Sellout Magic wins Killeacle final as Barefoot Painter runs 550 record close

THERE might be no racing, very sadly, in Dublin these days, but Tralee Track is providing very good action on an ongoing basis and last Friday’s programme at the Oakview venue was a particularly attractive one, featuring ten firstround heats of the Lee Strand A3 550 Sweepstake (winner, €9,000) and, of course, the final of the John and Mary (Killeacle) Dowling A1 570 Memorial Sweepstake (winner, €2,250), with the latter event occupying pride of place on a 12-race card.

A sizeable crowd was in attendance and, while the Galway-owned Sellout Magic was acclaimed a very worthy winner of the Dowling Memorial Sweepstake, the big talking-point centred around a quite majestic run of 29.64 by the Paul Hennessy-trained Barefoot Painter in heat 2 of the Lee Strand 550 Sweepstake.

To put that run in perspective, it was just 21 spots, or three lengths, outside the remarkable record of 29.43 that was set in 2013 by Farloe Trent . . . and only one other first-round heat winner, Ballyhooly Fin, managed to get inside 30.00 seconds (29.97).

It leaves Barefoot Painter as very much the one to beat even at this very early stage of the event and it goes without saying that huge interest will centre on him in the second round this Friday night (he runs from trap 5 in heat 1).

Barefoot Painter had done very little up to this and, in fact, he began his career in the GMHD juvenile classic at Tralee in early February when finishing last behind Allen Junior in an estimated29.62 in the first round. His only other race after that was over 300yds at Kilkenny on March 31 when he lost out by a neck to Condor Lily in 16.92.

On those lines of form, it was hard to see him come up with the kind of run he produced last Friday night, but record 29.64 he did. It was pretty awesome the way he rocketed out of trap 4 and he dominated to the extent that he had eleven and a half lengths to spare at the line over Fire Height Dora, with two and a half lengths back to Oilean Dubh.

Can he repeat that kind of performance this Friday night? A very interesting question that.

The first four qualified in each of the ten first-round heats plus the eight fastest fifths, leaving 48 going through to round 2 this Friday night. A long way to go, to be sure.

Turning to the final of the Dowling Memorial Sweepstake, victory, not surprisingly, belonged to the greyhound which came within a single spot of cracking the 570yds record at the semi-final stage.

That was the Galway-owned Sellout Magic. Not surprisingly, this fellow was sent off the even-money favourite from a trap 1 draw and, while Liam Dowling had a very strong 2/1 second favourite in Brandyandbailys, Sellout Magic emerged as a very clearcut winner.

There might have been no serious threat to the record of 30.62 this time, but the September ’14 son of Head Bound and Dance Judy still did the business quite superbly in 30.97.

He again brought massive early pace into play to be a decisive leader off the first bend from Glow Bullet and the only thing to be decided after that was his margin of victory – which proved to be five lengths over BrandyandbailysBrandy, which didn’t get the kind of early run that was required by him. Third, half a length behind Brandyandbailys, was the John Kiely-trained Nellies Boss.

It was great to see such a worthy winner emerge in a sweepstake which holds a very important place on the Tralee calendar through its association with the Dowling family, who support it so generously.

Needless to say, another victory in the event for Liam Dowling would have been the perfect result for the sponsoring family!

Last Friday night’s programme also included the final of an A7 525 sweepstake sponsored by Kasko and the winner of the €500 prize was the Jerry Griffin-trained Sporting Sky, which motored sweetly from the third bend home to score by four lengths from O’Learys Allstar in 29.39.

Other first-round heat winners in the Lee Strand Sweepstake were: Snap The Price, 30.28; Stormy Jake, 30.04; Rathass Ward, 30.61; Finns Smile, 30.55; Millroad McCoy, 30.09; Mohane Odie, 30.47; Typical Ash, 30.83; Typical Flyer, 30.30. DRAW The draw for the second round of the Lee Strand sweepstake is (trap order):

Heat 1: No Joke Rebel, Devon Gunner, Callaway Razl, Fire Height Dora, Barefoot Orinter, Lodge Donie.

Heat 2: Green Duke, Cooladerry Mags, Millroad McCoy, Man Twenty One, Sullane Jet, Misty Supreme (W).

Heat 3: Russmur Vic, Zari Class, Homestead Vicky (M), Clonbrane Max (W), Misty Nidge (W), Rathass Ward (W).

Heat 4: Oilean Dubh, Finns Smile, Mohane Odie, Saleen Hunter, Days That Were (W), Send It Seasons (W).

Heat 5: Snap The Price, Full Of Money, Forceful Oz, Iwao, Ballyelan Turbo (W), Enchanted Jaguar (W).

Heat 6: Walkinginmemphis, Devon Pluto, Geminis Ace, Kilmessan Gold, Hewhodareswins (M), Typical Flyer (W).

Heat 7: Kingview Madison, Summerfield Sky, Ballyhooly Fin, Rathanny Mojo, Covadonga, Wind Spirit (W).

Heat 8: Fionntra Storm, Boola Grand, Stormy Jake, Kingdom King, Millridge Act, Typical Ash (W).