Ballymac Motown and Ballymac Killown win 325 semi-finals

THERE was a very restricted programme of racing at Tralee Track last weekend and main interest centred on Thursday night’s semi-finals of the Quilter and Edwards MRCVS Coursing NO 325 Sweepstake (winner, €850).

It turned out to be the Liam Dowling show, with two greyhounds owned and trained by him emerging as the winners of both semi-finals.

The greyhounds in question, Ballymac Motown and Ballymac Killown, are litter brothers, by Killimor Matey out of Ballymac Town, and it will be quite a surprise if one of them doesn’t win the final this Saturday night.

Ballymac Motown was fastest on 17.81 in the second semi-final. Running from trap 5 and installed the 4/6 favourite, he quickly took control after a level enough break and he sailed home no less than seven lengths ahead of A Tall Story, with two and a half lengths back to Game Charmer.

It wasn’t quite so straightforward for Ballymac Killown in the first semi-final. The best start was achieved from trap 3 by Tangerine Dream and she was still in front into the last bend, but Ballymac Killown (trap 1) was in a very good challenging position behind her and he drove to the front coming home for victory by a length and a half over Hawthorn Cree, which short-headed Tangerine Dream for the runner-up spot. The time here was 18.15.

Interestingly, the two Liam Dowling dogs will be occupying the two outside boxes in Saturday night’s final, with Ballymac Killown in trap 5 and Ballymac Motown in trap 6. If one of them is to win, it will be very interesting to see which of them hits the first bend in the lead. That is likely to decide it.

We had the case in the recent GMHD juvenile classic of the same owner-trainer, Sean Meade, of Milltown Malbay, winning the two semi-finals and, although one of the semi-final winners didn’t go to traps in the final, Meade still won with the other one, Paradise Marco.

This unraced coursing sweepstake is a long way behind the juvenile classic in terms of importance and, over the sprint distance, nothing can ever be taken for granted, but, as with Sean Meade, victory for either of the Dowling finalists would be an outcome that would be seen as being equitable.

Ballymac Mowtown looks the one most likely to deliver it.

The draw for the final is (trap order): A Tall Story, Tangerine Dream, Game Charmer, Hawthorn Cree, Ballymac Killown, Ballymac Motown.

Other sprints on the night provided very good times, with 17.89 clocked in the very first race for S9/ S10 class by Black Mechanic and Millridge Bruce coming along in the tenth race, for SS0/S1 class, and recording 17.72—which initiated a quickfire double for Donal G O’Mahony, of Millstreet, who also recorded a double at the previous Saturday morning’s meeting.

You really don’t expect S9/ S10 greyhounds to be breaking 18.00secs first time out and the joint owners of Black Mechanic, Donie and Maurice O’Sullivan have a nice prospect on their hands.

In relation to the double achieved by Donal G O’Mahony, Millridge Bruce initiated it in an open sprint (race 10) when clocking 17.72 and Millridge Champ immediately followed up by winning the 11th race (A3 525) in 29.30.

Fastest winner over the standard trip was the Martin Moriarty-trained Knock Blitz, which absolutely routed A6 opposition in the tenth race when recording 29.01.Her winning margin was a whopping ten lengths.

Other winners: Spirit Romeo, 29.94; Renard Ronnie, 18.02; Elaines Book, 29.28; Tims Ranger, 29.45; Baltovin Rumble, 17.95; Restless Dream, 29.42. TUESDAY NIGHT

Tralee Track caters for a lot of owners and trainers from outside the county and Tournafulla’s Dean Randall struck for a very nice double at last week’s Tuesday meeting. He initiated it with 6/4 favourite, Devon Gunner, in the fourth race (A3 525) and immediately followed up by winning the fifth race (A5 525) with Devon Pluto (4/1). The respective times were 29.16 and 29.58.

Fastest over the standard trip was Amazing Ballads, on 29.03, while the identical time of 17.73 was recorded for the sprint trip by Seomra Starwars and Deadly Pepe.

Two greyhounds which had won the previous Saturday morning clicked again – Rock Song (29.33) and Light Foot Bella (29.28). In the case of Light Foot Bella, she was 22 days in season, making her achievements particularly noteworthy, while another victory bordered on the miraculous – that by Labana Bolt, which has recovered from a broken hock. He came through in stirring fashion to win a 325yds race in 18.37 for none other than Batt O’Shea, of the famous 1975 Kerry football team.

The other winners were Ballyhar Sho Sho (29.89) and Rush Hour (29.34).