Maunsell trained Cash Is King impresses in Derby heats
THINGS are really hotting up in the T Nolan CVRT Test Centre Kingdom Derby (winner, €6,500) at Tralee and, while the threepronged challenge of trainer Owen McKenna took a real hit at the second round stage last Friday night, the hand of trainer Pat Buckley has been greatly strengthened, while local handler, Brendan Maunsell, now has the leading contender in Cash Is King.
All three second round heat winners last Friday lit up the Oakview venue with highly impressive performances, especially Cash Is King. Brendan Maunsell trains this fellow for a Manchester syndicate and the February ’16 son of Tyrur Big Mike and Fire Height Brid was absolutely faultless in the way he ran to the first bend from trap 6. He subsequently dominated to the extent that he had four and a half lengths to spare at the line from Paradise Summer in a quite magnificent 28.37 (from 28.59 in the first round), with a head back to Newinn Trump.
Newinn Trump, which ran from trap 3, was actually close enough to Cash Is King off the first bend and it was only on the line that Graham Holland’s charge was done for second place.
Brendan Maunsell also had the satisfaction of seeing another of his charges, Floury Spuds, qualify in fourth place. Both are wide seeds and, as it so happens, they are again drawn together in the first semi-final this Friday night, with Cash Is King in trap 5 this time and Floury Spuds in trap 6.
The other two second-round winners were also hugely impressive. The Pat Buckley-trained Pennylane Lucky, the fastest firstround winner on 28.56, improved to 28.44 for joint owners, Niamh McKenna and Ally O’Connor, of Lixnaw, and she, too, did it brilliantly from the front.
Housed in trap 5, she was available at 3/1 in the betting, for the very good reason that the Owen McKenna-trained Holycross Lad was viewed as being one of the bets of the night from trap 1 at even-money.
However, Holycross Lad failed to produce anything like his firstround form and wound up a well-beaten fourth, though that still qualified him for the semi-finals. In sharp contrast, Pennylane Lucky timed her break to perfection and she was always in absolute control up front, finishing four and a half lengths ahead of Ballymac Coyote, with a neck back to Lughill Robbie. There was another length and a half back to the very disappointing Holycross Lad.
Owen McKenna also had the even-money favourite in heat 2 in Dumas, which had greatly impressed behind Pennylane Lucky in the first round, but this fellow seriously disappointed as well and finished fifth.
Pat Buckley was the winning trainer here, too, with his charge, Coolavanny Mason, a 5/2 shot running from trap 5, joining the front-running Gulleen Billy on his inside rounding the third bend and going on to master him by a length and a half in 28.57, with half a length back to Right Half Back.
The fourth qualifying place was taken by Unleashthebeast, which was just a neck behind Right Half Back.
So, the original field of 24 has been reduced to twelve and two really exciting semi-finals are in prospect this Friday night. Cash Is King has to be strongly fancied to win the first semi-final from trap 5, while Pennylane Lucky can win the second semi-final from the same box and, indeed, it could well be a 1-2 here for Pat Buckley.
The draw for the semi-finals is (trap order)
First semi-final: Gulleen Billy, Holycross Lad, Paradise Summer, Newinn Trump, Cash Is King (W), Floury Spuds (W).
Second semi-final: Right Half Back, Unleashthebeast, Coolavanny Mason, Ballymac Coyote, Pennylane Lucky, Lughill Robbie.
Last Friday night’s programme was used as a fund-raiser by County Kerry Coursing Club and a buster race (A3 525) carrying the name of the club was won in 29.16 by Parason Mario.
Later on, the Patrick O’Connor-trained Saleen Brax won an A1 525 race in 28.68 after coming in as a reserve, while a double was recorded by Liam Dowling with Ballymac Sarahjo (17.78) and Ballymac Fidora (28.91).
Other winners: Westwind Kay, 30.24; Bville Glen, 29.53; Black Audie, 29.06; Lassa Exult, 17.70.