O’Brien bags four in Sneem Santos win

GREYHOUND racing can leave you scratching your head from one night to the next. We were particularly sweet on Redzer Ardfert after he came from well off the pace to win his first-round heat of the Castleisland Tyre Centre A3 525 Sweepstake (winner, €2,450) in 28.85, but he had to perform something of a minor miracle from that same third bend to claim the third qualifying spot at the second-round stage, just a head in front of Headleys Rusty in an estimated 29.13.

But what does Ardfert Redzer do at the semi-final stage last Friday night? He produces an absolutely massive run of 28.35, to ensure that he will be firm favourite when the final is run on Friday, September 21, the week’s delay being necessitated by the unavailability of the sponsor to attend this Friday night.

Redzer Ardfert, which Brendan Maunsell trains for joint owners, Pat Reddan, of Killaloe, and Kathleen Clifford, of Ardfert, was respected enough in the betting at 7/4 facing into the second semi-final, with 5/4 favouritism resting with the unbeaten Baldoin, which was fastest in both the first and second rounds.

However, Baldoin didn’t ignite from a trap 1 draw this time and it was 4/1 outsider, Lisahane Secreto, which cut out a strong early pace from trap 2. However, Redzer Ardfert was the one second to him off the first bend from his trap 6 draw and, once in that situation, there was always going to be only one outcome.

Brendan Maunsell’s charge showed exactly why such a high opinion is held of him by motoring powerfully into overdrive and cruising home six and a half lengths ahead of Michael Whelan’s Lisahane Secreto in the aforementioned time of 28.35, with half a length back to the Johnny O’Sullivan-trained Lanody Mike.

Question is, of course: will Redzer Ardfert, the only wide seed, get the same kind of start and the same kind of run from trap 6 as he did last Friday night? If he does, it is very difficult to envisage defeat for him.

However, as we said at the outset, greyhound racing can leave you scratching your head from one night to the next and, with some very good greyhounds in opposition, there is absolutely no guarantee that Redzer Ardfert will deliver on Friday week, though, for sure, a massive future beckons for him.

One of the very good greyhounds that will be in opposition is, of course, Samba Active, which justified even-money favouritism in winning the first semi-final in 28.82 for Dan Cahill, of Rathmore.

The fast-starting Boxer Rocky (trap 1) led off the first bend from Samba Active, but Dan Cahill’s bitch, which ran from trap 2, was a narrow leader from 6/4 second favourite, Longmeadow Raven, into the third bend and it has to be said that she extended very impressively from this point onwards to score by four lengths from Longmeadow Raven, with the same distance back to You Know.

It’s great to have such a good line-up in the final and, while it is very unusual to have a break of a fortnight from semi-finals to final, that does not detract in the slightest from the attractiveness of it.

The draw for the final is (trap order): Lanody Mike, Longmeadow Raven, Lisahane Secreto, Samba Active, You Know, Redzer Ardfert (W).

Altogether, it was an extremely good night’s racing and a novice called Rattling Conor, from the Scartaglen kennels of Maurice O’Connor, fairly excelled in clocking 28.56. Housed in trap 3 and sent off the 4/6 favourite, he fairly flew to the first bend to lead around it from Senahel Shadow and he wound up winning by eight lengths from Senahel Shadow, to put a pretty sizeable price tag on himself.

There was also a terrific quickfire double in races 3 and 4 for local owner, Noel O’Leary, with litter brothers, Loher Blake (28.74) and Loher Grove (28.79), and, 200 miles away in Shelbourne Park, another member of the Laughil Blake – Loher Baby litter (November ’16), namely Liberty Gale (formerly Loher Girl), won the last race by four lengths in 28.55. To top it all off, yet another member of the litter, Loher Storm, was a brilliant winner for Noel in 28.50 on Sunday evening.

In the ninth race (A0 525), Promising clocked 28.57 in making it three wins on the trot for Lisanearla (Abbeydorney) owner, James P Broderick, while the other winners were: Beginish Breeze, 29.79; Shift Mikes Lady, 18.16; Cheeky Bob, 17.92; Ballads Forlife, 29.03.

• The going was standard on the night.