Qualification for the 100th National Coursing Meeting was completed today and we know our Top 8 and four reserves for both the Callaway Kennels Kevin Smith Champion Stakes and the Classics Club Grace & Matt Bruton Champion Bitch Stakes. Return To Racing and Banoffee Pie were the big jumpers for the Champion Dog Stakes with Mango also earning himself a place in the Reserves by winning at Sevenhouses. Successess at Clonakilty & Ballymena respectively have guaranteed a Clonmel ticket for Aran View and Nottonight in the Champion Bitch Stakes. We understand that Callaway Red was recently mated so this is good news for connections of Eulogy and it also brings last year’s Champion Bitch Stake winner Metal Queen into the Reserves. Connections of all 24 greyhounds will now be invited to declare their availability by Tuesday 20th January.

The weekend saw very little change in the Sporting Press Fantasy Coursing competitions so we are now set for a grandstand finish at the National Meeting and Irish Cup.

Champion Stakes Points System 2025/26 Season

Congratulations to the eight greyhounds listed below which won the Preliminary Round of the Powerstown Cup – Three Course Championship at Templetuohy on Friday. These eight greyhounds are now through to the final stages of the competition which will be held on the third and final day of the National Meeting. A new draw for the Quarter Finals will be made at the same time as the National Meeting Draw on Saturday 24th January. Stake very kindly sponsored by a longstanding coursing family.

Three Course Championship for dogs and bitches (excluding pups and track bred greyhounds)

• Qualifier Events to be hosted by provincial clubs to generate 16 qualifiers with Templetuohy hosting the preliminary round of final in January.
• Last 8 to compete on Day 3 of the 2026 National Meeting. New Draw.
• Qualifiers are eligible to compete in and win All Age events. However, if a qualifier subsequently qualifies for the Champion Stakes it will forfeit its qualifier status in the Three Course Duffer Championship.  
• Runner-up of a qualifier is eligible in the event of the withdrawal or ineligibility of the original Qualifier.
• Reserves filled from a draw of remaining runner-up greyhounds (maximum of 4).
• Dogs and bitches guarded as far as possible.
• Winner of Grand Final to receive €7,500 & Perpetual Cup. Pro-rata for runner-up and beaten semi-finalists.
• Club that provide winner of Grand Final to receive €1000.
• If Qualifier is run as an 8 the winner to receive €750 and runner-up €225.
• If Qualifier is run as a 16 the winner to receive €1000 and the runner-up €300.
• €50 entry fee to both Qualifying Events and Grand Final.
• Thanks to a benevolent sponsor the Irish Coursing Club will cover the prizemoney for the Qualifying Events & Grand Final (net of Entry Fees).
• Rule 88 applies for Qualifying Events & Grand Final.
• Executive may vary conditions based on the take-up from Clubs and any other considerations which may arise.  
• Now seeking expressions of interest from Clubs who may be interested in running a Qualifying Event (proviso that it cannot be run as a replacement for a reserve trial stake). To go on a Waiting List please email eugene@sportingpress.ie as soon as possible.

No coursing greyhound this season will have a greater number of supporters than ‘Shineon’ when she goes to slips in the Oaks Trial Stake at Glanworth this Saturday. She is the first runner for the newly formed 200 members strong Club Youth Syndicate which will now go by the name of ‘The Future Syndicate’.

Following a competition the name ‘Shineon’ was chosen for this black daughter of Cool Spirit and Knockout Shine and that name was suggested by young Conor O’Gorman from the Crohane & Killenaule coursing club. The ‘Future Syndicate’ was suggested by the even younger Aine Healy from the North Kilkenny coursing club. ‘Shineon’ is trained in Newry by the maestro Brendan Matthews so could not be in better hands and we wish her and Brendan and all the members of The Future Syndicate the very best of luck next weekend.

The online application form to apply for a Coursing Trainer Licence (season 25/26) can now be found under ‘ICC Forms’ .

https://irishcoursingclub.ie/coursingtrainer.php

Under the rules of the Irish Coursing Club you must register for a Coursing Trainer Licence if you train one coursing greyhound or more during the 2025/26 season which is not owned :

1. By Yourself
2. By a family member (Spouse, Partner, Child, Grandchild, Parent, Sibling, Guardian)
3. By a Syndicate of which you are the official authorised person to act on the syndicate’s behalf.   

All those currently training one coursing greyhound or more which does not fit into one of the three categories above must apply for their Coursing Trainer Licence no later than Wednesday 24th September 2025 if you have not already done so. Any new trainer after that date must apply for their Coursing Trainer Licence within 7 days of accepting the coursing greyhound(s) into their kennel.

The Annual Licence Fee is €25.

You can click into the full ‘ICC Coursing Trainer Regulations 2023 (Anended 2025)’ when you go to the application form.

