A huge thank you to everyone who joined us on Sunday evening May 5th for the 2024 Irish Coursing Club Awards. Special thanks to our Award Sponsors and congratulations to the winners. These are a few photos from a great night. Cover photo shows the Dowling family & friends receive the Coursing Dog of the Year Award for Ballymac Sports from Award sponsors Greyhound & Pet World, Abbeyfeale.
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Finals Day at Irish Cup
She was such a lady that she would have wished to remain neutral but if Una O’Sullivan, in whose memory this season’s Irish Cup was run, had been made to choose a winner it would surely have been Gigantor. A greyhound which was regularly schooled on the O’Sullivan gallop in Co Kildare and which also won the All Age Cup when Old Kilcullen staged their annual meeting for the first time on the O’Sullivan lands last December. No doubt Una was looking down on her family today as they presented the beautiful perpetual silver Cup to owners Paul Horig & Bridget Byrne and Sallins, Co Kildare based trainer Michael Murphy. For Paul & Michael it was their second Irish Cup in three years. However whilst Paul followed the success of Berlin Station via twitter in the Bahamas back in 2022, he was present in Patrickswell this weekend to enjoy it all. Also present was winning nominator and joint owner Bridget Byrne who was following in the footsteps of her late husband Patsy who took the Irish Cup home in 2008 & 2009.
A son of Newinn Wonder – Laurina, this litter comrade of 2023 Boylesports Derby winner Masonbrook Ger was himself unlucky to meet Ballymac Major in RD1 of last season’s Derby and indeed his first round this weekend was not inspiring. However once this big dog warmed to the task he was absolutely brilliant and a most worthy winner of coursing’s oldest Classic.
This season’s Irish Cup will also be remembered for the performance of Ballymac Zena, attempting to bridge a 62 year gap since Simply Terrific did the Oaks/Irish Cup double and 55 years since Tom Hayes won the triple crown of Derby/Oaks/Irish Cup in the same season. It was not to be but she lit up the stands today especially when getting the better of warm favourite Aristotle in the semi-final. She matched Gigantor for most of the way in the final also but the few extra turns in RD3 possibly took their toll.
Mon Petit (Newinn Wonder – Shalefiedwillow) came in from the reserves on Friday in the Patsy Byrne Select Bitch Stakes and this pup continued the great success of owner Sir Mark Prescott & trainers Michael & Mark O’Donovan (Tipp Town) at this meeting. Things didn’t fall right for her in trial stakes all season but this was her time to shine and in the final she upset the more fancied Zauberflute.
There was a great local win in the Dick Fitzgerald Irish Purse when the Boherlode Syndicate (all members of Limerick City coursing club) cheered home their pup Boherlode Bomber, in what was another upset against Coole Yeats. Boherlode Bomber which won a Reserve Derby TS at Macroom is a member of the very successful Blades Of Hope – Mulcahys Peak litter.
The Lennon family, Kilkenny were unlucky with Lemon Mozart in the Purse but had ample compensation in the Bill Chawke Irish Plate when Cut The Turf (Ballymac Best – Tilly The Tank) proved himself a very worthy favourite. Owned by the Castletroy Tank Syndicate and trained by Denis & Tom Lennon, this Walsh Cup winner had the measure of Pasatiempo in the final.
Sevenforseven, a track bred bought for Liz O’Dwyer, Co Carlow CC, as a 50th birthday present, proved himself well able for the winter game also with a great win over Fox Country in the Kyle Invitational Champion Working Members Stake. Remarkably the son of Broadstrand Bono & Swift Cigarette had no issue with running up the testing stretch four times today making it a memorable occasion for Liz, husband Paul and family.
And so concluded a most enjoyable three days. The hares were top class but they had to be with the prevailing ground conditions and no doubt no one will be more relieved than the Co Limerick CC working members that the meeting came to a very successful conclusion today. Congratulations to them and to all our winners and PG we will do it all again in 2024/25.
Irish Cup 2024
Day 3 will start 12 noon
Please note the Day 3 action at Patrickswell will get underway at the later time of 12 noon.
