Roadstone Barney and Mayfly goes fast at Tuesday SIS

NORMALLY, the Friday night meetings at Tralee provide the most competitive racing and the best times, but last week’s Tuesday SIS meeting was up there with some of the best Friday nights, time-wise anyway.

That was because there was a brilliant run of 28.54 by Roadstone Barney and another one of 28.60 by Mayfly – and on going rated .10 slow at that (it was .05 slow for 325yds).

Roadstone Barney was running from trap 6 in the eighth race (A1 525) and he was very much an outsider in the betting at 7/1, but he timed his break really well, cleared the first bend ahead of another fast starter, Helenas Paddy, and, although Mauras Wish took up the chase behind him, her challenge was never going to succeed and she finished four lengths adrift of Trevor O’Connell’s charge.

Roadstone Barney had won in A2 class eleven nights previously in 28.79 and, up a grade against particularly good opposition, it was quite something by him to improve 35 spots, taking the .10 deduction into account.

Mayfly, which is trained by Anthony Slattery for local joint owners, Stephen and Katie Nix, produced her run of 28.60 in the third race, for A2 class. Sent off the 2/1 favourite, she took a real flier from trap 4 and, after being two lengths ahead of 6/1 outsider, Pennylane Missy, rounding the third bend, she extended really well to be four lengths in front of Pennylane Missy at the line.

The racing was enjoyed by a crowd boosted by the presence of a lot of German tourists and, for sure, these Germans bring a lot of life to the place, especially on the quieter nights. They come to Tralee for quite a few months of the year and it means nice extra money for the stadium itself, where they are made more than welcome..

The other winners on the night were: Seomra Skip, 29.35; Villa Strand, 18.18; Bambam Tornado, 29.38; Coom Twins, 29.17; Millridge Lexi, 29.06; Devon Gunner, 29.30; Mail Road Return, 29.14; Kates Diary, 29.52.