For any queries please email eugene@sportingpress.ie or ring 052 6188508

Some photos from a great night at the ICC Awards and Dinner Dance on Sunday last. Huge thanks to our sponsors Greyhound & Pet World Abbeyfeale, Flaherty Family Galway, Clonmel Cabins (Billy & Marie Roche), National Meeting Bookmakers, James & Sharon Coss Portlaoise, Bridget Byrne, Surrey/Duagh and Michael Horgan, Mitchelstown. We couldn’t have done it without them. Our cover photo shows connections of Bobby Browne, Coursing Greyhound of the Year, receive their prizes from Award sponsors, Liam and Helen Murphy, Greyhound and Pet World.

Forty two years after winning an Irish Cup with Ballyduff Bobby, Jimmy Browne was back on the podium today to accept the Una O’Sullivan Memorial Irish Cup from John O’Sullivan & family following the brilliant success of his pup Bobby Browne. The Bobby in question, Jimmy’s nephew, was only a young lad back in 1983 but sadly is no longer with us which made it a very emotional victory for family & friends.

Bobby Browne, trained by Patrick & Tom ‘Saleen’ O’Connor continued the great success in the Irish Cup of pups beaten in the third round of the Derby. He was second favourite for this Classic behind Navalny before coursing got underway on Friday and their meeting in the quarter-final was eagerly awaited. The manner of Bobby Brownes success in that course this morning and his clock of 11.36 marks him out as a very worthy winner. Our congratulations too to his breeder Ian Bourke who was last week busy running a super meeting at Tipperary.

For the second successive year the Irish Cup runner-up was a bitch trained by Liam Dowling. Although quietly fancied for the Oaks earlier this month (beaten Rd2) Moyle Magic did not come with the same expectations as Ballymac Zena 12 months ago. However she made the top half her own and matched Bobby Browne stride for stride to more than half way.

The very top of the third quarter of the Irish Cup was red hot when you consider it contained Bobby Browne, Escalation & Coverbridge. Escalation would go on to win the Dick Fitzgerald Irish Purse in emphatic style for John & Alan Troy and Pat Sutton. Remember he had put out subsequent TA Morris Stakes winner Central Clever in Clonmel so he is an exciting All Age prospect. Coverbridge should also give Murty McMahon & friends some great fun next season but for today he had to give best in the Bill Chawke Irish Plate final to the evergreen Cool Spirit. The 2023 Irish Cup winner possibly made history by adding a Plate to a Cup (we will have to ask Gerry McCarthy) and he gave his Newry-Limerick Syndicate more reasons to celebrate after their recent Derby success.

Remarkably both of the bitch events today were won by Oaks semi-finalists albeit from different seasons. Ballymac Mulan (beaten by Revello Del Toro in recent Oaks SF) was a top class winner of the Patsy Byrne Select Bitch Stakes for the Dowlings. The runner-up Ballymore Lady gave our Irish Cup sponsors a great run and they can look forward to her second season. Marvelous Mover lost an Oaks semi-final in 2024 to Ballymaccallaway but kept the best for last this season by taking the new Greenmount Bitch Stake for John Flynn & family. The best final of the day came in the Kyle Invitational Champion Working Members Stake when Sydney Mozart, running for the McKiernan family and representing Co Cavan came back in the last stride to earn a just up decision over Tree Top Elvis representing Cashel. That wasn’t an easy one for Judge Bernard Goold who double jobs as Club Secretary for Cashel but he had a great meeting as did slipper Richard Quinn jnr.

It was in 2004 that the Irish Cup moved back to Limerick racecourse having spent four years in Tralee after the closure of Clounanna. The move to Limerick racecourse didn’t always meet with full approval from coursing purists and like any other coursing club, Co Limerick CC had many tweaks to make over the years. However it was an absolute pleasure to witness the coursing and the hares at Patrickswell this weekend. We send them our heartiest congratulations & thanks.

Day 2 of the Una O’Sullivan Memorial Cup saw all the upsets take place in the top half of the draw whilst the bottom half went very much as predicted. Which means that the betting as we head into the quarter-finals has a slightly lopsided look to it with most neutrals expecting the winner to now come from that bottom half. However how often before in coursing have we seen that it is an advantage to be in what is perceived to be the ‘easier half’ and none of our quarter-finalists can be ruled out as we reach the halfway stage.

MOYLE MAGIC: Not sure if the Irish Cup itself was the original plan this weekend for the Galloping Lads Synd owned bitch pup and connections were expecting the journey to end once she met the dogs. However her early pace sealed the fate of Light Brown very quickly this afternoon and she has the red collar all the way now. BANOFFEE PIE: This pup seems to be enjoying Patrickswell every bit as much as his dual Irish Cup winning sire. James Bourke & his family bred two semi-finalists in this season’s Boylesports Derby and now own an Irish Cup quarter-finalist. TONEVANE TOGO: Much more was expected this season from the 2024 Derby quarter-finalist (Cup at Thurles was sole success) but his joint owners Darragh Sheehan & Stephen Reidy are finally getting the performance they knew this dog had in him. Very quick from slips in both courses today. STICKMEIN: Qualification for Day 3 adds to what has already been a most successful season for Glen Healy & family with numerous trial stakes wins incl this lad and the All Ireland Open last weekend. Manner of his defeat of Cool Spirit in RD2 gives him a big say in top half.

