Weekend meetings hopeful of beating frost

It has been quite a week for the greyhound industry this far with the three splendid days of sport at Clonmel and then the highly encouraging figures released by the Irish Greyhound Board.

Dare we hope that things are turning around?

The gods were truly smiling on the National Coursing Meeting with splendid weather throughout and no interruptions. Wednesday was a day borrowed from Heaven and produced some tremendous buckles until the anti-climax in the finals with no decider to the Classics Club Champion Stakes and then the injury to Blueview Sam in the early yards of the Boylesports.com final.

It was also a very good festival for Clonmel Track and they had a lovely crowd on Tuesday night for what was a top class card with some outstanding performances. Owen McKenna’s Camas looked a real prospect in winning the Festival Open Unraced in 28.53 and, by coincidence, last year’s Unraced winner Piercestown Sand won the following race, the John Mitchells GAA Open final, in exactly the same time of 28.53. The other big name to take from the night was Cabra Millie as she ran away with the final of the Broadway Pet Foods Open Bitch Stake in 28.68.

The Festival just missed the front with last night’s racing at Clonmel called off due to frost in the ground and the card will now be run next Thursday. The Enniscorthy meeting was also ruled out and this card will be staged on Monday.

It is hoped that the frost will ease before the weekend and hopefully all tonight’s and tomorrow’s meetings can proceed without any problem. There are some top class meetings scheduled with Shelbourne once again the highlight with the final of the Joe Dunne Memorial promising to be a real cracker.

The star of the first round of this competition was Fraser Black’s Droopys Jet and he duly extended his career unbeaten record to five from five in the semi-final last week. But he was put to his limit to hold the challenge of the unlucky Noirs Buachaill and it will be most interesting to how they compare this week.

There are plenty of others in there with a say also, one such being Seamus Graham’s Swift Marathon which came right back to form last Saturday and will give Droopys plenty to do on the run to the bend. Murt Leahy’s Ballybough Hawke will be finishing strongly while Francie Murray’s Subway Gerry got no run last week and has a massive run in him. The remaining finalist is Swords Jacko and he can never be taken for granted.

There will be the usual high class Shelbourne Park card with a tremendous supporting programme and, weather permitting, some very interesting pre-racing trials. One I am particularly looking forward to seeing again is John Byrne’s Coolykereen Imp in the concluding 550 after his impressive recent seasonal debut.

The semi-finals of the Vetsearch Recharge 525 will be run at Limerick tomorrow and two intriguing races are in prospect. Graham Holland’s Calling Spice has been hugely impressive in her two outings in the stake but she will have her work cut out against Airforce Newyork in the first heat. Boherna House and Ogie Tom look the big two in the other heat.

The big attraction at Curraheen Park tomorrow will be the second round heats of the Guinness Trophy and here Sede Vacante will have an opportunity to make amends for his first round defeat by taking the last of the four qualifiers. Black Maestro impressed in the opening round and looks the one to beat in the opening heat. Coole West Bound finished well down the field last week but can make amends in the second heat.

The meeting tomorrow week will be a sponsored one in aid of Watergrasshill GAA and entries close on Tuesday for Open 550, A1 575, A2 525, A3 525 & 575. There will be a Novice 750 at Curraheen next Friday

The six first round heats of the John & Mary Dowling Memorial 570 will be run at Tralee tonight. Tuesday night racing resumes on Tuesday week with the Supporters Club sponsoring the meeting and again on Tuesday 21st.