Two from ten for O’Connor

TEN races – and not a single victory for a bitch!

Scartaglin trainer Maurice O’Connor supplied two of the ten winners.

O’Connor initiated his double in the eighth race (A4 525) with College Bell (Head Bound – Boreenmanna Girl), owned by Frank Culloty, of Killarney, he of College Causeway fame.

College Bell (2/1) flew to the first bend from a trap 4 draw and he totally dominated as the race progressed, finishing four lengths ahead of 6/4 favourite, Coolavanny Alfie, which didn’t enjoy the clearest of runs around the opening bend. The time was 28.81.

O’Connor immediately followed up by winning the ninth race (AA0/ A0 525) with 5/4 favourite, Senans Forever, which is owned by a syndicate headed up by Aiden Behan, of Lixnaw.

Running from trap 5, this fellow was nicely positioned off the first bend behind narrow leader, Confident Cato, and, in front rounding the third bend, he went on to score by two lengths from Lassa Excitement in 28.73, with the same distance back to a reserve, Bolus Pete.

The programme on the night was headed up by two semi-finals of the Tarbert GAA A6 525 Buster Sweepstake (winner, €670) and the Martin Moriarty-trained Lisloose Kingdom emerged as very much the fastest winner on 28.92 and, indeed, it could well happen that Lisloose Kingdom and his litter brother, Yes Maybe, could fill the first two places in the final this Friday night (there is no racing on Saturday night).

Lisloose Kingdom, which is jointly owned by Liam Lynch (chairman of the Austin Stacks GAA Club) and Seamus Begley, was sent off the 4/6 favourite from a trap 3 draw in the first semi-final and he showed just how unlucky he was a week previously in a race for A8 class.

Mind you, those who backed him can’t have been too happy when he broke last of the field from trap 3, but he ran really well to the first bend and, afforded plenty of room on the rails, he was able to lead off the bend from Aughacasla Jet and Roving Lily.

That had to be that, based on the way he came from off the pace to be second to Cashen Jaguar seven nights previously, and, sure enough, he impressively extended to score by six lengths from Aughacasla Jet in 28.92, with four and a half lengths back to Quality Song.

Lisloose Kingdom’s litter brother, Yes Maybe, was even-money favourite to win the second semi-final, but things worked nothing like as well for him.

He also missed the break from trap 5 and there was to be no smooth early run for him. Indeed, he hit Dromscarra Katie a right clatter at the rear of the field rounding the first bend and was never going to win after that.

He did run on very strongly to be second to Ballyhar Bubble in 29.32, but victory was always going to belong to the September ’14 son of Razldazl George and Hi Five Emily, which is owned by Ann O’Neill, of Killarney.

Housed in trap 1, Ballyar Bubble (5/2) led off the first bend from Pawsforvic, Mainroad Katiet and Banfid Alba and he was never in danger of defeat thereafter, finishing two and a half lengths ahead of Yes Maybe, with a length back to Pawsforvic.

The draw for Friday night’s final wasn’t exactly kind to Lisloose Kingdom, putting him in trap 4, whereas Yes Maybe was lucky enough to get trap 1 and, with a slicker start, this fellow is likely to come into the equation big-time. However, it is very hard to ignore the run of 28.92 by Lisloose Kingdom and he is given the vote.

The draw is (trap order): Yes Maybe, Pawsforvic, Quality Song, Lisloose Kingdom, Aughacasla Jet, Ballyhar Bubble.

The going for the two semi-finals of the Tarbert sweepstake and later races was deemed to be standard, but the first four races were .20 slow and .10 slow for 525yds and 325yds, respectively.

One of the later races saw Jasons Fifi brilliantly follow up on his victory in the recent supporters’ club sweepstake final (he made all to win in 29.03), while other winners were: Seomra Starwars, 18.25; Hellroad Anchor, 29.51; Knocknaboul Hawk, 29.47; Cape Icon, 18.14; Palatine Boss, 29.07.