CONTRACT SIGNED FOR HAROLD’S CROSS SALE

THE IGB yesterday announced that the Harold’s Cross sale is expected to be completed shortly as contracts have been signed with the Department for the €23 million deal.

Approval has been received from the relevant Ministers for the surplus of €6m from the sale to be reinvested in the industry, as outlined in the recentlypublished 2018-2022 Strategic Plan.

The Sporting Press Irish Oaks has attracted a classy field of 60 females and they will to go to traps tomorrow at Shelbourne for the first round.

That programme will also include the final of the Gain Greyhound Nutrition 600 with Beaming Paradise the favourite with the layers.

The top open action tonight will be at Kilkenny where the semi-finals of the TP Weadick Open 725 will be run. The two fancies are String Of Pearls

(9.00) and Elusive Heights (9.12). Mickey Flynn’s String Of Pearls has the ability to become one of the top stayers in training but she will need to smarten up her early running if she is to hit the top.

Meanwhile, Maurice Heffernan’s Elusive Heights is beginning to find his feet since moving up to the six bends.

There is a top prize of €10,000 for the Lee Strand 550 at Tralee and tonight’s second round can further enhance the prospects of Michael McEllistrim’s Swiss Storm (8.27) and the Liam Dowling duo of Ballymac Pele

(8.12) and Mc Razl (8.27).