Warrior a Born winner
THE first massive event of the year has arrived at Shelbourne Park with six tremendous heats of the Gold Cup certain to attract a crowd to the Ringsend venue tonight.
There is €16,000 up for grabs with new sponsors Paddy Kehoe Suspended Ceilings, taking over the event. Four greyhounds will qualify from each to leave a final 24 and many fans will be cheering for the brilliant Born Warrior in race
10.
Pace
This Jennifer
O’Donnelltrained son of Ballymac Best has not been seen since his victory last September when he was crowned the 2022 Derby champion.
Eleven times a winner, Born Warrior has excellent early pace which will play a big part if he is to qualify in heat 6.
He will need the run but Jennifer is a fine trainer who will have this superstar in great form so it is very hard to oppose him.
His recent solo trial of 29.12 for the 525 yards is clearly underwhelming but I would ignore that. It’s great to see him back with Bogger Hunter and Galloping Sydney likely to threaten.
Clona Duke looks the one to beat in heat 4 for trainer Graham Holland.
This son of MalachiCoolavanny Pearl won the Juvenile Derby at HQ so the future is very bright.
He had a short break from the track with 28.15 clocked in a solo trial so everything looks positive with trap four hopefully not an issue.
He has bundles of pace but so has Flaminmoneybags in trap three and Toolmaker Wilde in trap two so he must be sharp from boxes.
The Michael J O’Donovan trained Another Holiday could get the bookies off to a bad start in the opening heat as there won’t be many backing against him.
This Kilkenny Track Champion Open Unraced winner has a brilliant dash of early pace and although he will need the run, it is hard to see anything beating him.
Solo
He hasn’t been seen since the Juvenile Derby final last October but his solo trial of 18.68 for the 350 yards is very good.
I’m a big fan of Rathdown Molly for
Marie Gilbert in trap four. She is another with fine early pace.
SHELBOURNE PARK
Race 5 – Trap 1 Another Holiday Race 6 – Trap 4 Radical Hero Race 7 – Trap 1 Kilgraney Sydney Race 8 – Trap 4 Clona Duke Race 9 – Trap 6 Crafty Bonanza Race 10 – Trap 6 Born Warrior