Slippy Tommy time makes him the one to beat in A5 final

THE lotto money which was built up by the Supporters’ Club is being shoved into quite a few sweepstakes at Tralee Track and the latest of them was for twelve A5 greyhounds over 525yds on Saturday night.

Obviously, it meant just two semi-finals and the winner of the first of them, the Athea-owned Slippy Tommy, has become the one to beat in the final this Friday night – for the very good reason that he clocked by far the fastest time of 29.08.

Just one bookie, Patsy Browne, was chalking up the prices and he had Slippy Tommy up as a 6/4 joint favourite. The April ’16 son of Godsend and Mays Bodyguard, which ran from trap 1, appeared to have it all to do into the third bend when in fourth place behind Ardfert Carmac, Bowline Sienna and Ballyboy King, but he produced a finish of real substance which saw him score by two and a half lengths from Ardfert Carmac, with half a length back to Ballyboy King.

The winner of the second semi-final, the James O’Donnell-trained Youngfellathanks, was shorter at 5/4 and he, too, produced a strong enough run from the third bend to give him victory by three-quarters of a length over Teevee Dawn, with the same distance back to Philicheetah.

The time here, 29.69, was a long way behind that of Slippy Tommy, but things often change dramatically in sweepstakes from semi-final to final and, while Slippy Tommy has to be the fancy to win Friday night’s final, it could easily happen that any of the other five will win, particularly Ardfert Carmac and Ballyboy King from the two inside boxes.

The draw for the final is (trap order): Ardfert Carmac, Ballyboy King, Slippy Tommy, Youngfellathanks, Teevee Dawn, Philicheetah (W).

A ten-race programme on Saturday night also featured a good open 525 and Millridge Grant led from start to finish in 28.83, though Cash Is King did close to half a length at the line.

Other winners: Limitless One, 18.02; Trump Card, 29.13; Baltovin Dawn, 30.28; Kilcurry Fozzy, 18.16; Post Jule, 29.24; Light Foot Bella, 17.73; Ballydoyle Dan, 29.08.

The Tote Pick Six at the Oakview venue now has a jackpot of €6,000, but nobody managed to get beyond the third leg (race 5) on Saturday night. In the run-up to Christmas, though, especially with the bigger crowds coming for the Kingdom Derby and syndicates taking a strong interest, the chances are that it will be won.