Juvenile Classic final this Friday after postponement

THE weather interfered in a big way with racing at Tralee Track last week and the big casualty was, of course, the final of the GMHD Juvenile Classic.

The final of the juvenile classic, plus a great supporting programme of eleven other races, has been rescheduled for this Friday night and the occasion doubles up as a fund-raiser for Faha National School, which is sure to considerably boost the attendance.

Trainer Graham Holland holds the strongest hand in the final of the juvenile classic in Slippy Cian and Newinn Blake, but Liam Dowling (Ballymac Bolger), Pat Buckley (Droopys Davy) and Robert G Gleeson (Toolmaker Maxwel) are other big hitters and the English-owned Bellmore Jagger completes a field simply bristling with class.

From a Kerry point of view, it would be marvellous to see Liam Dowling win with Ballymac Bolger and this fellow holds a mighty chance from trap 5, but it will probably all come down to the order which the race takes off the first bend, as it usually does.

On semi-final running, Bellmore Jagger holds the best credentials, having clocked 28.32 (the next best semi-final time was 28.49 by Slippy Cian), but Ballymac Bolger clocked 28.37 in the first round and, of course, Slippy Cian, which has changed ownership, is the only unbeaten finalist.

Whatever the outcome, we are going to have a very worthy winner of the €14,000 first prize and, of course, all six finalists are going to have pretty fancy price tags attached to them, as, indeed, are others who failed to qualify for the final.

The best time of all in the event, 28.18, was produced in the first round by the Pat Buckley-trained Droopys Biker and this fellow is surely going to be aimed at the upcoming Con and Annie Kirby Memorial Sweepstake at Limerick (winner €80,000).

Droopys Biker actually raced at Limerick on February 24 and finished second to none other than Liam Dowling’s Chespirito. That clearly signalled the intentions of connections.

Entries for the Limerick event close on Monday, March 19, at 12 noon and first-round heats are arranged for Saturday, March 24. The final is on Saturday, April 21.

Meanwhile, Tralee Track raced on Tuesday night of last week, in advance of the bad weather which was predicted. The last race, though, fell victim to frost.

Fastest over the standard trip on the night was Stormy Vincent, which won the seventh race, for A3 class, in 29.05. This fellow had been without a win in six career starts, but he had shown plenty of promise in finishing second three times and third once and it was no surprise to see him break his duck at the seventh attempt.

Housed in trap 4, he was nicely priced at 5/2 and, after being second to the fast-starting Baltovin Bound off the first bend, he had the pace to be in front around the third bend and he mastered a game Baltovin Bound by a length on the run to the line, with another length back to 2/1 favourite, Saleen Isabella.

Stormy Vincent is owned by Dermot Fitzgerald, of Glin, who followed up by winning the ninth race (A2 525) with Stormy Jake, which he jointly owns with Thomas Fitzgerald. Stormy Jake, a 3/1 shot running from trap 5, was second to Lassa Excitement off the first bend and, in front around the third bend, he mastered Lassa Excitement coming home by half a length in 29.14.

Other winners: Send It Zebra, 29.62; Broadmill Ward, 30.35; Mohane Odie, 29.14; Glenanore Mattie, 29.49; Millridge Fay, 29.49; Slipalong Stacey, 29.62; Baltovin Donald, 30.16.