Ballymac Reese goes best of all in Juvenile Classic heats
THOSE of us who were in Powerstown Park on the last day of the national coursing meeting could not have been more impressed by the feat of Liam Dowling in winning the Kevin Smith Champion Stakes with Boylesports Magic, but, then, the man has become a living legend on track and field... and there he was at Tralee on Friday night, bad weather and all, providing the fastest winner in the opening round of the Greyhound and Petworld Juvenile Classic.
Liam’s Ballymac Reece, which he bred, owns and trains, clocked 28.95 on going rated .40 slow and that was 25 spots faster than the next fastest winner, Delivery, which is owned and trained in Tipperary by Thomas O’Donovan.
Liam also trains Ballymac Wild, a litter brother to Ballymac Reece, and his fourth placing in very bad time in another heat can be totally ignored because this heat turned out to be a bit of a mess traffic-wise and, indeed, two of the runners were the subjects of a stewards’ inquiry and must run one conduct trial.
Yet another Liam Dowling runner, Ballymac Notisme, was 4/6 favourite to win the last of five heats, but he was badly clattered into at the opening bend and had no chance to do himself justice. He is likely to be a very different proposition next time out.
So, Liam Dowling holds a mighty hand facing into the second round this Friday, but there are a lot of other potential winners in a field that, although smaller than usual in numbers in the opening round, has oodles of class.
Ballymac Reece, remember, won heat 4 by only three-quarters of a length from Noel Browne’s Coolavanny Combo, which was absolutely flying at the finish, and, as well as the aforementioned Delivery, Deerjet Sydney (29.31) and Coolavanny Chick (29.44) showed up well in winning their respective heats.
Forget the 29.98 recorded by another Noel Browne heat winner, Coolavanny Roger, or the other qualifiers in that heat, because of the troublesome nature of it.
For sure, a clearer picture of things will emerge this Friday night and, come the final on Friday, March 13, one thing certain is that a very worthy winner will be crowned.
So what if there were just five firstround heats instead of the advertised eight, leading to a reduction in the winner’s purse of €3,000 - from €15,000 to €12,000. The bottom line is that some of the country’s biggest hitters have targeted the event with class greyhounds and some of those greyhounds will undoubtedly go on to greater things, as in other years.
Four qualified from each heat last Friday night plus the four fastest fifths and the quarter-final draw worked out as follows (trap order):
First quarter-final: Knocknaboul Syd, Fireheight Ava, Ballymac Notisme, Ballymac Wild, Coolavanny Combo, Rockburst Mike.
Second quarter-final: Ballymac Reece, Coolavanny Rodger, Delivering, Degrom, Southfield Reno, Ragaire.
Third quarter-final: Jaytee Japan, Vallaway Bullet, Ballyverry Sarah, Jayms Rebel, Coolavanny Chick (W), Hartford Master (W).
Fourth quarter-final: Dualla Prince, Deerjet Sydney, Droopys Hamish, Glengar Bale, Pacemaker Ted, Ballyard Ricki.
BACKING up the first-round heats of the juvenile classic last Friday night was the final of a 525yds sweepstake for ON3 class and the winner’s purse of €2,500 was won by Barnagrane Sean, owned by Paudie O’Keeffe, of Charleville.
Housed in trap 3 and a 2/1 shot in the betting, Barnagrane Sean did really well to lead off the first bend from Chosen Flame and Letter Cain and, after holding a two-length lead over Chosen Flame rounding the third bend, he held off the powerful challenge of 6/1 outsider, Letter Cain, by a head in 29.52, with a length back to Rushmoor Carol.
OTHER winners were Paddys Tally Ho, 18.60; Gulleen Elusive, 30.07; Glengort Bolt, 18.63; Misty Handwell, 29.25; Callaway Swift, 29.82.
The going was .40 slow for all 525yds races and .20 slow for the 325yds races.