Georgeena, Tivoli miss Oaks while Murty’s is out of Derby
Both bitches were well fancied, quoted joint fourth favourites at 14-1 with Boylesports and Cashmans.
Unbeaten Georgeena, the Castleisland Oaks qualifier, pulled a muscle in her final preparations and all efforts to get her fit failed. Deflated trainer Tom O’Connor of Tarbert said: “She was in terrific form and ready to run for her life and then misfortune struck on the gallops. Disappointed as I and my family are, it’s the owners we feel really sorry for. The DMDH syndicate were really looking forward to the meeting. Terrific sportspeople, they have been great friends to coursing.”
Tim O’Driscoll’s Beyond Tivoli, the Millstreet Oaks qualifier, was another to receive a late setback.
Glounthaune, Co. Cork trainer Donal Leahy reported: “She had a slight injury earlier in the year and it flared up again after a gallop during the week. She would not be able to do herself justice; Clonmel demands 100% fitness and it wouldn’t be right to run her. Hopefully, there will be other days.”
To add to O’Drisoll’s woes, Beyond Flashy won’t take his place in the Champion Stakes on Wednesday. A muscle injury picked up in the All-Aged final in Carlow hasn’t responded well enough to treatment. There are hopes he could be right for the Irish Cup next month.
Anthony Daly, one of the owners, explained about Murty’s Destiny: “He hurt himself in a trial in the first week in January in Tubbercurry and has been having treatment since. He had a trial in Clonmel on Monday last and aggravated it again.
“We said we’d give him ’til Saturday morning, but he couldn’t even come out of the box; we had to pull him out.”
However, we still have Murty’s Blaze in the Champion Stakes.
Disappointment then, for the Clare outfit, that Murty’s Destiny doesn’t get the chance to possibly follow in the footsteps of his sire, Murty’s Gang, winner of the Derby in 2002.
There is some consolation: “Murty’s Gang is doing very well at stud,” reports Daly; ” he has four going in the Derby, three in the Oaks, two in the Champion Stakes, some going when you consider that for some reason or other, we’re not getting the bitches.
Trainer John Lenihan reports that Sir Poppins, who has been the subject of fitness rumours, will definitely run in the Derby.
