The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Johnny O’Sullivan tops the IGB money list for private trainers
THE IGB honour lists for the 2017 greyhound racing year have been published and that outstanding Castleisland handler, Johnny O’Sullivan, holds the distinction of topping the one for private trainers based on prize money.
The figure won by Johnny’s greyhounds totalled €49,206 and, of course, his kennel star, Native Chimes, was responsible for €36,660 of that.
Indeed, only three other greyhounds bettered the prize money won by Native Chimes, namely Good News, Clonbrien Hero and Bentekes Boko. Mind you, Native Chimes was a bit adrift in fourth place, with Good News well out ahead on a massive €161,725 and the other two exceeding €80,000.
Johnny O’Sullivan’s greyhounds won a total of 27 races in all, placing him in twelfth place in the respective category.
Needless to say, Ballymacelligott trainer, Liam Dowling, figured prominently in a number of lists. He was seventh overall for prize money won by public trainers, with total winnings by him of €60,683, of which €17,883 was won by his own bitch, Coolavanny Pet.
Liam figured even higher, in sixth place, for total victories by an owner (55 in all) and, as a public trainer, he won a total of 73 races, placing him twelfth in the national list.
Gerard Dowling, of Listowel, figures on four lists – 11th as a private trainer with winnings of €14,317, tenth for the number of races won as a private trainer (31), 17th for prize money won as an owner (€26,562) and 19th for the number of races won as an owner (35).
More than impressive, all of this. Tralee’s Anthony Slattery also distinguished himself by being 17th in the list of races won by private trainers (25) and his charge, Sign On Garfiney, was joint fourth for races won, which was 13 (Ballyduff’s Jason Fifi was just one victory behind, on twelve). Anthony Slattery also made into the list of prizemoney won by private trainers – 20th place, with €9,873.
Abbeydorney’s Brendan Maunsell made it into the list of public trainers with prize money of €27,358, while two big outside hitters at Tralee, Limerick’s Neilus O’Connell and Cork’s Donal G O’Mahony, also figured very prominently - O’Connell with 104 victories by his charges and O’Mahony with 79 wins as an owner and €33,626 in prize money.
Congratulations to all those who made it so honourably into the various lists and let’s hope that 2018 will be another year of high achievement for Kerry trainers, owners and their greyhounds.
SATURDAY SIS MEETING
THIS was the only meeting held at Tralee Track last weekend, with Friday’s programme aborted because of very bad weather and no racing scheduled for Saturday night. The going on Saturday afternoon, quite remarkably, varied from .80 seconss slow for the first race to .30 seconds slow for the last race.
The winners were Slipalong Pearl, 30.22 (.80 slow); Pony Beauty, 29.72 (.70 slow); Manhattan Sky, 29.83 (.60 slow); Bowline Arrow, 29.62 (.60 slow); Ballyboy King, 29.28 (.50 slow); Shronedraugh Act, 29.17 (.40 slow); Giovan Astral, 29.32 (.40 slow); She’s Able, 29.12 (.30 slow).
CON AND ANNIE KIRBY MEMORIAL SWEEPSTAKE
THIS brilliant annual event at Limerick Track will again be worth €80,000 to the winner thanks to continued sponsorship by JP McManus. It starts on Saturday, March 24, and is for 72 greyhounds born from January 2016 onwards.
There is an entry fee of €200 for 54 of those greyhounds, while the other 18 will have free entry by winning a qualifier at the different tracks around the country.
Entries close on Monday, March 19, and one can safely assume that there will be a strong Kerry flavour to it. Hopefully so, anyway.
Last Friday’s aborted 12-race programme at Tralee will be run off this Friday night, with racing also taking place on Saturday afternoon and Saturday night.