Curraheen Park loses sponsor, Gains another one

One of the oldest races on the Curraheen calendar is the Guinness Trophy and with the almost inevitable news that the sponsorship ended this year came the good news that Gain Dog Food have stepped in to make a seamless transition.

In the 53rd year since its inception, the stake will now be known as the Gain Cup 2016, and is open to A1 runners. The competition gets underway this Saturday night with six first-round heats, and the winner will receive €3,000.

The Joe Dunne Memorial Puppy Stake has been a highlight at Shelbourne Park for a number of years and what a shame it is that this year’s renewal has attracted just enough entries to host two semi-finals on this Saturday’s card. Confined to January ’14 and younger whelps, there are some very smart ones amongst the dozen, not least Juvenile Derby winner Anopheles, Droopys Roddick, Droopys Tee and four runners from Graham Holland’s kennel.