Jason’s Fifi continues winning ways with A1 525 final victory
THIRTY races – and fifteen wins! That’s the quite brilliant strike rate of Jason’s Fifi, which is owned by Noel Power, of Ballyduff (agent, Patsy O’Rourke), and which emerged as a very worthy winner of an A1 525 sweepstake final at Tralee Track on Friday.
Thanks to sponsorship by the Track Supporters’ Club, the sweepstake was worth €800 to the winner and this latest victory by the February ’15 son of Cashen Legend and Leigh Fantastic has seen his prize money reach a whopping €7,538.
Brilliant trapping ability has always been the forte of Jasons Fifi, but he knows how to run on as well, as he proved in Friday night’s final.
Perfectly housed in trap 1 and sent off the 6/4 favourite despite not having the fastest semi-final time, he once again led the charge into the first bend and it was “catch me if you can” after that. The Patrick O’Connor-trained Saleen Brax looked a big danger in the area of the third bend, but that is usually not a good place to see through a challenge and Jasons Fifi came away from that third bend with an improved lead.
That clinched things for him, more or less, and he raced home a length and a half ahead of Promising, with half a length back to Saleen Brax. The time was 28.90, which was just two spots outside his winning semi-final and was further testament to his consistency.
The night opened with victory in 18.08 over the sprint distance (S9/ S10 class) by Mix and Match, owned by Kathleen Casey O’Connell, of Abbeydorneyn, and the remarkable thing here was that Mix And Match, a 3/1 shot with the bookmakers, paid €36.60 to a €1 win bet on the tote.
Imagine that happening in horseracing where the dreaded €1.02 for a place (even for a horse that may not be favourite) is such a turn-off.
Later on, there was a long overdue victory over 570yds (A0/ A1 class) for the Maurice O’Connor-trained College Bell. Indeed, this fellow had run seventeen times without success since his last victory in November of last year and there probably wasn’t a lot of support for him at 5/2, but he certainly showed what he is capable of doing by taking a flier from trap 1 and totally dominating all the way to the line where he had three and a half lengths to spare from 2/1 joint favourite, Joyful Dribbler, in a very smart 30.88 (26 spots outside the track record). Could this be the start of something far better for him?
Fastest over the standard distance, on 28.86, was Beepers Paddy in the last race (A1 class), while 28.92 was clocked earlier by Devon Gunner in a race for A2 class.
Over 325yds, Knockunder Brody (2/1 fav) was very impressive in posting 17.65, while the other winners were: Cashen Flo, 29.41; Send It Puffin, 17.97; Millroad Trotter, 29.06; Devon Gunner, 28.92.
TUESDAY SIS MEETING
Old soldiers never die, or so they say anyway, and two old soldiers at last week’s Tuesday SIS meeting both distinguished themselves pretty well.
One of them, Shronedrugh Hawk, was actually running his 109th race for Tim Kelly, of Headford, and he won in 29.73 (A6 525) at odds of 5/1, while the other, Knockeen Crash, owned by Roger O’Rahilly, of Ballymacelligott, also threatened to win before losing out by three-quarters of a length to the strong-finishing Oak Lantern in 29.64 (A7 525).
These two greyhounds have won €13,353 between them, €7,237 in the case of Shronedrugh Hawk and €6,116 in the case of Knockeen Crash. Wow!
Fastest on the night was the locallyLoher Sid, on 28.92 in the last race (A3 525), and, at odds of 5/1, he completed a total rout for all ten favourites. The other winners were: Lacey Lady, 29.67; On The Fringe, 17.89; Melodys Vicky, 29.11; Ballyhone Spirit, 29.16; Aughacasla Jet, 29.16; Cyprus Billy, 29.08; My Right Ear, 29.07.