Swords Prince favourite for Gold Cup after sparkling run
In contrast, there was less luck for the top two in the ante-post betting as Slip The Lark and Ballymac Bondi went crashing out.
Slip The Lark didn’t get away to the fast start he needed from six in Heat 2, while the Brian Madigan trained Swords Prince flashed out trap three and won the vital dash to the bend where he was closely pursued by Chieftain. The latter was baulked by Side Bet at this point and this left Swords Prince in a commanding lead.
Slip The Lark was now in second ahead of Side Bet, but the leader was already assured of victory. With three lengths in hand as they entered the back straight, supporters of Swords Prince had little to worry about. Slip The Lark was doing his utmost to close, but it was futile.
When Slip The Lark drifted wide on the fourth bend, Side Bet moved back into second and he ran on gamely, but was still a length and a half adrift of the impressive Swords Prince in an excellent 28.51. Slip The Lark was another two lengths adrift in third.
The other two semi-finals were claimed by Paul Hennessy trained runners and in the first heat it was his amazingly consistent Daleys Buzz who snatched the honours late with a typical late drive. He was recording his seventh straight success for owner Michael Dunne of Frightful Flash Kennels fame and that run includes two valuable competitions around Limerick .
Black Allstar broke fast and led narrowly into the back from Tyrur Laurel and Cashen Zig with Daleys Buzz in fourth. Around the bottom bends the field closed right up and Cashen Zig momentarily showed ahead turning for home. But Daleys Buzz shot up to take it by a head from Cashen Zig in 28.81 with Tyrur Laurel just a head back in third and then three parts of a length to fast finishing Coldwater Joe.
The PJ Fahy owned Tyrur Bertie completed the Hennessy double with a game effort in the third heat. Here the favourites, Ballymac Bondi and Oran Classic, were crowded on the run up and on the bend and it was last year’s English Derby finalist Kryptonite that set the pace on the inside.
He was chased down the back by So Your Crazy and Tyrur Bertie and the latter showed in second between the final bends. Up the stretch Tyrur Bertie came home strongly and he edged it by a short head from Kryptonite in 28.72 with So Your Crazy two and a half lengths third.
Draw for next Saturday’s final: 1 Side Bet; 2 Daleys Buzz; 3 Cashen Zig; 4 Kryptonite; 6 Swords Prince (m); 6 Tyrur Bertie (w).
Cashmans bet: 6/4 Swords Prince, 3 Tyrur Bertie, 9/2 Kryptonite, 6 Side Bet, Daleys Buzz, 20 Cashen Zig
There was an outstanding run from Pat Gordon’s Fatboyz Nodrog in winning a supporting Open 525. This lightly raced sort showed classic early pace to lead Timor Blue before the opening bend and then proved too strong for his rivals as he raced to a three length winning margin over Drumna Classic in 28.43.
The Owen McKenna trained Faypoint Man emerged as another serious Derby contender when winning the concluding BCR Easter Cup qualifier in 29.85. When Mardocs O Shea led on the bend he looked a sure winner but Faypoint Man soon joined issue before asserting on the third bend and he powered home a three length winner from Mardocs in an excellent 29.85.
Slick Cool (formerly known as Kilmore Cool) was fastest in the second round of the Mike Cronin Readymix Juvenile Classic at Tralee on Friday. Now owned by Keith Allsop, the son of Top Honcho and Coolavanny Kate led from the first bend when beating market rival Bellewood Prince by a length and a half in a flying 28.50.
This was the second leg of a great double for the Top Honcho/ Coolavanny Kate litter as the opening heat was won by Noel Browne’s Coolavanny Mac as this 5-1 chance also led from the opening bend in beating Up Toome by three lengths in 28.67.
King Style was an all the way winner of Heat 2 as he came home three lengths clear of Lann Boyo in 28.68. The most eye-catching run of the night was produced by Sean Dunphy’s Droopys Laramie in Heat 5. This young bitch, trained by John Saunders, was baulked on the opening bend but came from an impossible position to snatch a head margin over Shade Of Satawya in 28.67.
Christmas Box followed up his impressive first round victory when scoring easily again for owners Declan Moylan and Noreen McManus. He was in front on the bend and raced on strongly for a three length margin over Killacolla Duke in 28.54.
The final heat produced another fine run as Jack Meade’s Dalcash Stateman led all the way to beat the strong staying Boolavogue by a length and a half in 28.62.
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