Central Park likely to host English derby

WELL, we didn’t quite put the kiss of death on Redzer Ardfert last week because he managed to qualify in third place behind decisive winner, Lisahane Secreto, but, following the second-round heats of the Castleisland Tyre Centre A3 525 Sweepstake (winner, €2,350) at Tralee Track last Friday night, there are plenty of likely outright winners, even if the Jeremiah Hanafin-trained Baldoin has to be viewed as the leading contender at this stage after again clocking the fastest time and being the only unbeaten semi-finalist.

Baldoin was housed in trap 3 in heat 3 and, while it is very easy to be wise after the event, he did look really good value at 6/4 in the betting ring. The best start by far was achieved from trap 5 by Helenas Paddy, but there was a certain inevitably about the outcome once Baldoin was second to him off the first bend.

So it proved. Baldoin headed Helenas Paddy turning for home and he went on to score by four and a half lengths from 2/1 second favourite, Samba Active, in 28.75, with a length back to Helenas Paddy, the time being two spots faster than Baldoin had clocked in the first round (it was .10 slow on both occasions).

Other fast winning times were produced by Longmeadow Raven in heat 4 (28.79) and Lisahane Secreto in heat 2 (28.85), while the remaining heat winner was Lanody Mike, on 29.46.

Longmeadow Raven (4/1), which is trained by Patrick O’Connor, actually beat 1/2 favourite, You Know, by a massive ten lengths and he did so after rocketing out of trap 4 and being well clear by the third bend. The third qualifying place was taken by Prince Of Tides, three lengths behind You Know.

Redzer Ardfert was also the hottest of favourites at 1/2, but he didn’t start that well from trap 6 and encountered very serious trouble rounding the first bend. It was hard to see him qualifying behind the fast-starting Lisahane Secreto and he actually worked a minor miracle to take the third qualifying spot a head in front of Headleys Rusty and a length and a half behind runner-up, Clorane Daddy, which finished four lengths adrift of Lisahane Secreto.

Things might work out a lot differently for Redzer Ardfert in the second semi-final this Friday night, but it is extremely difficult to oppose Baldoin from a trap 1 draw – and in there in trap 2 is Lisahane Secreto, while the fast-starting Helenas Paddy is in trap 3 and the remaining second-round heat winner, Lanody Mike (29.46), is in trap 4.

You Know is also on a retrieving mission in the first semi-final, from trap 6, but Longmeadow Raven will be very hard to beat if he gets away from trap 3 like he did from trap 4 last Friday night and another very strong contender in trap 2 is Samba Active.

Nobody, of course, knows what can unfold once the traps go up, or what can happen at the first bend, but this has turned out to be a very good A3 525 sweepstake and one can safely predict that six very worthy finalists will emerge from the two semi-finals.

The draw for those semi-finals is (trap order): First semi-final: Boxer Rocky, Samba Active, Longmeadow Raven, Clorane Daddy, Prince Of Tides, You Know . Second semi-final: Baldoin, Lisahane Secreto, Helenas Paddy, Lanody Mike, Lissycasey lola (W), Redzer Ardfert (W).

Marginally fastest over the standard trip on the night, on 28.62, was Cosard Jet, which had won a week previously in 28.67, while the John Lenihan-trained Allaghaun River clocked 28.64. Other winners: Ballintober, 18.48; Madabout Sydney, 29.15; Knock Romeo, 17.97; Cashcube Lady, 17.68; Patricks Castle, 29.04.

The going was .10 slow for all 525yds races and .05 slow for the 325yds races. CENTRAL Park Greyhound Stadium, which is located in Kent, is 11/10 favourite with Ladbrokes to stage the 2019 English Derby, with Sheffield at 7/2 and Hove at 4/1.

This follows the fact that the venue for past two years, Towcester, has gone into administration, though Towcester is still quoted at 5/1 to retain the classic in the event that it comes under new ownership and is taken out of administration.