Masters co-favourites favoured by the draw

IT has been a very busy period on the southern circuit in the past month and more and the action remains furious this weekend with the final of the Red Mill Masters at Waterford on Saturday backed up by the final of the Tyrur Kennels Open 575 at Curraheen as well as top open action at Tralee and Limerick.

With a winner’s prize of €13,000, the Masters is very much the top contest and it has all the ingredients to be a classic confrontation. Bookmakers Paddy Power rate it a three-dog contest with Dream Walker, Piercestown Sand and Sparta Maestro listed as 15-8 co-favourites and it is difficult to disagree, though the likes of Varra Captain, Mines A Pint and Piercestown Con are well capable of producing a very big run.

However the three top fancies appear to be favoured by the draw, though it could be argued that trap six may not be absolutely ideal for Sparta. He struggled from that box last weekend when slowly away and then baulked on the first bend.

Paddy Power betting: 15-8 Dream Walker, Piercestown Sand, Sparta Maestro; 14 Piercestown Con, Varra Captain; 16 Mines A Pint.

Pat Buckley hasn’t enjoyed the best of years thus far but he had a welcome big winner on Sunday when Incitatus was the convincing winner of the Munster Puppy Cup at Clonmel.

The son of Rumble Impact overhauled the leader Tooclosetocall early on the run-in and dashed clear to win by three lengths in 28.89. Express Hero was a strong finishing half-length third.

A son of Rumble Impact and Coolavanny Minor, Incitatus was previously a finalist in the Puppy Derby at Harold’s Cross and is owned by Spaniard Javier Jarne who lives in Zaragoza.

Buckley will be hoping for another major victory on Saturday next when Beaming Olive contests the final of the Michael Fitzpatrick Newbridge Oaks and she is quoted as 7-4 joint favourite with Tyrur Monica by Power. Both bitches have been impressive right through the competition.

Paddy Power betting: 7-4 Beaming Olive, Tyrur Monica; 6 Fatboyz Dizzy, Montblanc, Mines A Pint; 7 Mama Odie.

Milldean Panther was yesterday described as being in great form by John O’Flynn following his latest brilliant success at Shelbourne on Saturday night.

O’Flynn said: “I thought he ran great on Saturday, I thought he was even better than the previous week but it was a colder night and the track was probably drying out at the time. You can expect that at this time of the year with frost beginning to come into the air”.

The plan for the son of College Causeway and Auld Nag remains the same with the Comerford Cakes National Puppy Stake at Shelbourne the target before being put away until next year. However there is a weather provision.

Said O’Flynn: “As I said last week, his participation in the National Puppy event is weather dependent. If we get a repeat of last year’s frost and snow he will be staying in his kennel but if the weather remains kind then he will be a runner”.