Fire Height Amy signals classic intentions
The bitch, who was in the wars on her previous start, made sure there would be no traffic problems this time as she flew from boxes and led clear to the first turn. Mongys Rach worked hard to make a race of it, but she could never get to the leader, who stayed on well to win by four and a half lengths, in 41.51, with the heavily supported Tradition, who had a troubled passage, half a length away in third.
The opening heat went to the game Chloes Gina, trained by John Duggan for Brendan O’Callaghan and Rose Elphick. The bitch missed the kick and found early trouble, which left her with a lot of work to do.
Favourite Native Hut looked booked for victory when hitting the front halfway down the back, but Chloes Gina summoned a big finish to get up on the line for a head victory, in 42.31.
Karlow Master, owned by Henry Kelly, Bagenalstown, had to pull out all the stops to get the better of Crompaun Jamesy in the opening heat. The two were in the van from the outset and turned for home virtually as one. In a tremendous finish, Karlow Master held on by the narrowest of margins, in 42.01.
Shaneboy Sue, trained by Michael Kiely, Kilmallock, caused a real upset in the third heat. The 10-1 chance quickened to lead at the first turn, and moved some five clear passing the judge for the first time. Odds-on favourite Droopys Oddysey struggled to find a clear passage, but finished with real purpose, only to go down by a short head, in 41.93.
Droopys Bomber provided some compensation for Droopys Oddysey’s trainer, Fraser Black, when he justified 4-6 favouritism with an all-the-way victory in the following heat. The Cesarewitch runner-up quickly took control of matters, and raced to an unchallenged six-length victory over Triangle Jamie, in 41.87.
The Forever Living Products A3 525 was the first of the two deciders on the card and the very promising Hesagodsend, owned by Ollie Gooney, Thurles, landed the spoils with a determined display.
The June pup showed maturity beyond his experience as he held his ground in the face of impending crowding at the first turn. The youngster earned reward for his bravery as he moved to the front around the second bend, and led favourite Burgess Tadhg down the back. The latter tried hard but Hesagodsend stayed on well to win by a length, in 28.66.
The Dennis McCarthy-trained, Diarmuid Dooge-owned Shaded Sky produced a career-best effort in the final of the Curraheen A3 525. with a two and a half lengths, success in 28.80.
5-2 Droopys Oddysey, 7-2 Droopys Bomber, 8 Tradition, 12 Ballymac Jarlath, Fire Height Amy, Karlow Master, 14 Native Hut, 16 bar
Meanwhile there’s no stopping Ballydoyle Honey, who posted yet another top-class display in the opening round of the Sporting Press Irish Oaks on Saturday night at Shelbourne Park.
The bitch, who became the fastest bitch ever around the track with her 27.86 return in the early stages of the Puppy Oaks, wasn’t very far below that level this time.
In front from an early stage, the Graham Holland-trained, Alison Coxon-owned daughter of Brett Lee and Kildallon Maid pulled clear to beat kennel companion Hovex Princess by eight lengths, in 28.09.
Her victory was just one of four in the round for her trainer, the first of which came from Warrior Gwen in heat two. The 4-1 chance was always close to the pace and asserted late to beat Kingsmill Bound by a length, in 28.64.
Skywalker Pearl, who was just touched off by Ballydoyle Honey in the Puppy Oaks final, bounced straight back to winning ways with a runaway success in heat three. Lislevane Swift showed in front at traps but the winner, sent off the 2-5 favourite, showed pace to hold her position at the first bend, and careered away to win by seven lengths from Tyrur Dicky, in 28.37.
The four-timer was completed by Rising Twirl, owned by Noel and Damian Fleming, when she clear from the third turn to take heat six in good style. Having just her fourth race, the August pup stayed on well to beat the running-on Dove River by a length and a half, in 28.53.
There was a Tote Trio dividend of é1,500 in the opening heat, in which the Karol Ramsbottom-trained Garryglass Lulu overcame a long absence to post an emphatic 28.49 victory.
Jumeirah Dancer, trained by Jimmy Buckley, hit the front at halfway and pulled away stylishly to win heat four in 28.59, while Puppy Oaks finalist Urban Gossip, trained by Reggie Roberts, overcame an unsuitably wide draw to take heat five in 28.75.
In heat seven, the Barney Mooney-trained Shes A Dream, who was a finalist in the Puppy Oaks a year ago, battled gamely to beat Cesarewitch finalist Springwell Watsy by a neck, in 28.44.
Beechers Brook, trained by Eddie Lingane, showed tremendous early pace to take control of heat nine from an early stage, and the bitch, who broke 30 seconds on her previous start, over 550 yards at Curraheen in February, stayed on well to beat Tyrur Mairead by two lengths, in 28.43.
The last heat went to British raider Cashen Maureen, trained by June McCombe. The 4-5 favourite, won was runner-up in the National Puppy Stake in 2013, flew from traps, and readily made all to beat Piercestown Lucy by six lengths, in 28.24.
7-4 Ballydoyle Honey, 7-2 Cashen Maureen, 7 Skywalker Pearl, 14 Slippery Hanna, 16 Urban Gossip, Shes A Dream, Springwell Watsy, 20 bar.
* The draw for the first round of the William Hill English Derby took place yesterday afternoon, and there will be 48 heats, run over four consecutive nights, starting on Wednesday (10 heats on Wednesday, 12 on Thursday, and 13 on Friday and Saturday).
Two greyhounds will qualify from each heat, leaving a conventional 96 runners in the second round. Thirty three of the first-round heats will have just five runners, with the other 15 all full fields.
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