IRISH CUP SPORTING PRESS
This week’s Sporting Press (now available Online and in shops) is a must read before you head to the Irish Cup on Friday. Eight full pages of Previews, Form Guide, Super Six selections, Betting & photos from the draw. Last season’s Irish Purse winner Drive On Lesley is the most popular selection for the inaugural running of the Una O’Sullivan Memorial Irish Cup and is the current bookies favourite at 4/1 followed by last year’s Dublin Coach Irish Cup winner Cool Spirit at 5s and 2023 Oaks winner Ballymac Zena at 6s. The shortest price pup is Spartan King at 8/1.
Irish Cup Draw with Nominators
UNA O’SULLIVAN MEMORIAL IRISH CUP 2024 | |||||
No | Nominator | Dog | No | Nominator | Dog |
First Quarter | |||||
1 | Lady Ana Johnson | Ballymac Cuinas | 2 | Tony Reddan | Daniels Lad (p) |
3 | Matt Feheney | Shuffleupanddeal (p) | 4 | Liam & Noreen Liddy | Mr President |
5 | Berkie & Patsy Browne | Ballymorris Gold | 6 | Colin & Mairead Wallace | Spartan King (p) |
7 | J Bennett & Gregg | Boherlode Bomber (p) | 8 | Leo Walsh | Montpelier Hulk |
9 | Tim O’Driscoll | Drive On Lesley | 10 | Pat Horgan | Lemon Mozart (p) |
11 | John Wilson | Career Break | 12 | M O’Donovan Killaloe | Party Tom |
13 | Sir Mark Prescott | Follow Me Now | 14 | Liam & William Riordan | Glencarwaterfall (p) |
15 | Fr. John Fitzgibbon | Catunda Lauren (b) | 16 | K Murphy & D Magnone | Moscow Station (p) |
Second Quarter | |||||
17 | M. O’Donovan Tipperary | Cue Club (p) | 18 | Gerry Hughes | Donaghmore Jack (p) |
19 | Raymond Smith | Bucket Deal (p) | 20 | Tomas Coolahan | Catchthemush |
21 | Luke Kilcoyne | Kerry Craft (p) | 22 | John Boyle | Boylesports Team |
23 | J Cunningham & Mce Jackson | Capitol Trend (p) | 24 | Una O’Sullivan | Intrinsic Yank (p) |
25 | Brian & Laurence Jones | Vlad The Lad | 26 | Tadg Sullivan | Brindle Mozart (p) |
27 | Catherine & John Murphy | Catunda Zeus | 28 | Susan Garrahy | Mungos Ritual |
29 | Diarmuid O’Connor | Newhall Magic | 30 | Ned & Tommy Relihan | Advisory |
31 | Bridget Byrne | Gigantor | 32 | John & Niall Doolan | Headerball (p) |
Third Quarter | |||||
33 | Tony Quinn | Lahard Timmy | 34 | Mike Mann | Coolree Hendrick (p) |
35 | Dermot O’Shea | Pasatiempo | 36 | Brendan Duffy | Central Focus |
37 | Mary Fitzgerald | Express Razor | 38 | Brian Murphy | Ballymac General |
39 | Pat Savage | Fingal Devito | 40 | Michael Spillane Bantry | Lochbo Milo (p) |
41 | John Egan | Sammy Tiger (p) | 42 | Eamonn Kiely | Banba Be Wilder (p) |
43 | Peter O Loghlen | Possiblesolution | 44 | Pat Burke | Drafted Third (p) |
45 | Murty & Ciaran McMahon | Oneinthebarrell | 46 | Michael Spillane Killarney | Cut The Turf |
47 | Pat Pyne & Patsy Myers | Kingcormac Shine | 48 | Gavin Johns | Aristotle (p) |
Fourth Quarter | |||||
49 | John & Alan Troy | Woodpark Eagle | 50 | Noel Collins | O’Gradys Beach |
51 | Liam & Patrick Mann | Barrack Blitz (p) | 52 | Paul Horig | Berlin Station |
53 | Marie Field | Confident Erin (p) | 54 | Charlie & Gerry Chawke | Rossmore Grace (p) |
55 | Nora Raleigh | Coole Yeats | 56 | Vincent Purtill | Capablanca (p) |
57 | Brendan Matthews | Cool Spirit | 58 | John Flynn | Crew Beans |
