City a star turn in the country

CENTRAL CITY, a track-bred dog who had his first outing on a coursing field at East Donegal on New Years Day when he was a fourth reserve in a All-Aged Stake, and then went on to win his trial stake at Tubbercurry, was a surprise winner of the Boylesport.Com Derby at Clonmel yesterday.

A 16-1 chance before coursing on Monday, he was bought after his trial stake win from Dessie Gilroy and has since been trained by his new owner — Brian Duffy from Derry.

He won his quarter final in good style yesterday by four lengths against Coshair Magic, in a course in which he was the outsider and then accounted for Sound Pistol, who had created a major upset when putting out the Aghadown Martin in the quarter-final.

The favourite, Kyle Ranger, was very impressive at the top of the card when getting the better of Stephens Ray by eight lengths and then proved two and a half lengths faster than Needham Skill in the semi-final, but fell heavily twice after the turn.

It looked as if there was going to be no final, but Mrs Marie Field decided to let her charge take his chance in the decider. The falls, however, told against him and he was easily beaten.

The O’Driscolls from, Glanmire, Co. Cork had a great meeting. They brought four greyhounds to the meeting and all were in the money. However the crowning glory was Skellig Babe’s success in the Greyhound & Pet World Oaks. This was Tim’s prime fancy before the stake began and, in addition, his Skellig Mania also reached the last eight - going out to Call Her Now in the semi-final.

Skellig Babe, who took the trial stake at Johnstown and Urlingford, won her quarter-final against Windfarm Swift and then had a four lengths to spare over Ocean Tolula in the semi-final. In the final Skellig Babe, trained in Skibbereen, by Denis O’Driscoll, who had sent out Mountain Guest to win the Oaks (2006) and Big Fellow Thanks to take the Derby (1999), took control from the start to take the turn by four lengths from Call Her Now.

There was no final in the Grace Bruton Champion Bitch Stake as Class Attraction, the property of Miss Elaine Guiney of Meelin, Co. Cork was declared the winner. The gambled on Quality And Dash had to be withdrawn after being heavily run in her semi-final with Notindispute.

The winner is trained by Elaine’s father, Con, who will be hoping to make it a unique double with Mellin hurlers in the All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship at Croke Park on February 13th.

The final of the Classic Club All-Aged Stake was won in a tremendous style by D. J. O’Connor and Patrick Fitzgerald’s (Scartaglen & Glin) March Is On who got the better of Don and Gerard Buckley’s (Macroom) Mucky Eamonn by a half a length.

There were two Cork successes in the minor stakes. The Norris-Horgan-Treacy Syndicate from Mitchelstown took the Spirit of Mischief Stake with Chiang Mia when she raced away from Townpark Best to have five lengths to spare at the turn, while the Tom Spillane’s (Bantry) owned and trained Gurteen Oscar had a length and half to spare of Paddy ‘The Ironman From Rhode’ McCormack’s Cannaill Shop in the Keen Laddie Stakes decider.