Bridgets Jones impresses for Foley and Carr

WHEN it comes to sporting entertainment in Kerry, there is no better nightly venue for it than Tralee Track and nobody should ever forget the part played by the late Eileen Kelliher, of Castleisland, in making possible the brilliant facilities that people enjoy today. Indeed, it would be no more than appropriate if, all these years after her death, the track was named after her.

The place is meant to very comfortably house a big crowd and we certainly had that last Saturday night. The Kerry Rose of Tralee contestants graced the occasion with their presence, First Communion families brought plenty of added life to the upstairs area and, giving a further boost to the attendance figures, visiting tourists were to be seen just about everywhere.

Tralee Track certainly thrives on nights like this and, of course, we are going to have the biggest crowd of the year turning up this Saturday night for the final of the Lee Strand A3 550 Sweepstake, with the Tralee creamery again pulling out all the stops to ensure that.

In relation to last Saturday night’s racing, the star of the show proved to be a greyhound which came into the seventh race (A2 525) as a reserve, namely Bridgets Jones, jointly owned by Sean Carr and Liam Foley, of Asdee and Lisselton.

This lady blew out of trap 3 and she won by two lengths from the strong-finishing Feora Star in a quite superb 28.62 on going rated .10 fast. She was 2/1 with the only bookmaker present, Patsy Browne, but she paid a remarkable €33.10 to a €1 place bet on the tote (she paid €8.90 to a €1 win bet).

Speaking of Patsy Browne, the IGB owes this man a big debt of gratitude because there would be no betting odds returned from Tralee Track on the nights when he is the only one framing the odds.

It so happened that odds weren’t required for the last of eleven races on Saturday night because a problem which arose with the hare in running meant that it was declared void. Watch out for Mohane Joey in the re-run!

Other winners on a night when the going was .10 fast for all 525yds races and .05 fast for 325yds races were: Garfiney Champ, 17.84; Carraundulkeen, 29.24; Patsys Opinion, 18.01; Coolemore Blaze, 29.03; Kingdom Queen, 29.21; Oak Sharp, 18.04; Feora Legend, 29.01; Rushpool Dream, 29.58; Irremore Phoebe, 29.78.