59 | Mark & Ailish Dilger | Kilkeale Gold | 60 | Bobby O’Connor | Mr Chairman |
61 | JP Shaw | Comeonovernow (p) | 62 | Liam Dowling | Ballymac Zena (b) |
63 | Michael Horgan | Certain Sure (p) | 64 | Brendan Farrelly | Flying Ryan (p) |
Full Draw for 2024 Irish Cup Meeting
Una O’Sullivan Memorial Irish Cup |
Ballymac Ciunas v Daniels Lad |
Shuffleupanddeal v Mr President |
Ballymorris Gold v Spartan King |
Boherlode Bomber v Montpelier Hulk |
Drive On Lesley v Lemon Mozart |
Career Break v Party Tom |
Follow Me Now v Glencarwaterfall |
Catunda Lauren v Moscow Station |
Cue Club v Donaghmore Jack |
Bucket Deal v Catchthemush |
Kerry Craft v Boylesports Team |
Capitol Trend v Intrinsic Yank |
Vlad The Lad v Brindle Mozart |
Catunda Zeus v Mungos Ritual |
Newhall Magic v Advisory |
Gigantor v Headerball |
Lahard Timmy v Coolree Hendrick |
Pasatiempo v Central Focus |
Express Razor v Ballymac General |
Fingal Devito v Lochbo Milo |
Sammy Tiger v Banba Be Wilder |
Possiblesolution v Drafted Third |
Oneinthebarrell v Cut The Turf |
Kingcormac Shine v Aristotle |
Woodpark Eagle v O Gradys Beach |
Barrack Blitz v Berlin Station |
Confident Erin v Rossmore Grace |
Coole Yeats v Capablanca |
Cool Spirit v Crew Beans |
Kilkeale Gold v Mr Chairman |
Comeonovernow v Ballymac Zena |
Certain Sure v Flying Ryan |
Reserves |
Happenstance |
Ashmore Range |
Rubicon |
Rushview Wolf |
Patsy Byrne Select Bitch Stakes |
Morfontaine v Up Tempo |
Tiktok Tilly v Ballymac Nano |
Marvelous Mover v Macha Razor |
Shanmoyle Jess v Donaghmore Leia |
Boherlode Hope v A Cookie God |
Rushview Pebbles v Zauberflute |
Caherelly Nelly v Meenagh Mystery |
Seanies Digger v Crafty Magello |
Windfarm Madam v Burning Love |
Gooleen Magic v Boherlode Zoey |
Pink Lemonade v Doomore Diva |
Thatsthestorynow v Honest Attempt |
Hunters Peak v Good Penny |
Still Derramore v Arctic Heiguer |
Putanotheroneon v Central Dolly |
Lady Wild v Ill Do It |
Reserves |
Mon Petit |
Barrack Hazel |
Askthemac |
Glouner Robyn |
Kyle Invitational Champion Working Members |
Zari Roxy v Onehoportwo |
Thisisthelife v Barna Pinchback |
Caherelly Sky v Joans Ace |
Chutehall Rambo v Sevenforseven |
Wizards Sleeve v Glenfircal |
Grannys Jam v Glanmore Jake |
Toems Flyer v Ya Well |
Mystery Master v Hand Of Spring |
Killacolla Hope v Bankhouse Lad |
Ever So Fullon v Couldbedeone |
Headleys Mozart v Tubbercurry Riki |
Fox Country v Burton Port |
Reserves |
Andthenshesaid |
Octane Cora |
Day 2 at Irish Cup
There is plenty of dual representation in the last eight of the 2024 Una O’Sullivan Memorial Irish Cup. Owners Paul Horig and Gavin Johns have two runners each as does trainer Liam Dowling (owns/trains Ballymac Zena & trains Boylesports Team for Derby sponsor John Boyle). The field is completed by owner/trainer Brendan Matthews (Glencarwaterfall) & Con Guiney (Ballymac General). Maurice McCarthy & Michael Murphy are the men in charge of training Paul Horig’s two, Happenstance & Gigantor, whilst Paudie Lyons and Thomas O’Donovan have charge of Aristotle & Capablanca respectively for Gavin Johns. Bridget Byrne is joint owner with Paul in Gigantor and Brian Duffy is joint owner with Gavin in Capablanca.
