Athea trained Rathronan Blake wins A6 525 in super fast time

ONE night, the run of a race can go completely against you. The next night, things can work out perfectly for you. That, in essence, sums up why Rathronan Blake won the final of a €700-to-the-winner A6 525 sweepstake sponsored by the supporters’ club at Tralee Track on Saturday night for trainer, Sean Hunt, and owner, Jack Hunt, of Athea.

At the semi-final stage a week previously, everything went wrong in running for Rathronan Blake and he was beaten into second place by the Castleisland-owned Voltair Hope, with a lengthy and a half separating them at the line in 29.67.

Last Saturday night, it was all so different in the final. Rathronan Blake took a flier from trap 4, led around the opening bend from Voltair Hope and Knockallaoscar and he proceeded to control matters to the extent that he had ten lengths to spare at the line from Voltair Hope, with half a length back to Knockallaoscar.

Then the announcement of the time – a quite magnificent 28.68. This was just a single spot short of an improvement of a full second from semi-final to final (for a novice at that) and, for sure, Rathronan Blake has become a very valuable piece of property.

An improvement of 99 spots, by the way, represents just over 14 lengths and, while nobody could have been expecting that kind of improvement, the bookmakers were well aware that he was capable of serious improvement and had him priced pretty short at 4/6. Trust those boys to size things up well.

There was also a run of 28.80 earlier in the night by Mamaknows Best, owned by Sean Bowen, of Carrignavar, Co Cork. It’s a sizeable journey from Carrignavar to Tralee, but the manner of the victory by Mamaknowsbest in a 525yds race for A4 class, plus a purse of €310, made that journey well worthwhile.

Mamaknows Best, a 3/1 shot running from trap 3, took up the running after being on the inside of Baltovin Bound rounding the first bend and she went to score by five lengths from Bowline Arrow in what was a career best run for her in 24 starts.

Three first-round heats of another sweepstake sponsored by the track supporters’ club, this one for eighteen A4 class greyhounds over the standard trip and worth €1,250 to the winner, also formed part of the night’s programme and the fastest winner, on 29.11 in heat 3, was Homestead Vicky, owned by Dan Lynch, of Causeway.

Excellent early pace from trap 2 enabled Homestead Vicky to lead around the opening bend from Send It Tonight and Chas Book and this was also to be the order of the finish, with Homestead Vicky (6/4 joint fav) always very much in control and winning by six lengths from Send It Tonight, with two and a half lengths back to Chas Book.

The Timmy Carmody-trained Carmac Luna won heat 2 in 29.22. One of four 2/1 joint favourites running from trap 5, she did it very nicely from the front as well and finished three lengths ahead of Tureenderach, with half a length back to Millridge Jewel.

Heat 1 was won in 29.49 by 6/4 joint favourite, Millroad Grit, owned by Richard Lanigan, of Rathkeale. It was very tight at the finish here, with Millroad Grit prevailing by just a short head from Prinnycruising – an outcome that looked far from likely when these two were fifth and last off the opening bend. Third, a neck behind Prinnycruising, was Fermoyle Trump.

Four qualified from each heat and the semi-finals take place this Saturday night, with the draw working out as follows (trap order): First semi-final: Ballyhar George, Fermoyle Trump, Swift Morgan, Millroad Grit, Carmac Luna, Millridge Jewel.

Second semi-final: Dog Gone It, Tureenderach, Chas Book, Send It Tonight, Homestead Vicky, Pinnycruising (W).

Other winners on Saturday night: Lenas Molly, 29.57; Millridge Posh, 29.33; Baltovin Rumble, 17.81; Knockunder Brody, 17.67; Shlowdown Janey, 29.35.

SATURDAY MORNING SIS MEETING

Just one favourite, Brindle Ciss (2/1), obliged at Saturday morning’s SIS meeting, being one of six winners to get inside 29.00secs – on 28.83.

The other winners were: Sporting Breno, 28.86; Loher Sid, 28.91; Payyaway Mandy, 29.25; Tims Ranger, 28.91; Our River, 28.84; Maries Song, 29.22; Solo Rock, 28.92.