Water Fern, Black Tom and Crohane Ronnie lead them home in Kingdom Derby heats

THERE was a classy feel to last Friday’s card at The Kingdom Greyhound Stadium with the second round of the prestigious Kerry Greyhound Stadium Supporters Club Kingdom Derby taking centre stage.

Over the years this stake has seen a high class entry and this year is no different with many of the main contenders arriving with impressive recent form. Punters looking to cover the Christmas expenses also had the final of the Greyhound and Petworld A2 Final over the standard trip of 525 yards to ponder. The track was deemed to be running 10 spots fast.

The first heat of the K.G.S.S.C. Kingdom Derby saw an impressive winner in the well backed Water Fern (Zero Ten / Allen Harbour). Nibble from trap rise Water Fern led by a comfortable length leaving the first bend and from there to the finishing line there was only going to be one winner. Water Fern is a strong stayer and its open class form over 575 and 600 yards in Shelbourne Park meant that there would be no catching the Owen McKenna trained hound over the standard trip and it duly galloped away to a facile three and a half length victory, finally stopping the clock on an impressive 28:42.

Lassa Excitement continued its rise through the grades by filling the runner up spot. This black son of Crash was running A5 as recently as early September and has been a model of consistency for trainer James O’Donnell. There was 10 lengths back to Mohane Sparky in third who had to endure a scrimmage at the third bend. Water Fern is owned by Peter Comerford and Tony Moore and they will look forward to the final with optimism.

Heat 2 saw further pain inflicted on the layers with the 6/4 jolly Black Tom leading from trap to line. This May 2013 son of Sparta Maestro gave the Go-On-Now-Boy Syndicate little cause for worry with a professional display from trap to line. Showing decent early he led by over a length leaving the first bend from Skywalker Leaf in Trap 1. Ballymac Scala in Trap 4 was a further length behind. That order was to be maintained to the finishing line. Michael O’Donovan’s Skywalker Leaf did threaten to close the gap up the home straight but the Declan Byrne trained Black Tom drove on again nearing the finish line stopping the clock in 28:71. The winner was well clear going to the pickup suggesting there was plenty more in the tank.

The final heat proved the best spectacle of the evening. Crohane Ronnie (Godsend / Moorstown Misha ) in Trap 2 and Boxer Lady in Trap 3 both made slick exits from the boxes. They went neck and neck into the first bend only to be overtaken by Trap 6 Senans Forever with a sweeping run in the stripped jacked. College Paradise in Trap 5 suffered serious interference navigating bend when colliding with favourite Coolavanny Mason. Senans Forever led the charge down the back straight by a length from Crohane Ronnie.

The luckless College Paradise was a further five lengths behind. Approaching the fourth bend Crohane Ronnie took the lead and a comfortable victory looked assured. However a sweeping late run from College Paradise saw the lead cut to the minimum distance of a short head come the finishing line. College Paradise’s valiant effort just failed with a flared nostril separating first and second in a winning time of 28:74. Senans Forever struck it out to claim third.

Water Fern will set the standard in the semi-finals but no doubt the bookmakers will be keeping an eye on Dowling’s College Paradise as a possible ace up their sleeves when they reconvene next Friday to recoup losses from a stake that has thus far been kind to punters.

The other highlight was the final of the A2 Greyhound an Petworld Stakes over 525 yards. There was to be no respite for the bookies as even money favourite Killeacle Wayne ran out a facile winner suggesting that it is well ahead of A2 standard. Running from the red jacket in Trap 1 Killeacle Dream (Burnpark Champ / Bearhaven Ekki) broke level and showed good early to just about nose ahead of Trap 3 Ballymac Cook at the first bend. From there on Killeacle took charge striding clear to record a winning time of 28:77. Trap 6 Hakamaraka stayed on admirably for second having taken quite a shunt at the first bend. The winner is a progressive dog and is starting to fulfil the promise shown when winning his debut race and A6 final back in August.

There were two other notable performance as Millabbey Sky (Taylors Sky / Head Piper) made a mockery of its S3 grade with a trap to line victory in the sprint, winning by an impressive four and a half lengths in 17:60. This victory was achieved despite a moderate exit from the boxes and Paul O’Sullivan’s charge looks progressive.

Áine McCarthy-Roche will look forward to 2017 with optimism as her lightly raced May 2015 bitch Allowdale Hannah (Tullymurry Act / Noelles Primco ) won her third start in an impressive 28:60. She may have benefited from the vacant Trap 3 box as she moved wide after trap rise but from the fist bend onwards she ran economically and she’s a bitch with real potential.