It wasn’t looking too good for the pups but they bounced back today and now make up 3/8 of the field as we head into Finals Day. Indeed Aristotle is almost certain to be the new favourite and like the last two Irish Cup winners Berlin Station & Cool Spirit he too reached the third round of the Derby before heading to Patrickswell. Aristotle had a third round bye as he was due to meet another of Gavin’s runners and it is very possible that he will meet Gavin’s other runner Capablanca (pup) in the semi-final because both Ballymac General & Ballymac Zena got more than enough to do today and looked tired coming off this afternoon. It was a pity to see Zena so hard worked because the 2023 Oaks winner was thrilling all present with her early pace.
In the top half of the draw Boylesports Team is back where he was 12 months ago and running better than ever but needs to beat his quarter-final hoodoo (bowed out in Derby & Irish Cup at this stage last season). Back in December the All Age Cup at Old Kilcullen’s lovely new field at Moorhill was run in memory of the late Una O’Sullivan and was won by none other than Gigantor. It could be written in the stars that his third silverware of the season (also won at Balbriggan) will be the Una O’Sullivan Memorial Irish Cup.
One of the stories so far has been the performance of the bitch Happenstance which is chasing a first career win. She came in from the reserves yesterday and has outrun her fancy odds every time. She did get a nice few turns this afternoon but so too did the Matthews pup Glencarwaterfall so it will be a case of which comes off the bench the best in the morning. Indeed it will be difficult for the bookmakers to price up the Irish Cup until they actually know if all eight runners are going to slips.
In the Patsy Byrne Select Bitch Stakes Zauberflute gives Gavin Johns & Paudie Lyons a big chance of a double here tomorrow. It is all pups in the top half and the draw has paired the two John Flynn runners Up Tempo & Marvelous Mover in the first quarter-final. Both of them were at the business end of the Oaks a few weeks ago. The half is completed by Crafty Magello which also reached the Oaks quarter final. Honest Attempt and Mon Petit make it six pups in total and they are joined in the bottom half by Boherlode Zoey (an Oaks quarter finalist last season) and Ill Do It which won the All Age at East Donegal on New Year’s Day. Mon Petit is the only one of the eight that has no stake success to her name but connections have a great record at this meeting.
Day 1 at Irish Cup
The first day of the 2024 Co Limerick CC meeting featuring the Una O’Sullivan Memorial Irish Cup saw one previous winner nicely through to the second round and another heading home. There were wins also for last season’s Oaks, Irish Purse & Irish Plate winners and it certainly looks at this early stage as though the older brigade may have the edge in this year’s renewal.
Making his first public appearance since November 2022, Berlin Station showed all the signs that he retains the class which saw him win the Irish Cup as a pup in Feb 2022. Rumours that reigning champ Cool Spirit had a setback in training prior to the event meant his just-up defeat at the paws of the unfancied pup Ashmore Range was not as big a shock as it might have been.
The honour of fastest clock of the day goes to Boylesports Team which reached the quarter-final of both the Derby and Irish Cup last season but surprisingly picked up no silverware in his second season (yet). Just one spot behind him was the 2023 Oaks winner Ballymac Zena. Both should have a big say in their respective quarters as should their former kennelmate Ballymac General, now with Con Guiney, in the third quarter. He is of course an Irish Cup semi-finalist himself from 12 months ago.
