Sign On Tiger and Bawns Lady lands 15/1 double for Slattery

TRALEE was the only track in Ireland racing on Tuesday, December 27, and it was pretty low-key after all the excitement of the Kingdom Derby final the previous Friday.

Mind you, there were some excellent winners and topping the list was undoubtedly Sign On Tiger, which clocked a quite superb 17.50 for the 325yds trip (race 7 for S1 class).

Sign On Tiger, an October ’12 whelping by Cashen Legend out of Garfiney Beauty), is trained locally by Anthony Slattery for his wife Betty and, while he was easy to back at 3/1, he had a lot to recommend him on previous form and he actually turned the race into something of a rout.

He came away from trap 4 like a scalded cat and, once that happened, the only thing to be decided was his margin of victory – which proved to be four and a half lengths over Millabbey Sky, with a neck back to Deadly Gorge.

This was his 60th race and if Anthony Slattery is able to keep him in the same sparkling form he could well go on a bit of a run. Already, he has 17 wins to his credit, with 40 placings, and he will certainly command plenty of attention next time out.

Anthony Slattery also won an earlier sprint, for S3 class, with another 3/1 shot, Bawns Lady, to make it a very nice 15/1 double for him. This lady, owned by Maura Brosnan, of Dingle, also achieved a flying start (from trap 3), which enabled her to win a really exciting finish by half a length from Lithuanian Adam in 17.96, with a head back to Oak River.

In her previous two races, Bawns Lady had been beaten by Lithuanian Adam, with two lengths separating them a week previously in 18.17 (.05 slow), and, with a lot of greyhounds competing week after week at the Tuesday meetings, they are guaranteed to be meeting soon again.

Over 525yds, the fastest winner, marginally, was Coisceim Beag, which won the last race of the night (A4 525) in 28.91 for Juliana and Seán Óg O’Keeffe, of Lixnaw. She was sent off the 2/1 favourite from a trap 1 draw, but she looked like being upstaged by Knockout Drift, which was two and a half lengths ahead of her rounding the third bend.

However, Coisceim Beag produced a sustained challenge coming home which saw her get up on the line for a head victory over the Athea dog.

Just a single spot behind Coisceim Beag, on 28.92, was Kilburn Dude, owned by Michael O’Donnell, of Ventry. He came into trap 1 as a reserve for the absent Pennylane Lucky in the eighth race (A1 525) and, on the strength of a narrow victory a week previously in 29.18 (.10 slow), he shared favouritism at 2/1 with Bolus Pete (trap 3).

It was to be no narrow victory this time. Kilburn Dude swept past the front-running Baltovin Rose turning for home and he hit the line two and a half lengths ahead of Bolus Pete, with a further two lengths back to Clinical.

The latter was last turning for home and he produced a finish which clearly suggested that he would be eminently suited by a longer trip.

Overall, it was a reasonably good night for fancied greyhounds, with four 2/1 shots and one 6/4 shot obliging, but there also was a 5/1 winner (Manhattan Steve) and a 4/1 winner (Brackers Brandy), to balance things out for the three layers on duty.

These layers offer really good odds at every Tuesday meeting, but, then, these meetings are shown live in all the betting offices of Ireland and Great Britain and the regular customers in those offices probably wouldn’t accept anything less.

Mind you, it can be very difficult to identify likely winners any night because of very tight grading.

The other winners at last week’s Tuesday meeting were: Aughacasla Jet (5/2), 29.35; Millridge Misty (6/4), 29.27; Lybes Sir Ron (2/1), 29.38; Mohane Sparky )2/1), 29.15; Brackers Brandy (4/1), 29.26; Manhattan Steve (5/1), 29.11.