The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Slippy Cain looks the one to beat in Friday’s GMHD Juvenile Classic final
THE GMHD.ie Insurances Juvenile Classic semi-finals were the feature of a top class card at the Kingdom Greyhound Stadium on Friday night last. This year’s renewal has produced racing of the highest standard and the scene is now set for an intriguing final on Friday night next.
Ballymac Bolger was all the rage in the betting ring prior to the opening semi-final and the Liam Dowling trained runner went to traps the 1/2 favourite. The race was a 5 runner event following the withdrawal of Pack Your Case from trap 6. Bellmore Jagger (Skywalker Puma/ Bellmore Shelly) was coming into the race on an upward curve have shown having improved with every run since the Stake begun.
The Derek Loughnane trained runner took a flyer from trap 2, and held a clear advantage into the opening bend from Ballymac Bolger who was drawn on his immediate inside. Surprisingly, Ballymac Bolger surrendered his position to Toolmaker Maxwel between the opening bends but Bellemore was extending his advantage with every stride out in front and had his rivals well stretched down the back straight. Toolmaker Maxwel did make a challenge between the closing bends, however he was forced to check and Bellmore Jagger kicked on up the home straight to finish 4 lengths clear of Toolmaker in an impressive time of 28.32. Ballymac Bolger claimed the final qualifying position 3 ½ lengths further back.
Slippy Cain (Crash/Global Liberty) maintained his unbeaten run in the Stake when stopping the clock in 28.49 in a keenly contested second semi-final. For the second week in succession, the Graham Holland trained runner once again missed the kick from trap rise as his kennel companion in the striped jacket, NewInn Blake, lead them into the opening bend.
However, his chances of success badly hampered off the opening turn as he collided with the inside runner Ashton Slippy. He recovered sufficiently to remain in front, but Slippy Cain displayed good track craft to dice through his rivals through the opening curves and loomed large as he set off in pursuit of the leader down the back straight. The winner moved up on the outside of the leader at the third and ran on powerfully up the home straight to cross the line three lengths clear of NewInn Blake with Droopys Davy a further length back in third position. The performance of Droopys Davey to qualify was truly phenomenal considering he was tailed off last through the opening bends.
GMHD.ie Juvenile Classic Final Trap draw: 1. Droopys Davey 2. Toolmaker Maxwel 3. Bellemore Jagger 4. Slippy Cain 5. Ballymac Bolger 6. NewInn Blake
Slippy Cain has been sluggish leaving boxes thus far in the Classic and he must now contend with Ballymac Bolger on his outside who will no doubt be looking for the rails early. Liam Dowling’s runner appears to got a tough draw in the orange jacket. The early paced Bellemore Jagger looks well housed in trap 3. We can expect the latter and NewInn Blake to battle it out for early supremacy.
If Slippy Cain gets a clear run round then he looks very hard to oppose, but there may well be traffic congestion at the first and the front two may well battle it out between them for the crown. Droopys Davey finished like a rocket from halfway last week and may sneak into contention off the closing bends.
CASTLEISLAND’S Noel Browne had an impressive double on the card. Coolavanny Ella (Tyrur Bigmike/ Yahoo Perlena) led throughout to claim the sixth race of the night which was a grade A0 contest. She was smartly into her stride form trap 4 and had the field well strung out down the back straight. The 9/4 favourite stayed on well to finish 2 ½ lengths clear of Unleashthebeast back in second. The winner’s time was 28.64. Coolavanny Arkle (Laughill Blake/ Toms Delight) completed the double in the final race of the night when justifying odds of even money to finish 1 ½ lengths clear of Nice Mystery in a smart time of 28.79.
JUST four runners went to post for the Con & Anne Kirby Trial Stake and it was the outsider of the quartet, Carmac Express (Scolari Me Daddy/ Carmac Cyrus), that upset the odds at 5/1. The Timmy Carmody owned runner broke well from trap 3 and a good dash of early saw him lead at the opening bend. With some trouble between traps 4 and 1 at the first, the Ardfert owned runner extended his advantage out in front. The gap did close considerably late on, but Carmac Express withheld Beaming Paradise by a length at the line in a career best 28.50.
Other winners on the night were Lisseycasey Dot 29.65, Rocket Pocket 28.93, Fastnet Bay 29.57, Niamhs Big Mike 28.89, Lassa Exult 17.4 and Giovan Astral 29.03