A home run for the Babe

They knew. They just knew.

Rose and Tim O’Driscoll, who live in Glounthaune a few miles outside Cork city, along with neighbour and friend Tom Aherne, knew they had a live contender for this year’s Oaks in Skellig Babe. Oh boy, were they right!

“She was beaten in a final in Fermoy,” Tom explains, “But she qualified with a fierce fast time in Johnstown and Urlingford, very fast clocks, and we knew then — she was a bit special.”

Considering that they had another three bitches who also qualified for the Oaks – a rare feat in itself – and that one of those bitches (Skellig Mania) was beaten only after a tremendous buckle in the semi-final, that was saying something.

As the days progressed it became almost an inevitability – it was going to be a Skellig Babe/Call Her Now final, a Cork/Kerry All-Ireland final, so to speak.

Thus it transpired, but in that final, there was only one winner – a home run for the Babe.

“It’s just a dream come true,” said a radiant Rose, who had done all the catching over the three days, “For myself, for my husband Tim, for Tom Aherne, who have put so much work into these dogs for so many years. It’s just fantastic. I’m delighted for Denis O’Driscoll as well, who was training her for me – brilliant, brilliant. We’ll go home tonight now and feed the saplings for next year, Tim will be out with his churn of milk and the basket of eggs, same as he is every other day, hail rain or snow, but that’s the joy of coursing!”

I don’t know, Rose, I don’t know – winning is fair joyful also!

The same Tim, a cool dude most of the time, was trying to contain his emotions. “It’s a team effort, and this means everything now to Rose, to my family, to Tom, who’s walking them every day. We’re all walking them, every day of the week, between Hughie, Tom Aherne, Rose, myself, Chris Donovan, Kevin Barry and Dave Sullivan, five or six or us, and a few more besides who give us a hand. It’s fantastic to be still standing at the start of the third day, but we’ve been beaten in semi-finals, in quarter-finals — to be still there at the end of the third day, what can I say. It’s a great thrill to finally win this, but a great honour also.”

Meanwhile, as upsets go, it was a real turn-up for the books – in fact, what a tear-up, for all those old books in the Boylesoports.com Derby! Central City? “He’s completely track-bred,” explained Brian Duffy, from the winning family. “In fact this dog should never have been in Clonmel. He went to Lifford as a third reserve in an All-Aged Cup, just to give him a run, on New Year’s Day, and he got in – he won that Cup.

“Owned by Dessie Gilroy, we made an offer for him on the promise that we’d get him to Tubbercurry in a Trial Stake there – two weeks later he went and won that, and from there, he’s come to Clonmel.” And won again, unbeaten in coursing. “Yeah, I was just counting it back there; five, four, and here in Clonmel, another six — that’s a total of 15 courses in five weeks, and he’s won them all.” Oh lads, Clonmel — coursing — will never be the same!

A moment in time, two people passing each other at the end of the last course in Clonmel yesterday, each leading their own dog. Their eyes met, the contrast in emotions stark. “Nothing I can say will make any difference to ye,” said Elaine Guiney to Elaine Field, so she didn’t attempt to say anymore; “No,” said Elaine Field, then mustered up a smile, “But we can say ‘Well done’ to you!”

Elaine Guiney was leading Class Attraction up to the presentation area, a cup and €10,000 cheque for winning the Champion Bitch Stakes; Elaine Field was taking Kyle Ranger on a slow walk back to the van, the Derby final lost, albeit in honourable circumstances, gave it a run despite not being at 100%, following a semi-final tumble. Though beaten, for his efforts Kyle Ranger also earned a cup for his owners, plus €10,500 – that’s €500 more than Elaine Guiney. But that’s mere irony, not consolation. It’s not the money, you see — it’s the win.