The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Droopy’s Smasher has pace to win big final on KUH night
ONE of the big nights of the year at Tralee Track is upon us again. It is, of course, the Kerry (University) hospital benefit meeting this Friday night and, hopefully, the unseasonable weather we have been experiencing will prove to be favourable for a crowd that always packs the Oakview stadium to capacity.
The figures in relation to this benefit meeting are actually quite mind-boggling. Since it was first run in 1991, it has raised a total of €2 million and it is hoped to add another €100,000 to that on Friday night.
That is a massive reflection of the benevolence of Kerry people, who have certainly proved that they appreciate the importance of the services provided by the Tralee hospital.
It is also a massive reflection on those at the organisational end of this benefit meeting and those who have come on board with them in various guises.
As always, the big crowd on Friday will generate a great atmosphere and, racing-wise, the main attraction will be the final of an A2 525 sweepstake which carries a winner’s purse of €3,000 thanks to sponsorship by Kerry Group, who are the main sponsors of the night – and have been from day one.
The times in this sweepstake hotted up in a big way after the first round and the two semi-final winners last Friday night, Millridge Bruce and Droopys Smasher, clocked 28.68 and 28.58 respectively, on going that was rated .10 fast.
It is fair to say that Millridge Bruce was something of a surprise winner of the first semi-final, especially considering the fact that the Michael J O’Donovan-trained Lone Scolari was 1/2 favourite, with the Maurice O’Connor-trained Powerful Boys a strong second favourite at 5/2.
However, these two badly missed the break and, to really kill their chances of winning, they hopped off each other rounding the first bend. In sharp contrast, Millridge Bruce (4/1) flew to the first bend from a trap 3 draw and he was nicely in control by the third bend, two lengths ahead of 6/1 shot, Fermoyle Daithi, with a further three lengths back to Powerful Boys.
He kept the gallop going well up front for Millstreet owner, Donal G O’Mahony, and he hit the line a length and a half ahead of Fermoyle Daithi in 28.68, with a neck back to Boherbee Lass (5/1), which simply flew home and was well in front at the pick-up.
There was nothing like the same misfortune for fancied greyhounds in the second semi-final and, indeed, the top three in the betting, Droopys Smasher (6/4), Loher Baby (5/2) and Lassa Excitement (2/1), filled the first three places.
Loher Baby led off the first bend from Millridge Genie and Droopys Smasher, but the latter, which is trained by Pat Buckley, took a bit of a clip from behind and this left her with an uphill battle straightening out on the back straight. Loher Baby continued to motor sweetly up front and she held a lead of two and a half lengths over Lassa Excitement and Droopys Smasher rounding the third bend.
Droopys Smasher was not favourite for nothing and, reproducing the finishing speed she had shown in the earlier rounds, she made up the arrears and hit the finishing line a length and a half ahead of Loher Baby in 28.58, with two and a half lengths back to Lassa Excitement.
It was a performance by Droopys Smasher which is likely to make her favourite in Friday’s final and, granted a trouble free run from trap 2, she can undoubtedly come home in front when it matters most. It is a final, though, in which everything has a serious chance.
The draw is (trap order): Lassa Excitement, Droopys Smasher, Loher Baby, Fermoyle Daithi, Millridge Bruce, Boherbee Lass.
The going last Friday, by the way, varied to different degrees. It was .05 fast for the opening sprint, .10 fast for the next eight 525yds races and .20 fast for the last two 525yds races.
The deduction of .20 applied to a marvellous run of 28.42 in the semi-final of an open 525yds sweepstake sponsored by McElligotts Funeral Home, Tralee. That run was produced by Not Unusual, owned by Brendan Begley, of Knocknagoshel, and, as luck would have it, he only got into the sweepstake because of the absence of Baltovin Johnny. Running from trap 1 in the first semi-final, he led off the first bend and went on to score by two lengths from Samba Riva. Clearly, he is the one to beat in the final this Friday night, even if there was another good run of 28.59 in the first semi-final by Millridge Zephyr.
Two semi-finals of the Nolans Garage (Tralee) A5 525 Sweepstake were also run off last Friday night and the winners were Bluebell Polly (28.77) and Ballymac Eliza (28.61), while the semi-final winners in an A1 525 sweepstake sponsored by Garveys Super-Valu were Scart Tipp (28.78) and Halloa Towney (29.02).
Other winners: Knockout Drift, 18.32; Brandy Warrior, 29.34; Stride On Duke, 28.74.