Glenanore can continue O’Neill’s hot streak
The effort required to pass Black Maestro in the back straight in the quarter-finals should not be underestimated and if Glenanore can produce a similar break this time, it’s going to take a huge performance to stop him.
Ryecourt Fox is a smashing competitor and she can give the selection most to think about. Peg Shanahan’s bitch would be very hard to beat if drawn on the rails but trap three demands more. She may be up to the task, but it’s hard to deny that Glenanore is perfectly housed and he is awarded a confident vote.
The aforementioned Black Maestro should prove hard to beat in the other semi-final. He bested the re-opposing Kranky Ma in the opening round and ran to a similar level when beaten by Glenanore last time. The draw suggests that Kranky Ma will get closer to the selection this time but Ken Busteed and Dave Lynch’s Black Maestro has a fine blend of early pace and stamina and is expected to get up late to claim victory.
Killians Express can take the final of the Hut Bar A2 575 for Dermot Bracken. A ridiculously wide-margin winner of his semi-final, he won’t find life so easy this time but he still has the class to come out on top. The drop to A2 worked the oracle last weekend as he streaked to victory.
He maintained a middle-to-wide course when winning then and should do the same this time. As with the selection, Ballyhooly Queen, who also won her semi-final, is better than this grade and she should finish in the frame.
Ballyverry Girl can get punters off to a winning start. Johnny Linehan’s bitch was an impressive winner in A3 grade two runs ago but out of luck when upped to A1 last time. The drop back to A2 should see a return to the winner’s rostrum.
