Tuesday racing produced not a single favourite winner

THE Tuesday night meetings at Tralee Track have a bigger reach than just the betting offices of Ireland and Great Britain, with American dollars, apparently, being bet online into the tote pools, and, for sure, not too many of the punters, either at home or abroad, made money at last week’s meeting – for the very good reason that not a single favourite won any of the ten races.

There were two 7/1 winners, two 6/1 winners, three 4/1 winners and three 3/1winners. Great odds, it has to be said, but picking any winner on a Tuesday night has become a very a difficult exercise because of particularly tight grading. You can have the same greyhounds meeting on a regular basis and this is one game where you can’t count too much on previous form.

The fastest winner at last week’s meeting (A2 525) had enjoyed little luck in recent outings and was allowed to start at 6/1. That was Fermoyle Daithi, owned by Cahersiveen doggy man, John Sugrue.

This time, Fermoyle Daithi did everything right from trap 2, leading around the opening bend from Millridge Messie and striding clear quite magnificently for a seven-length victory over Knockfinisk Glen in 28.81.

John Sugrue had a much more fancied runner earlier in Fermoyle Joker, which was 5/2 favourite, but, despite running on really well, this fellow lost out by three-quarters of a length to Bellamac Tori in 29.65 (A5 525).

The joint owners of Bellamac Tori, Anne and Jane Moloney, are from Kilkee in Co Clare and it was a long way home for them with no Shannon Ferry available after racing at this time of year, but, when you win, the road always shortens very nicely.

Just outside 29.00 seconds on the night was Hobo Jack, which Neilus O’Connell trains in Limerick for Thomas Lynch, of Ballylongford. This fellow was an even bigger outsider than Fermoyle Daithi, at 7/1 (A3 525), and, just like John Sugrue’s charge, he won in the manner of an odds-on shot, shooting past the front running Clonkil Storm rounding the third bend and going on to master her by four and a half lengths in 29.02.

Other winners were Dixie Piper (3/1), 18.26; Oak Scene (3/1), 18.06; Lisahane Jayfkay (7/1), 29.41; Coolykereen Best (3/1), 29.27; Millabbey Sky (4/1), 17.88; Carrig West (6/1), 29.48; Omega Roz (4/1), 29.63.