Nagle Rice NS and Milltown Centre profit from brilliant benefit night

TIME and again, the tremendous power that lies within rural communities is demonstrated at Tralee Track when benefit meetings are being held, and there was yet another striking example of that at the Oakview venue last Friday night when a huge crowd turned up to support a fund-raiser for Nagle Rice Primary School and Community Centre, Milltown.

The superb facilities at the Oakview venue lend themselves big-time to nights like this, but, of course, the work must first be properly put in at the organisational end and, in this case, it most certainly was (under the chairmanship of Mike McCarthy).

Securing the huge block of advertisements in the official programme was just one element to the whole thing. Sponsors were also secured for every one of eleven races, nominators were secured, buster tickets were sold and a raffle offered 17 prizes, including a night away for two people in the Strand Hotel, Limerick.

Sweetening it all was the fact that there were two main sponsors in Kerry Group and Kelly’s Londis and, between the whole lot, it can be safely assumed that the night turned over a very serious profit for the organising committee – to be used for the benefit of the Nagle Rice Community Centre and the all-weather pitch and playground at Nagle Rice Primary School.

Racing-wise, an eleven-race programme provided some very fast times, with the best of the lot being the 28.42 (.10 fast) recorded by Misty Nidge, owned by William Houlihan, of Ballyduff. A middle seed priced at 3/1 in the betting market, Misty Nidge simply bombed out of trap 5 in what was the fourth race (A3 525) and such was the dominance he exerted that he had seven lengths to spare at the line from Butcher Johnny.

Later on, the ninth race (A0/ A1 525) saw another 3/1 shot, the Chris Houlihan-trained Unleashthebeast, clock 28.48 (.10 fast) from another trap 5 draw. This fellow flew into the lead off the second bend ahead of Breton Charlie and he was well in control by the third bend. At the line, he had three and a half lengths to spare from Beepers Paddy.

There were other sub-29.00secs runs by Roys Legacy (28.69), Seomra Liz (28.82) and Bomber Rocket (28.85), while the other winners were: Another Black, 18.02; Bowline Norvic, 29.63; Feohanagh Ben, 18.20; Sir Bob, 17.76; Millridge Pedro, 29.43; Samba Style, 29.48

The going was .10 fast for all 525yds races and .05 fast for 325yds races.