Mad About Eva the fancy for the Rose of Tralee A4 Stake

THE semi-finals of the KGSSC Rose of Tralee A4 Stake were the feature on Saturday night’s card at the Kingdom Greyhound Stadium and with the opening round of the Boylesport’s Derby also concluding at Shelbourne Park, there was plenty of top class racing to keep the sizable crowd entertained.

The second semi-final produced a dazzling performance from Mad About Eva (Kinloch Brae/Ardavagga Dazl) as she blitzed her rivals in a trap to line victory. The 6/4 favourite was quickly into her stride from trap 4 and showed terrific early foot to race independent into the opening bend. The Johnny O’Sullivan trained youngster continued her dominance down the back straight and extended her advantage to six lengths rounding the closing bends. The battle in behind was merely for places with Send It Porter and Pats Boher leading the charge. Mad About Eva really hit top gear off the last bend and stopped the clock in a blistering 28.35.

It was 7½ lengths back to the fast finishing Various Ways, while Pats Boher occupied the final qualifying berth a further two lengths back.

The winner will start a warm favourite to land the spoils in Sunday’s final and it will be interesting to see how she cuts it in the open circuit over the coming months.

The opening semi-final was a keenly contested affair which produced a surprise winner in Black Ranger (who came as a reserve following the withdrawal of Raging Water) from the kennels of Paddy Purtill, Lisselton.

A relative outsider at 3/1, Black Ranger (Magic Sprite/Ardrahan Ranger) broke with the field in what was a very even start; however he showed good early pace to dispute the lead with Tissle Topper at the opening bend. The latter held the advantage down the back straight but his challenge faded of the closing bends with Rathronan Global, Hollies Rainbow and the eventual winner forming a line of three on the run in. They remained inseparable all the way past the finishing line with the final result being referred to the judge. On closer examination Black Ranger just shaded it by a head in a winning time of 29.18, with Hollies Rainbow and Rathronan Global dead heating for second place.

A notable performance on the night came in Race 5 as Denis Keane produced a smart novice Toureen Baby (Sparta Maestro/ Stole My Name) from his Gneeveguilla kennels. Drawn in trap 5, the winner was smartly away in this sprint race for grade S2/S3and quickly moved through the gears to stop the clock in 17.32, a full 7 lengths clear of Knocktoosh Bolt.

Padraig Regan had a double on the card as Confident Puma (30.05) and Casablanca (30.28) recorded victories in both the Advanced Cleaning Stakes A3 semi-finals over the 550 y trip.

Other winners were Shineasyougo 17.90, An Cul Baire 17.81, Send It Columba 29.65, Kileacle Wayne 29.02, Confident Puma 30.05, Cape Jonny 29.39.