside Havoc a star attraction in the long distance event.
TRALEE: There will be the traditional post-Clonmel presentations and parade tonight at Tralee with the Champion Stakes winner March Is On, Kitty Butler heroine Madtogoagain and Oaks runner-up Call Her Now. The card will include the heats of the John and Mary “Killeacle” Dowling A1 570 and the semi-finals of the Nora Kelly Retirement A2 525. Tomorrow’s card will include the final of the A7 New Year Stake. It can be confirmed that the Mike Cronin Juvenile Classic will commence on Friday, March 4.
WATERFORD: The full schedule of two nights of racing per week resumes and there will be eight races on Friday nights and then ten races on the Saturdays. Entries are now being accepted for the Hannigan Animal Collection Services & Track Supporters Club A4 525 which carries a winner’s prize of €1,000. The first round will be on February 11 with the final on the 25th.
YOUGHAL: Hopefully the weather hoodoo has by now departed and racing can proceed tonight without any problem. The Bitch final, postponed last Friday, will be run this evening while the other four races will be run next Friday. Entries are invited for a couple of events sponsored by the Supporters Club to be run on Friday week. There will be the 12 dog €600 A4 525 and the once-off €300 A1/2 Getting Out Stakes.
