Fitzgerald experiences the joy of six
Fitzgerald, now based in Crogh, Co. Limerick, was quick to praise his gallant charge, declaring: “You need to have the ammunition and this is a super dog who never gets tired.”
It was an exceptional training feat by Fitzgerald because the dog was slightly lame after the Champion Stakes in Clonmel last month. However, Fitzgerald stressed the dog was beaten fair and square in that decider by Catunda Ashmore but decided to let him take his chance in the Irish Cup when the classic was put back a week.
The Fitzgerald-Byrne combination were successful last season with Castlemartyr, which Byrne owned jointly with Helen Murphy of Castleisland, Co. Kerry.
Fitzgerald other winners were: Ballyard Yank, 1979/80; Ballyduff Bobby 1982/83; Black Rock in 1984/85, and yesterday was his third success for Byrne as he also turned out Castle Pines in 2004/05
In the final Sandy Sea defeated the gambled on Johnny Casanovaw - backed from 8-1 to 5-1 before coursing - by three lengths.
Before the quarter-finals, Johnny Casanova was down to 6-4 to take the classic with Sienna Steel on offer and 2-1 and Sandy Sea quoted at 4-1.
In the first quarter-final Johnny Casanova led Ballydorgan Hero four lengths with Sienna Steel coming from slight arrears to get the better of Freniti Options by three lengths.
Sandy Sea raced away from Shining Town to take the turn by a wide margin. In the final quarter-final Wallace Green won the battle of the puppies when beating Squatters Rights by eight lengths.
Both semi-finals were probably the greatest ever run at this level and proved the highlights of a meeting that gave coursing a massive late season fillip.
Johnny Casanova, who was now down to evens, just held on to beat the unlucky Sienna Steel, who changed sides before closing from half way. Then Sandy Sea, a 5-2 chance, then came from behind in a thriller to put out the Brendan Matthews trained Wallace Green by a neck.
In the final Sandy Sea was best away and raced clear for a three lengths win over the Michael O’Donovan trained Johnny Casanova.
The Bill Chawke Irish Plate, for greyhounds beaten in the second round of the Irish Cup, went to the puppy Droopys Galvin, owned by the Hangover Syndicate from Newbridge and trained by Michael Dunphy in Portlaw, Co. Waterford.
In the final he came up against the Seamus Murray trained Ballywilliam and took the turn by three lengths.
There was a big upset in the Woodlands House Hotel Irish Purse, for greyhound beaten in the first round of the Cup, when Brendan Matthews’ and Brendan Duffy’s Wallace Flyer had to give best by a length and a half to David and Pat Casey’s owned a trained Killeagh Turbo.
The Irish Stud Dog Owners & Agents Select All-Aged Bitch Stake went to Ougham Pet, trained by Pat Lee. In the decider she raced away from Oilean Dreamer to take the turn by eight lengths.
