Royal produces stunning display to take Dunne Memorial

MELODYS Royal looks likely to be aimed at the biggest competitions in the calendar in the coming months after a stunning display in the final of the Joe Dunne Memorial Puppy 525 at Shelbourne Park on Saturday.

The Puppy Derby champion possesses massive pace and, barring bad luck, always looked likely to come out on top. His starting price reflected this and he was sent to traps a 4-6 favourite. The Pa Fitzgerald trained star didn’t exactly flash from trap six, but he displayed plenty of dash to secure second spot before the corner.

The pace-setting duties were taken up by Mutual Decision, but he had no answer to the hot favourite as they straightened up into the back straight. Melodys Royal ran a superb second bend to enter the back straight in full stride and he soon shot to the front.

From that point it was all one-way traffic and Melodys Royal powered clear to the third turn before cruising home four lengths clear of the progressive Mutual Decision in a fast 28.63. There was a further two length gap to Leap Of Faith in third.

It was an assertive display from the winner and a step up to 550yds now looks imminent, which could really suit his style of racing. There seems little doubt he has the pace to compete against the very best.

Elsewhere on the Shelbourne Park card, Crossfield Jet produced a brilliant display of early speed to blow holes in his rivals.

Brendan O’Shea’s charge simply raced away from his rivals in the opening yards before putting the result beyond doubt down the back. Staying on better than in his previous outings, the son of Droopys Maldini took the verdict by three and a half lengths over the eye-catching Best Move in 28.55.

Thast wasn’t the fastest run on the card however. Instead that honour went to Quick Lee in the opening round of the Swords Prince at Stud A1.

Quick Lee led early to beat Cornamaddy Swift by three and a half lengths in 28.51. Hello Ringo (28.77) and Clonrooske Guy (28.87) won the remaining heats.

Joey Jojo Junior justified favouritism when emerging an impressive winner of the Kennedy Cup at Limerick on Saturday night.

In victory, Pat Guilfoyle’s powerful galloper was securing his fourth victory in five starts, although he did seem in a spot of bother on the run to the bend.

With Ballymac Lefanta and Air Force Hawk leading up on the inside, Joey Jojo Junior could have found himself in serious trouble at the bend, but he displayed real track craft. Switching to the inside he shot through on the fence before asserting before the second turn.

Once doing so he was never going to allow his rivals back into the contest. At the line Joey Jojo Junior had three and a half lengths in hand over Air Force Hawk in 28.54.

It was a superb night for Guilfoyle as he also sent out two high profile winners in the undercard. Ms Deltafire took the Open sprint by a length in 18.83, while Magical Ozzie saw off a top class line up in the concluding Open 550 by a length and a half in 30.24.