Daisy takes the gloss off Floss

CHEROKEE LADY, recent winner of the Tyrur Ted Champion Bitch Stakes at Galway, was turned over in heat 3 of the opening round of the McCarthy Insurance Group Cork Oaks at Curraheen Park on Saturday night.

After showing early pace, she was run out of it in the closing stages and could only finish fourth to Glenard Daisy in 29.53. However, because of the configuration of the stake, she advanced to next Saturday's semi-finals.

Glenard Daisy is trained by Shane Murphy for his father Bill. The winner led at the opening bend and was all out to hold the favourite Ballymac Floss by a short head at the finish.

Ballymac Floss's owner/trainer Liam Dowling had better luck in the opening heat when even money chance Ashville Katie took a flier from trap three. She enjoyed a healthy lead down the back straight but in the end only held on by a short head from the fast finishing Late Delivery in 28.69.

Kilkenny Baby clocked a fastest of the round 28.58 when easily disposing of Lughill Emily for trainer James Roche in heat 4.

Owen McKenna, on the mark with Ahane Lad in the Easter Cup at Shelbourne, struck in the concluding heat with the well backed 4/5 favourite Alva Road.

Despite running wide throughout, she had a length and a half to spare over Tyrur Footsteps at the line in 28.82.

Mossend Cait, who hadn't raced since early December, made all to take heat 2 by a length from the favourite Aphrodites Hills in 28.70.

Shane Murphy had two in the final of the All Plast Sales Unraced Stake including the 5/4 favourite Ardkill Way.

However both had to give best to the Graham Holland trained Boherduff Blaze. The winner took advantage of bunching involving the favourite to eventually beat Lemon Chief by two lengths in 29.10.

The trap draw for the semi-finals of the McCarthy Insurance Group Cork Oaks is:

1st semi-final: 1. Lemon Sole, 2. Tyrur Footsteps, 3. Patricias Ranger, 4. Costly Flight, 5. Ballymac Floss, 6. Like Money.

2nd semi-final: 1. Hondo Lass, 2. Ashville Katie, 3. Mossend Cait, 4. Lughill Emily, 5. Cherokee Lady, 6. Late Delivery.

3rd semi-final: 1. Aphrodites Hill, 2. Kilkenny Baby, 3. Confident Cora, 4. Starlet Rose, 5. Glenard Daisy, 6. Alva Road.

The draw for the final of Droopys Stud Stakes is: 1. Broadacres Fred, 2. Castlelyons Check, 3. Newline Honcho, 4. Tomahawk Kid, 5. Buds Lightening, 6. Tyrur Lee.