Career best for Frida’s Secret

THERE’S still two rounds to go and, as everybody knows, nothing can ever be taken for granted in greyhound racing, but the Owen McKenna-trained Dumas, so unlucky in the GMHD juvenile classic earlier in the year, continues to be very much the one to beat in the Kerry Group A2 525 Hospital Sweepstake (winner, €4,000) at Tralee Track.

He clocked a quite brilliant 28.20 in the first round and it was no surprise to see him sent off the 2/5 favourite in the second round on Friday night. He again delivered in emphatic fashion, leading the charge into the first bend from trap 3 and subsequently dominating to the extent that he had five and a half lengths to spare at the line from Misty Supreme in 28.57, with a length and a half back to Mohane Sparky.

There was no 28.20 this time, but the track was .20 slow (.10 slow for 325yds) and that improved the winning time to 28.37, which was nicely ahead of the other three second-round winning times.

The one closest to Dumas was Millridge Grant, which performed something of a giant-killing feat by upstaging the Gerry Holian-trained Typical Ash, a first-round winner in 28.55. Millridge Grant (3/1) possesses tremendous early acceleration and he made it tell in a big way from a trap 3 draw. Mind you, a lot of people thought that Typical Sky, which was 5/4 favourite, would pull him back from the third bend home, bearing in mind the way he finished in the first round, but Millridge Grant, which is owned and trained by Donal G O’Mahony, of Millstreet, very pluckily stuck it out for a head victory over Typical Ash in 28.75, with two and a half lengths back to College Bell.

The other second-round heat winners were Premier Frankel, which, like Dumas, is trained by Owen McKenna, and Pennylane Lucky, which had clocked an exceptional 28.49 in the first round.

Premier Frankel had finished third behind Mohane Sparky in the first round in an estimated 28.95, but, installed the 6/4 favourite, he was always in a winning position this time. Running from trap 2, he led off the first bend from Send It Ducula and Tims Pearl and, although Send It Ducula contested well as the race progressed, his challenge failed by three-quarters of a length in 28.90, with the same distance back to Greenfield Gate.

Turning to the victory of Pennylane Lucky, she might have been nicely back on her firstround time of 28.49, even with the deduction of .20 secs, but she still did the business well as even-money favourite. Breton Charlie achieved the best start from trap 2, rounding the first bend ahead of Pennylane Lucky (trap 3) and Confident Cato (trap 4), and nothing separated Breton Charlie and Pennylane Lucky rounding the third bend. Pennylane Lucky, however, showed in front into the last bend and she went on to score by a length and a half from the strong-finishing Confident Cato in 29.03, with half a length back to Breton Charlie.

Plenty of interest centred on the draw afterwards and the first greyhound pulled out by the man making it, Scartaglen’s Patsy O’Connor, was none other than Dumas, which means that he is ideally housed in trap 1 in the first semi-final. He will hardly be beaten from it.

The other three second-round winners, as luck would have it, are all drawn in the second semi-final, with Millridge Grant again in trap 3 and Pennylane Lucky and Premier Frankel in traps 1 and 4, respectively. The starting ability of Millridge Grant could swing it for him.

The draw is (trap order): First semi-final: Dumas, Greenfield Gate, Breton Charlie, Confident Cato, Mohane Sparky, Misty Supreme (W). Second semi-final: Pennylane Lucky, Send It Ducula, Millridge Grant, Premier Frankel, College Bell, Typical Ash (W).

Backing up the second round heats of the Kerry Group Hospital Sweepstake were three first-round heats of the Nolans Garage A5 525 Hospital Sweepstake (winner, €1,100) and, to clearly indicate that this is an open affair, just eight spots separated the three winners on time – 29.62 by Ballymac Darian, 29.66 by Moyvane Scolari and 29.70 by Knockeen Lord.

Four qualified from each heat and the semi-finals will also be run this Friday night, with the draw working out as follows (trap order): First semi-final: Moyvane Scolari, Bridies Slippy, Slipalong Prince, Cosmic Starlit, Knockeen Lord, Goliath. Second semi-final: Carmac Express, Ramona Sara, Kingdom Point, Ardralla Paul, Ballymac Darian, Saleen Story.

Once again, there was a long line of buses on the road outside the track and the tourists who arrived in them really enjoyed the excitement of the night, but, for track regulars, things were put somewhat in perspective with the news that popular local undertaker Tony McElligott, a tremendous doggy fan, had died. It was always a real pleasure to meet him and his death leaves yet another void at the Oakview venue.

Other winner on Friday night: Fairy Dust, 29.67; Joefrommullingar, 17.63; Deadly George, 17.94; Slipalong Honey, 31.65 (570yds). A FABULOUS career best run of 28.55 by Fridas Secret was very much the highlight at last week’s Tuesday SIS meeting at Tralee Track. She clocked 29.06 in winning her first race back in September 2015 and, in winning a further nine races after that, her best time was 28.70 – set in November ’15.

It was quite an achievement, therefore, to come along and produce a career best run 19 months later and that is something her joint owners, Liam and Theresa Holohan, of Abbeydorney, and agent, Dan Nolan, are entitled to be very proud about.

Other winners: Millridge Fay, 29.44; Headleys Folly, 29.77; Manhattan Sky, 29.37; Fortfield Berry, 17.71; Amyville Rosie, 29.36; Scart Tipp, 29.10; Knockeen Ridge, 17.74; Spirit Eclipse, 29.04; Knocknaboul Bolt, 29.30.