Irish Cup 3 `Day Footage – €28.00
Day 3 at the Irish Cup
A most enjoyable Dublin Coach Irish Cup meeting hosted by Co Limerick CC finished this afternoon with a clean sweep for the pups, 2021 whelps winning all five stakes. In fact eight of the ten finalists were pups with Go Home Ourthat (2019) and Annual Friendly (2020) the exceptions.
The ante post betting got it very right with greyhounds at the top of market contesting the final of the Irish Cup itself and also winning the Purse & Plate. The bookmakers will not remember the 2023 National Meeting & Irish Cup with any great fondness but no doubt they will recoup the losses next season. It is a good sign of both meetings that the cream came to the top and hard luck stories were few & far between.
Our 2023 Dublin Coach Irish Cup champion is Cool Spirit, owned by a syndicate of Newcastlewest & Newry based members and trained in Newry by the maestro himself Brendan Matthews, winning his 9th Irish Cup. Cool Spirit met some formidable opponents along the way, not least Go Home Ourthat, and for a pup he really impressed and is a worthy winner. He is a son of Irish Cup winner Newinn Wonder and Oaks winner Foxhollow Queen.
Montpelier Hulk, owned by the Jimmy Buckley led Top Class Syndicate (Athenry) and trained by Gerry Holian proved why he was so short in price for both the Derby & Irish Cup by running out a very good winner of the Bill Chawke Irish Plate. He is a first big stake success for his Derby winning sire Upper Hand and a son of Jumeirah Glory.
Although coming into the Irish Cup without a success to his name Drive On Lesley was the subject of a big gamble on Friday. Unfortunately he lost sight temporarily in RD1 but it was all plain sailing in the Dick Fitzgerald Irish Purse. The son of Boylesportsmagic and Kilty Candy is an exciting All Age prospect next season for his connections incl trainer Denis O’Driscoll.
Greenmount is proving to be a lucky venue for Paul Horig (Bahamas) and 12 months after his Irish Cup success with Berlin Station he was back in the winner’s enclosure following the success of the Kevin Barry trained Coffee Queen in the Patsy Byrne Select Bitch Stakes. This daughter of Newinn Wonder and Tree Top Kerry is a litter sister to Tree Top Tyson which put Cool Spirit out of the Derby in the third round.
What a few weeks it has been for Michael Sweeney, receiver of entries for Glin. His Doomore Diva today added the Kyle Invitational Champion Working Members to a similar stake she won at Sevenhouses. The daughter of Newinn Wonder & Silent Belle is a litter sister to Silent Seanie Se and Silent Fraya which ran in Clonmel.
And so we bid farewell to the 2022/23 coursing season. We enjoyed some fantastic coursing and great hares throughout the season and we were blessed with spring-like conditions particularly at Clonmel and Limerick. The voluntary work that goes on behind the scenes at every club meeting especially in the areas of hare husbandry and field preparation has to be seen to be believed. We will conclude our piece with a heartfelt thank you to all those Working Members and also a special word of thanks to our most generous sponsors at Club and National level. Have a great summer. See you in September PG.
Day 3 Video Footage – Click on Link
Day 2 at the Irish Cup
A most enjoyable second day at the Dublin Coach Irish Cup meeting hosted by Co Limerick CC sets everything up nicely for a great finale tomorrow and also the conclusion of the 2022/23 season. The ante post favourite Go Home Ourthat may be still the one they have to pass but there was much to like about some of the other performances this afternoon also. Once again the clock of Go Home Ourthat in the very first course of the day set the standard and was not beaten.
We are left with three All Ages, two of whom contested the final of the Kevin Smith Champion Stakes earlier this month, Express Razor & Aghadown Wonder. Go Home Ourthat is the third and possibly the freshest as he was last seen winning the Munster Cup at Newcastlewest in mid December.
The five pups which remain include two recent Derby quarter-finalists (Ballymac General & Boylesports Team), Cool Spirit which departed from the Derby in the third round, Fireproof which won one round of the Derby and the Cuine Gambler which made an early exit in Clonmel.
Clocks & betting would suggest that Go Home Ourthat, Express Razor, Cool Spirit and Ballymac General will make it to the semi-finals although Fireproof will push Cool Spirit all the way. With four of the last eight carrying the hopes of Limerick connections (1 x Cork, 2 x Kerry, 1 x Down) there will be plenty of cheering from the stands.
Arena Rose can maintain her remarkable unbeaten record in the Patsy Byrne Select Bitch Stakes with Aghadown Berry her likely opponent in the final. All eyes will be on Drive On Lesley in the Dick Fitzgerald Irish Purse and he has a great chance of reaching the final where he should come up against another pup, Blue Knight or Jeru Hope. The Bill Chawke Irish Plate could be at the mercy of Montpelier Hulk. See Quick Results for Clocks & Latest Betting.
Day 2 Video Footage – Click on Link
Day 1 at the Irish Cup
Ante-post favourite Go Home Ourthat got the 2023 Dublin Coach Irish Cup off to the best possible start at Limerick Racecourse this morning. Connections could not have asked for a more straight-forward course and his clock of 11.41 would not be bettered for the rest of the day. He has now shortened to 3/1 and is the one they all have to beat.
The two big talking points came in quick succession. First the heavily gambled Drive On Lesley (started joint favourite with Go Home Ourthat) appeared to lose sight when well in command. Then the eagerly awaited buckle between the two Champion Stakes winners at Clonmel resulted in a thriller with Express Razor wiping out early arrears (possibly two lengths behind early) to go past Excelerate in the last 50 yards. Excelerate later appeared in the Irish Purse and won her course handsomely.
Rossmore Dazzler which ran up the Irish Purse 12 months ago got the second half of the stake off to a great start also, romping away from his litter brother in 11.46. As in many courses today, the pup Cool Spirit raced wide apart from his opponent and it was hard to judge how much he had in hand but his clock 11.50 was very decent and bookmakers have installed him as their new second favourite. Boylesports Team and Kyle Honour look destined for a very interesting third round encounter and the meeting of Montpelier Hulk & Ballymac General could be the highlight of RD2. The buckle between Express Razor & Catunda Zeus is another one to look forward to.
The unbeaten Arena Rose certainly caught the eye in the opening round of the Patsy Byrne Select Bitch Stake and Oaks r-up Ballymac Pippin will have to improve on today’s run if she is to get the better of her tomorrow morning. Likewise down in the bottom half Ballymac Wonder has a battle on her paws against Aghadown Berry in RD2 but the winner could then go a long way in this competition. Shutdafrontdoor, Coffee Queen, Central Dolly and South Carolina were the others that stood out but the last named gave the escape a good rattle.
The action gets underway on Day 2 with the second round of Dublin Coach Irish Cup and what could be a tough enough course for our favourite against Kilkeale Gold. Don’t be late !!!. See Quick Results for clocks and latest betting.
Day 1 Video Footage – Click on Link
Official Non Runners
| Dublin Coach Irish Cup |
| Dresden Dingo (first quarter) |
Irish Cup Sporting Press
For all the previews and predictions ahead of the Dublin Coach Irish Cup make sure to read the Sporting Press this week. Available online from 8pm on Tuesday evening and in most shops on Wednesday morning.
Irish Cup Feb 24 to 26
The 2023 renewal of the Dublin Coach Irish Cup (winner €35,000) will take place at Limerick Racecourse from Friday 24th to Sunday 26th February. The meeting will also feature the Patsy Byrne Select All Age Bitch Stake, the Bill Chawke Irish Plate, the Dick Fitzgerald Memorial Irish Purse and the Kyle Invitational Champion Working Members Stake.