Midtown Raffa 8-1 favourite as two withdrawn from Laurels
Following the first round, last year’s Consolation winner Midtown Raffa has been promoted to favouritism, at 8-1, with fastest first-round winner Gaytime Hawk and the lightly raced Ballymac Matt next in at 10-1.
Mimis Ace, who won his first-round heat last Saturday night, is a lively outsider at 50-1. He came out on top in the Jerry Hennerty Memorial Unraced Stake in 2014, and his successor in that stake will be revealed on Laurels final night. Entries are now being accepted for the two-run, €1,000-to-the-winner competition.
Most interestingly, to coincide with the semi-finals of the Laurels and the IGB awards night, there will also be a William Hill Derby Trial Stake held at Curraheen on May 2. It’s a one-off race, for which the winner will receive €2,000, a trophy, and free entry to the English Derby.
It’ll be very interesting to assess the calibre of greyhound which turns up for that race and whether or not they will go on to compete at Wimbledon. It’s fantastic reward for just one run. There will be a similar trial stake run in Shelbourne Park a week earlier.
Owners and trainers should note with the recent changes to the racing schedule there have been some necessary changes to the trial times at Curraheen.
Monday’s unofficial trials (pre-booked) will take place from 4.30pm to 7pm, while Tuesday’s official trials will take place after racing. On Wednesdays there will be unofficial trials from 8am to 11am, with officials from 11.30am to 12.30pm. Friday’s unofficial trials (pre-booked) take place from 8am to 11am.
The English Derby, which gets underway with first-round heats on May 28, 29 and 30, has, understandably, attracted the attention of many Irish runners. The past couple of weeks and coming month or so will be awash with reports of trials of Irish entries, as many seek track experience and a chance to familiarise their greyhounds with the different system.
Many of those would have been great additions to the Laurels but have been pointed towards Wimbledon and, to my mind, Farloe Blitz heads that particular list.
His four-bend form includes a runner-up finish in the Puppy Derby at Harold’s Cross, while he showed top-class sprinting speed and an affinity to the track when a finalist in the Supersprint at Curraheen. Cork’s loss may be Wimbledon’s gain as he represents some value at 33-1.
*** ***
News from the Irish Coursing Club reveals next year’s National Meeting at Clonmel will conclude on a Sunday.
This year’s meeting, through the misfortune of having to have the last day postponed due to the weather, had its final day run on a Sunday, and it attracted a huge crowd.
The success of that day has likely been a contributory factor in the decision to change, and the 2016 meeting will now be run from Friday January 29 to Sunday January 31.
*** ***
The final of the Gain Dog Food Cesarewitch, for which Paradise Maverik is a short-priced favourite, is the centrepiece of Sunday’s matinee programme at Mullingar, and the action gets underway at 4pm. The prestigious Lee Strand 550 begins in Tralee this evening, with ten first-round heats dominating the 12-race programme, which gets underway at 7.43pm. Although an A3, this continues to attract great support, with the winner receiving €8,000, the runner-up €2,500, and €1,440 for third. That’s fantastic prize-money for a graded stake, albeit one which, inevitably, attracts many unexposed runners with the potential to reach the top.
Youghal track is now back in full swing, with two cards per week, on Monday and Friday. For those who cannot make it to the meetings, the racing can now be viewed live online (via the IGB website) and on the Barking Buzz App. To do so you must place a minimum 1 bet on the race you wish to view.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
