Kingdom Derby favourites bow out as 525 box cannot be used
IT wasn’t a great night for it to become a problem, considering that the two semi-finals of the €6,500-to-the-winner T Nolan CVRT Test Centre Kingdom Derby were down for decision, but the sportsmanship of connections from near and far allowed a full 11-race programme to go ahead at Tralee Track on Friday night despite the fact that the 525yds box couldn’t be used because of a problem with it that required serious welding.
The 500yds box was used instead. This has a much shorter run to the first bend, but the extra 25 yards came into play by having the longer run home to the 550yds line.
Good trapping became even more important in that situation, which suited some and not others, but everybody went along with the start from the 500yds box (there was just one absentee on the entire card), even though the lighting in front of it wasn’t that great.
The big attractions, obviously, were the two semi-finals of the Kingdom Derby and fancied runners were eliminated in both, notably the fastest second-round winner, Cash Is King, and the second fastest second-round winner, Pennylane Lucky.
Cash Is King was running in the first semi-final and he wound up in fourth place behind the Owen McKenna-trained Holycross Lad, which had been lucky enough to qualify in fourth place behind Pennylane Lucky in the first round.
However, Holycross Lad, as he had done in the first round, got a flier away (from trap 2) and he built up a lead which enabled him to hold off the strong-finishing Floury Spuds by a head in 28.75, with two lengths back to another flying finisher, Paradise Summer.
The big consolation here for Brendan Maunsell, the trainer of Cash Is King, is that he is also the man behind Floury Spuds, which, being the only wide seed to get through, will have a trap 6 draw in the final this Friday night.
In the second semi-final, Pennylane Lucky was unfortunate enough to be thrown completely out of contention at the first bend, but her trainer, Pat Buckley, won with another of his charges, Coolavanny Mason. This fellow was two lengths behind the front-running Lughill Robbie rounding the third bend, but Lughill Robbie tied up coming home and Coolavanny Mason hit the line a length and a half ahead of Ballymac Coyote, with the same distance back to Right Half Back, which claimed the third qualifying spot by just a short head from Lughill Robbie.
The draw for the final has given trap 1 to Coolavanny Mason and Pat Buckley will be happy about that, but this is a final that can be won by any of the six still standing. Holycross Lad could be the one cutting out the pace from trap 5, but he could be vulnerable coming home and may not confirm placings with Floury Spuds and Paradise Summer.
The Liam Dowling factor is there as well with Ballymac Coyote and completing a terrific final line-up is Right Half Back, from the Listowel kennels of Gerard Dowling.
It isn’t easy to predict the likely outcome, but a trap 1 draw could swing it for Coolavanny Mason and a tentative vote goes to him.
The draw is (trap order): Coolavanny Mason, Right Half Back, Ballymac Coyote, Paradise Summer, Holycross Lad, Floury Spuds (W).
Also run off last Friday night was the final of an A7 525 sweepstake sponsored by the track supporters’ club and the €1,000 purse here was claimed by joint owners, James Lee and Pat Flahive, of Ballyheigue, who saw their charge, Bonnan Rory, hold on for a thrilling short-head victory over Group Fernando in 29.08.
Two semi-finals of another €1,000-to-the-winner 525yds sweepstake sponsored by the supporters’ club, this one for A1 class, saw Black Agenda (28.74) and Chespirito (28.62) emerge victorious and the draw for the final this Friday night is (trap order): Ballymac Sarahjo, Bohane Denzel, Black Agenda, Chespirito, Boher Maestro, Lassa Exquisite.
Over 325yds, there was a massive run of 17.37 by Portmageewiseguy, back from his Shelbourne Park exploits, while the other winners were: Helenas Star, 18.24; Rangers Quest, 29.33; Melodys Emmy, 29.63; Light Foot Bella, 29.16; Fire Height Dora, 31.63 (570yds).