Bowline Sienna impresses in A3 win on Friday card

IT was very much he calm after the storm at Tralee Track on Saturday night following all the excitement of the GMHD juvenile classic 24 hours earlier, but a ten-race programme and very good televised action from Shelbourne Park, notably the final of the €25,000-to-the-winner Easter Cup, kept those who turned up well entertained.

The leading light at the Oakview venue proved to be a bitch called Bowline Sienna, jointly owned by Denis and Danny Gallagher, of Tarbert. Bearing in mind her proven starting ability, she looked particularly good value in the betting at 5/2 in the seventh race (A3 525) and she duly cut out the pace from trap 4, to such an impressive extent that she was a four-length leader from Russmur Pearl rounding the third bend.

She was most definitely not for catching in that situation and she hit the line two lengths ahead of Stormy Pippa in a fastest of the night 28.89 for the standard trip.

One race earlier, Eidel Dacota won over 325yds (S4 class) for John Gleeson, of Lixnaw, and the remarkable thing about this is that, although she was a 5/4 joint favourite, she paid €23.80 to a €1 win unit on the tote.

Things like that happen on a reasonably frequent basis at Tralee Track and it absolutely makes a joke of the €1.02 which is so often paid for places on the tote in horseracing – and they don’t have to be favourites either.

At Gowran Park last Saturday, for instance, two 3/1 joint second favourites, which finished first and third in the second race, paid just €1.02 for a place, with the 10/11 favourite, which finished second, also paying €1.02 for a place. The 3/1 winner, Epicuris, paid just €2.60 to a €1 win unit.

How off-putting is all of that. Anyway, Eidel Dacota did the business from trap 6 in very smart fashion, overtaking Homestead Vicky rounding the first bend and driving on for a three-length victory over her in 18.09.

There were four sprints altogether and times of 17.73 and 17.88 were recorded by Bridewell Ruby and Knockeen Ridge, respectively, while the other winners were: Kilcurra Finn, 18.59; Weighbridge Sky, 29.43; Headleys Jumbo, 29.58; Jasons Perl, 29.30; Mohane Odie, 29.20; Feora Star, 29.14.