The first quarter could come down to a buckle between the Irish Plate & Purse winners from last season (Montpelier Hulk & Drive On Lesley). Others to catch the eye today were the litter brothers Mr President & Mr Chairman and Vlad The Lad. There was also a remarkable run from the bitch Happenstance which came in as a reserve in the very first course and ousted one of the better fancied pups.
Of the 30 pups which ran in Rd1 only 13 remain and you can make that 12 as Donaghmore Jack will unfortunately be a non-runner tomorrow in the second quarter. As to whether any of the younger brigade will still be involved in the business end of things on Sunday is difficult to say but much will depend on how any of the runners handle the soft ground conditions over the next few rounds.
The Patsy Byrne Select Bitch Stakes looks like a very competitive affair with some good runs today from pups which ran well in the Oaks earlier this month but also from All Aged bitches such as Donaghmore Leia, Windfarm Madam, Doomore Diva and Central Dolly. The betting on this stake before coursing tomorrow should be very interesting.
Irish Cup Order of Running
CO LIMERICK
The 113th running of the Irish Cup
Limerick Racecourse, Patrickswell
Friday, Saturday, Sunday 23rd, 24th & 25th February
Judge: Paul Horan
Slipper: Richard Quinn jnr
Start 11.30am all three days.
Friday: Once through Una O’Sullivan Memorial Irish Cup. Once through Patsy Byrne Select Bitch Stakes & Dick Fitzgerald Memorial Irish Purse (after interval).
Saturday: Twice through Irish Cup. Once through Select Bitch Stakes & Irish Purse (before interval). Once through Bill Chawke Irish Plate and Kyle Invitational Champion Working Members Stake (after interval).
Sunday: Start with Champion Working Members Stake, Select Bitch Stakes, Irish Purse, Irish Plate, Irish Cup and back to Champion Working Members Stake before first interval. All semi-finals after first interval.
CLASSICS CLUB results
Congratulations to all our winners in this season’s Classics Club draw. By a remarkable coincidence Members 129 and 130 won the two top prizes of €10,000. We will be in touch with all our winners next week regarding payment of prize-money.
Draw 1 on the Horse & Jockey Hotel Oaks
Winner €10,000
Ballymaccallaway Member No. 129 Daniel & Eimear Roche, Banteer
Runner-Up €3,000
Up Tempo Member No. 443 Michele Brennan, Gorey
Beaten semi-finalists €1,000 each
Marvelous Mover Member No. 26 Ml Sweeney & Dave Killeen, Glin
Lockbo Sophie Member No. 773 Amy Moloney, Roscrea
Beaten quarter-finalists €500 each
Macha Razor Member No. 563 Ennis Clarecastle Coursing Club
Atlantic Sunset Member No. 95 Michael Malone Snr, Kilcock
Lasting Beauty Member No. 596 Frank Browne & Davy Reynolds, Mornington
Crafty Magello Member No. 434 Tomas O Murchu & Pat Coman, Tipperary town
Draw 2 on the BoyleSports Derby
Winner €10,000
Ballymac Sports Member No. 130 Paul Dunleavy, Tuam
Runner-Up €3,000
Moonlight Mayhem Member No. 71 Gerry Flynn, Belfast
Beaten semi-finalists €1,000 each
Light Brown Member No. 312 Martin Galvin, Ballinclogher
A Noble Friend Member No. 31 Siripan Paewkasem-Thailand, Kent
Beaten quarter-finalists €500 each
Ballymac Kyleson Member No. 534 Peter Tegerdine, Kent
Music Blaring Member No. 70 John Kelly, Latlurcan
Lineroad Santos Member No. 305 AJ & Cillian Kavanagh, Ballybrophy
Tonevane Togo Member No. 200 Mike O’Connor & JP Ahern, Abbeyfeale
Draw 3 on Callaway Kennels Kevin Smith Champion Stakes
Winner €2,000
Ballymac Major Member No. 347 Kevin Murphy & John Long, Newcastlewest
Runner-Up €500
Tree Top Tyson Member No. 170 Micheal O’Brien & Tom Houlihan, Ballyduff
Draw 4 on Grace & Matt Bruton Champion Bitch Stakes
Winner €2,000
Barrack Alice Member No. 175 Denis Keane & Battie O’Connor, Gneeveguilla
Runner-Up €500
Ballymac Pippin Member No. 619 Peter Scales & Friends, Liscannor
Draw on Stockproof Fencing T.A. Morris Stakes
Winner €1,500
De Clinic Cure Member No. 90 Joe & Seamus Murray, Duleek
Runner-Up €500
Magical Fionn Member No. 648 Nenagh Coursing Club
Draw on Dublin Coach Kitty Butler Stakes
Winner €1,500
Magical Amelie Member No. 178 Neil Carey, Cahir
Runner-Up €500
Montpelier Aya Member No. 127 Peter Edwards, Belfast
General Notices
TIPPERARY
Please note the correct date for the draw for the Tipperary & Dist CC meeting is Sunday 11th February at 6.00pm. The meeting which will feature a Champion Puppy Stake and Champion Bitch Stake takes place at Galbally on Saturday, Sunday 17th & 18th February.
