The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Kerry luck runs out at National Meeting
THE National Coursing meeting provided its usual mix of thrills and spills at Powerstown Park last weekend as upwards on 30,000 people made their annual pilgrimage to the town of Clonmel. Unfortunately there was to be no winners from Kerry this time round, although a gallant effort by the Paudie Lyons trained Wiseguy Mark came up just short as he went down to Blades of Fire in the penultimate round of the Boylesports Derby.
Well supported throughout the event, Wiseguy Mark and Ballinveala Yolo, who was running in the colours of Ballybunion’s Vincent Purtill, were the sole Kerry survivors as the Classic entered its third and final day. Both dogs were pitted against each other in the third quarter and served up a terrific buckle which hung in the balance till the dying strides.
Ballinveala was first to show from slips and really threw down the gauntlet to his fancied rival with a terrific turn of early foot. Indeed Ballinveala held the edge for much of the course but Wiseguy Mark wore down his rival on the rising ground and edged in front of his rival as they approached the closing stages of pulsating course.
Lyon’s runner faced off against long-odds favourite Blades Of Fire (Adios Alonso/Blades Of Glory) at the semi-final stage, but it proved a step too far for the Lixnaw owned dog, eventually going down by 2 ½ lengths at the opening turn.
The opening semi-final also produced a Jerry Holian trained winner as Reikers Island (Adios Alonso/Blades Of Glory) easily accounted for a tired Ballygerald Buzz who seemed to run flat following a hard hunt in his quarter-final success over Wheres Mr Wilks.
As both finalists were running under the ownership of Mary Guiney, from Rathkeale, and Mary O’Kelly, from Mullingar, the final was divided between the pair and both will now have their names etched to the sport’s most famous Roll of Honour as joint Derby champions 2017.
The Horse and Jockey Hotel sponsored Oaks was won in emphatic fashion by the Bill McAuliffe trained Knockout Glory (Adios Alonso/Knockout Kate) from Athea, Co Limerick. She upset the odds in spectacular style at the quarter final stage when she lowered the colours of the Owen McKenna trained Dicks Bimbo, who was the 6/4 market leader at the time.
She easily accounted for Yodgik by six lengths to progress through to the final course where she sported the white collar against the Brendan Matthews trained Gadget Queen. It was 4/6 your pick as the pair made their way to slips for the deciding course, but a terrific turn of early foot by the West Limerick proved the catalyst for her famous victory as she quickly opened a two-length advantage which she maintained through to the opening turn. The winner is owned by Liam McAuliffe from Athea.
There was a double on the card for Westmeath’s Declan Carr as he produced litter comrades Killucan Rose (Johnny Casanova/ Your Symbolic) and Howdododo to win both the Champion Bitch Stake and Champion Stakes respectively.
Killucan Rose upset the odds when defeating Skellig Jewel by two lengths in the deciding buckle, while Howdododo was put to the pin of his collar in his final course against Kyle Mozart who pushed his rival all the way to the opening turn with the winner just about shading it in a ‘just-up’ decision.
The Ardfert owned Mouseinthehouse lost out in the final of the T.A. Morris Stakes as he went down to a determined performance by Abunchoftools (Adios Alonso/ Tanyard Kerry). Running in the colours of Eugene and Eoghan Costello, the North Kerry runner produced some scintillating displays throughout the event but he came unstuck in the final against the John Browne trained runner who took the opening score by a couple of lengths.
Finally, The Kitty Butler Stakes was won by the Noreen McManus owned Illwaitforyou (Razor Ashmore/Collect Me Now) who came from off the pace to defeat Oilean Cailin by 3 ½ lengths and secure a second winner of the day for Athenry trainer Gerry Holian.