Ballymac Vic no value with sponsors in Derby quarter-final

The 23 remaining contenders will go to war in the four quarter-finals of the Ladbrokes Irish Derby at Shelburne on Saturday and the big task is in pin-pointing the six dogs likely to make it all the way to the final on September 8th.

Without doubt, it has been a marvellous competition thus far with most of the ante-post favourites progressively nicely to this stage. What is particularly pleasing is that 15 of the 23 contenders on Saturday are members of the 2010 crop of pups and we can expect these dogs to be at their peak next year.

Razldazl Luke is by far the youngest and he is actually eligible for the Puppy Derby which starts at Harold’s Cross on the eve of the Derby final. One feels sorry for Robert Gleeson and the Drinking Machines Syndicate, owners of Stay Thirsty which has had to be withdrawn from the quarter finals due to a wrist knock.

Ballymac Vic is the clear favourite in all lists between 2-1 and 5-2 and he clearly deserves the rating. Liam Dowling reports the dog to be in fine condition but I wouldn’t take the 2-5 being asked by Ladbrokes in the third heat. Considering the strength of the opposition, a price like 4-6 would appear far more appropriate.

He has to clear Killbarry Rover, Cuil Cougar and Airforce Diva to the bend and that will be no easy task. He can do it but the dangers rule out a very short price.

Looking for value the evens being touted about Droopys Jet for the first heat would appear much better value. He should have the measure of his four rivals to the bend and, basically, when he leads he wins. Reigning champion Razldazl George has picked the perfect time for a return to top form and he can also make it through.

Confident Rankin is drawn a little further out than ideal in Heat 2 but his early pace can see him get the better of Razldazl Bugatti by halfway and then it will be a case of resisting Sawpit Sensation and Laughill Billy.

If ever a dog was drawn to perfection it is Tyrur Sugar Ray in the last qualifier. He is as tight an inside runner as we have seen in a long time and he packs a huge finishing burst. One must respect Camas out in six and powerhouse Skywalker Puma in five. This trio can qualify from this heat but Tyrur Sugar Ray remains value at the 4-1 advertised by the sponsors.

It’s an unusual weekend at Shelbourne where there will be a “private” six-race meeting staged tomorrow night as part of the Tall Ships Race Crews Party which is hosted by the Dublin City Council. It is expected that there will be up to 1,800 guests present and the greyhound races are being run to give the visitors a “feel” of the sport and also to create a bit of a diversion.

With the Puppy Derby at Harold’s Cross just two weeks away, there is even further interest in the Texacloth Puppy Derby which reaches the semi-final stage at Newbridge tomorrow. Exactly half the Texacloth contenders will be eligible for the puppy classic and one of them is fastest second round winner Glenardan. Liam Kirley’s heavyweight is very strong in every sense but he will need to be foot perfect to get the better of Liam Butler’s That’s Forbidden and Alan Brazier’s Strides Rumble.

The second semi should see Ruairi Dwan’s Borna Slide go off favourite after his unbeaten path thus far but Liam O’Rourke’s Kinloch George and David Park’s Lotus Paddy merit respect also.

The Greyhound & Pet World A1 Stake semi-finals top the bill at Curraheen on Saturday. The last of the Burgess series of Getting Out Stakes will be run on the card and then a new sponsor will take over for the next series on Saturday 8th which will be an A1 550.

Entries are invited for a series of races to be run on final night, Saturday week. These will be €500 A1 Consolation, €500 A1 Plate, €450 Open 525, €450 Open Bitch 525, €450 Open 550 and €350 A3 525. Closing tomorrow will be a 12 dog €500 A6 Racedogs (No Bg) 525 to be run next Thursday.

Just around the corner is the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish Laurels which commences on Friday, September 21st with a winner’s prize of €30,000 and a prize of €5,000 for the best placed bitch.

Saturday night should be quite a special one at Waterford where the finals of all the €1,000 Festival Stakes will be run. The series, organised by the Supporters Club, has given the track a great fillip for the month of August and hopefully Saturday’s meeting will be a real winner. The Droopys Stud Munster Oaks will commence on September 15th at Waterford with a winner’s prize of €5,000.

The big Supporters’ Club Meeting will be staged at Clonmel this evening and then on Sunday the semi-finals of the Suirside Stayers Open 790 will be run. It will be interesting to see if Elaine Guiney’s Usual Story can maintain his unbeaten six bend record in the first semi while Golden Graze has the form to land the hotter looking second heat.

News from Thurles is that the first round heats of the J.J. McGrath Memorial A3 will be run on Saturday along with the heats of the A3 600. The traditional Kasco Novice Open Unraced Stake will kick off on Friday, September 7th with a winner’s prize of €7,000. The next Sales at the track will be on September 8th and the catalogue is almost full.