Day 3 at National Meeting
The 98th National Coursing Meeting concluded in Clonmel today with an historic treble for the Ballymac Kennels of Liam Dowling near Tralee, a very popular success for the Curtin family of Tournafulla and exciting finals to both consolation events resulting in wins for the Guilfoyles of Cloughjordan and joint owners Philip Enright (Abbeyfeale) & William Butler (Raheen).
The short ante-posts prices offered for both Ballymac Sports and Ballymaccallaway proved wholly justified and indeed all those who availed of the Derby/Oaks double seldom had a moments worry over the three days. The litter brother & sister were just outstanding and the same can be said for their older kennelmate Ballymac Major in the Champion Stakes today.
The Dublin Coach Kitty Butler Stakes was a thriller with Magical Amelie holding off a determined Montpelier Aya. Congrats to owner/trainer Patrick Guilfoyle & his sister Sandra. Amelie bowed out of the Oaks on Saturday after a close call with Zauberflute.
Trainer Patrick O’Connor was strongly represented on Finals Day so it was great to see him on the podium after the success of De Clinic Cure in the Stockproof Fencing Products T.A Morris Stakes. The winner is jointly own by Abbeyfeale publican & renowned singer Philip Enright and William Butler (Raheen). He denied the Guilfoyles a double because the runner -up was Magical Fionn. Daniels Lad had got the better of De Clinic Cure in RD1 of the Derby.
Barrack Alice proved a thorn in the side of the Ballymacs in the Classics Club Grace & Matt Bruton Champion Bitch Stakes, first putting out 2023 Oaks winner Ballymac Zena in the semi-final and then proving too good for Ballymac Pippin in the final. A winner of Cups early in the season at Kilflynn & Abbeydorney, the lay-off certainly did her no harm and she turned up at Powerstown Park today in fine fettle. Congrats to young Orna & Emily Curtin and their dad’s Shane & Niall who do the training.
Such was the class of this season’s Callaway Kennels Kevin Smith Champion Stakes that Ballymac Major had to beat an Irish Cup winner (Cool Spirit), a Derby winner (Masonbrook Ger who beat Major in the 2023 Derby final) and a Derby semi-finalist (Tree Top Tyson) on his way to victory today. The manner in which he won all three courses marks him out as one of the outstanding Champion Stakes winners of all time and certainly proves his love of the Powerstown stretch.
It was a fourth Horse & Jockey Hotel Oaks in six years for the Ballymac Kennels. This one was slightly different in that Ballymaccallaway ran in the names of Liam’s grandchildren Jack & Dean and joint owner Denis Murphy (Callaway Kennels). Many will also say she is the best of the four but that is high talk indeed following in the paw-prints of Enya, Floral & Zena. The gallant runner-up Up Tempo also saw first light of day in the Ballymac kennels, being a daughter of Enya, before being purchased by John Flynn and family who were themselves going for a third Oaks.