BOBBY BROWNE: This pup was expected to make it to last day in Clonmel earlier this month but surprised by Ballinabola Cha in third round of Derby. No such worries today and he was the first dog to break 11.50 (equalled later in Irish Plate). Named by Jimmy in memory of his late nephew who enjoyed days like today and would be a popular winner. NAVALNY: It was a crushing blow for the Comerford family when he had to miss the 2024 Derby. Now two Cups and a Champion Stakes later he is on top of the coursing world. No flashy clocks but middle pace is superb and makes it look easy. MAGICAL FIONN: The TA Morris Stakes runner-up from last season has only tasted gold once this season so far (Lixnaw). However the Guilfoyle family owned runner has produced a series of three impressive runs here this weekend. The greyhounds he beat in RD1 & RD2 are serious contenders in Purse and Plate which is always a good line of form. CHALLENGER DEEP: Like Bobby Browne he too was narrowly denied a place in last eight of Derby a few weeks ago. Gives Paul Horig a strong chance of back to back Irish Cups although he had to put paid to the chances of the defending champion Gigantor this afternoon (running for two different trainers ).

In the Patsy Byrne Select Bitch Stakes the eye catching performances in RD1 came from the pups My Cool Marie and Ballymore Lady. The latter has probably the easier draw following the elimination of the ante post fav Shes Our Sky but it is a very competitive competition. The pups Master Tactician and Escalation continue to impress in the Dick Fitzgerald Irish Purse and could progress to the final. The 11.49 clock from 2023 Irish Cup winner Cool Spirit this afternoon will surely see him installed favourite in the morning for the Bill Chawke Irish Plate with Coverbridge looking like he could provide the opposition from the other half.

Top class coursing today at Patrickswell with conditions ideal and all the clocks holding up very well. Overnight rain is expected to clear in time for coursing tomorrow and it has all the potential to be a fitting conclusion to the 2024/25 coursing season. Make sure you are there !!

Day 1 at Patrickswell has set the scene nicely for what looks to be an intriguing Una O’Sullivan Memorial Irish Cup. By and large all the fancied runners made it through but not necessarily the straight forward way. Central Giver appeared to be well on his way to victory before both dogs went unsighted. The hare then came back out to give them a bit of work. He subsequently went through on the toss of a coin but he has drifted alarmingly in the betting. The real drama came in the third last course of the opening round. Defending champion Gigantor, having his first competitive outing in 362 days was very sluggish leaving slips and looked in trouble for the first 150 yards. He was closing rapidly though when his opponent Sandy Art appeared to check causing both dogs to run into each other before Gigantor got going again to claim the flag.

Champion Stakes winner Navalny which opened 3/1 favourite gave a very polished display and the middle pace of second fav Bobby Browne was very eye catching. However the very good runs from both Escalation and Needham Date in the Irish Purse this afternoon would suggest that the greyhounds which beat them this morning, namely Coverbridge and Moscow Station, are going to prove formidable opponents for the two favourites in RD2.

Floating Houdini has the honour of the fastest clock in the top half (just one spot behind Coverbridge down in other half of draw) but this very lightly coursed greyhound now takes on 2024 Derby semi-finalist Light Brown. The winner should progress to the quarter-final and possibly meet Ballymac Major there. If Capablanca keeps coming away as quickly as he did today it will be hard to keep him out of a quarter-final spot. The same probably applies to Ballymac Peaky in the bottom of that second quarter but it is certainly not as clear-cut.

As already mentioned we have some great buckles in store for us in the third quarter but the winners of the Coverbridge v Bobby Browne and Navalny v Moscow Station courses should win their next also and go through to Sunday. Down in the fourth quarter we are again taking note of the better performances in the Purse this afternoon and in particular that of Master Tactician. He was eliminated from the Cup by Magical Fionn which suggests that the Guilfoyle runner is capable of taking one of the coveted places in the ‘Last 8’ . Paul Horig is doubly represented in this quarter and he will be disappointed if either Gigantor or Challenger Deep don’t claim the final spot.

So a very enjoyable start to the 114th Irish Cup and plenty to look forward to for the weekend. After heavy overnight rain conditions were testing today although nothing like 12 months ago and with a dry night forecast things should be perfect for coursing tomorrow. Navalny remains a very worthy favourite at 5/2 and should he overcome Moscow Station in the next round his price is likely to shorten considerably.