Loher Tom clocks fastest time in KDL A3 500 semi-finals

SATURDAY night at Tralee Track, which acted as a fund-raiser for Ballyheigue Coursing Club, was essentially about clearing the way for sweepstake finals which will be part of the Kerry hospital benefit meeting this Friday night.

The most important sweepstake by far was that which carried the name of the Kerry District Soccer League (A3 500), for the very good reason that it is worth €1,700 to the winner, and two local greyhounds have put themselves into the frame big-time by winning their semi-finals in splendid fashion.

Noel O’Leary’s Loher Tom was definitely the most impressive by clocking 27.49 in the second semi-final, but David Quirke’s Sams Doctor also excelled in winning the third semi-final in 27.73, upstaging 4/6 hot-pot, Farran Escalade, in the process.

The remaining semi-final was won in 28.04 by Should I Stay, which Michael A Reidy trains in Ballyheigue for Kathleen Casey O’Connell, of Abbeydorney, and, while the time here was very much the slowest of the three, everybody knows that you underestimate Michael A Reidy at your peril.

The draw for the final sees Loher Tom in trap 2, with Dan Wren’s Steeple Rd Chris a big player in trap 1, but it could well be that Jeremiah Hanafin’s Farran Escalade, which clocked 27.49 in the first round, will break much better this time from trap 3 and she is given the vote.

The draw is (trap order): Steeple Rd Chris, Loher Tom, Farran Escalade, Should I Stay, Lisahane Kinlock, Sams Doctor (W).

Earlier, it being a fund-raiser for Ballyheigue Coursing Club, an A3 525 buster race carrying the name of the club was won by Ballyhar Nosey, jointly owned by Ann O’Neill and Maureen McCarthy, of Killarney. Ballyhar Nosey made maximum use of a trap 1 draw to lead off the first bend from Dalton Boy and, although County Colours challenged her well as the race progressed, she had the answers from the third bend home and beat him by a length and a half in 29.32.

Just as was the case 24 hours earlier, the going varied as the night progressed. It was .10 fast for the opening sprint, .20 fast for races 2 to 6 and .10 fast for races 7 to 10.

Other winners: Sunville Cookie, 17.84; Fire Height Alva, 28.85; Ballymac Breeze, 28.73; Russmur Action, 29.47; Boher Romeo Blue, 28.98; Ring A Friend, 28.60.