The screams of joy from Shane Dowling at the bottom of the field following the success of Ballymac Sports in the Boylesports Derby showed what it meant to Shane & his dad Liam to win a first Coursing Derby. They knew they had a good one coming but winning the Derby had been proving a bigger task than winning the Oaks up to today. He will of course be forever remembered as the dog with no tail but it certainly didn’t stop him and he won more admirers with every course he ran. Moonlight Mayhem for Basil & Bernadette Holian and trainer Kevin Marmion lost little in defeat and it will be a surprise if he is not back in the Champion Stakes in 12 months time.
It should be noted also that today’s Derby /Oaks double was also a double for Castleisland CC where both greyhounds qualified and Abbeyfeale CC where they did the Corn Na Feile double after Christmas, adding even more winners to the ‘Clonmel’ roll of honour at both Clubs.
We will finish our piece by bestowing our final congratulations and thanks on all the team at Powerstown Park for producing outstanding hares which contributed to a most memorable National Coursing Meeting for 2024.
Day 2 at National Meeting
The large crowd present for Day 2 of the National Coursing Meeting at Powerstown Park, Clonmel today were treated to top class action from hares and greyhounds alike. Well done also to both slippers who ensured it is very much a level playing field for all quarter-finalists as they head into Finals Day.
Betting for the Boylesports Derby and Horse & Jockey Hotel Oaks is still dominated by the two big Ballymac hopes, Ballymac Sports and Ballymaccallaway. Both showed a little vulnerability in their courses this morning and went out in price at the interval to 2/1. However, it may have only been a case of giving some false hope to their rivals because their third round performances were top drawer and they have now hardened to 4/6 and 1/1 respectively.
As was always going to happen on the second day, a number of serious challengers have emerged from the pack in the two Classics but it is going to take something special to topple the favourites. The O’Connor family and the Flynn family, both from Tarbert, are certainly going to give it a go. Patrick O’Connor has Macha Razor for his mam Christina in the Oaks and is doubly represented with Light Brown (owner James Cunningham won’t sleep tonight) and the Noble Gang Syndicate owned ‘A Noble Friend’ in the Derby. The Flynns are doubly represented in the Oaks with Marvelous Mover & Up Tempo and of course are no strangers to Oaks success.
The last eight in the Oaks are completed by Atlantic Sunset which John Kiely trains for Eamonn Kiely & Paddy Marrinan, the Martin Spillane owned & trained Lockbo Sophie, Lasting Beauty running for Paul Horig, Catherine Darcy & trainer Kevin Barry and flying the flag for Connacht & the Divilly family, Crafty Magello. Incidentally a trawl through the ICC registrations systems shows that Lockbo stands alone as the only greyhound from the Lochbo kennels that was ever spelt with a ‘K’. Might it be all for luck ?.
Joining Ballymac Sports tomorrow in Powerstown for the Derby will be his kennelmate Ballymac Kyleson. We already mentioned Patrick O’Connor’s two runners and also making the journey from the Kingdom will be Collette O’Regan with her own dog Lineroad Santos and trainer John Kelliher with the Darragh Sheehan & Stephen Reidy owned Tonevane Togo. Stephen has been pictured in many a photo with a Ballymac winner but no doubt he would take great pride in having his own classic winner. 27 years ago Bob Shanahan was a member of the Syndicate which had the joint Derby favourite on the third morning (Team Chorus) and is back with the Pat Guilfoyle trained Music Blaring, this time taking on the Derby fav. And finally but certainly not least, the Derby winning combination of Basil & Bernie Holian (2019) & trainer Kevin Marmion (2021) will be hoping to repeat the feat, this time together, with Moonlight Mayhem.
Of course patrons on Day 3 can also look forward to seeing last season’s Derby, Oaks & Irish Cup winners in action in the two Champion Stakes which is surely a first for the National Meeting. Coursing will commence at 11am with the quarter-finals of the Dublin Coach Kitty Butler Stakes and the Stockproof Fencing Products T.A Morris Stakes. Brendan Mathews, Pat Guilfoyle & Matt Harte are strongly represented in these two Consolation events but both look wide open.
See Quick Results for Betting & Clocks