The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Ballyard Beach wins Rose A4 final for Liam Dowling
IT might have been unusual to have had a Wednesday night setting for it, a couple of days in advance of the official start of the Rose of Tralee festival at that, but, by general agreement, the final of the Speedrite Rose of Tralee A4 525 Sweepstake (winner, €2,750), and all that went with it, was an overwhelming success at Tralee Track on Wednesday night of last week. The 2017 Rose of Tralee and all the 2018 Rose contestants brought a wonderful atmosphere to the occasion and a huge crowd enjoyed it all no end. The racing was nearly secondary to it all, but the Rose of Tralee Final did head up an excellent programme and it provided a particularly good winner in Ballyard Beach, owned and trained by the master himself, Liam Dowling. Ballymac Beach, a March ’17 bitch by Ballymac Vic out of Rockaway Beach, was sent off the 6/4 favourite from a trap 3 draw and this despite the fact that she was never better than third in any round and, in fact, she only got through to the second round by being one of the four fastest fifths in the first round. However, she was viewed as being very unlucky at the semi-final stage when badly baulked when challenging for the lead on the back straight and, very clearly, this influenced the fact that she was 6/4 favourite. Question was: would she enjoy better luck in running when it mattered most? The answer was fairly quickly forthcoming. Once the traps went up, she was the one hopping out in front and none of the others stood a chance with her. She sailed home four lengths ahead of Pawsfordell in a quite magnificent 28.54, with the same distance back to Teevee Baily. Hot and all as her time was, there was an even faster run of 28.45 in the very next race (A1 525) by Ballyboy King, owned by Michael Bourke, of Ballylongford. Installed the 5/4 favourite and housed in trap 5, he swept into the lead off the second bend and such was the dominance he enjoyed that he had seven lengths to spare at the line from another of Liam Dowling’s bitches, Ballymac Garden. The night’s programme saw four finals in all decided and the first of them for A8 class over the standard trip and sponsored by the track supporters’ club (winner, €700), saw a bit of a turn-up with the defeat of 2/5 favourite, Ballyard Paris, by 3/1 second favourite, Boxer Rocky, owned by Tom Hegarty, of Lisselton. Ballyard Paris badly missed the break and she also met with interference on the run to the first bend. It was so different with Boxer Rocky, which came away very smartly from trap 4 and had the race well in control by the third bend before finishing two lengths in front of Droumeragh Olive in 29.27, with half a length back to Ballyard Paris. Next up was the final of an A6 525 sweepstake sponsored by Bolgers Fabrications (winner, €550) and another 2/5 favourite, Allaughaun Jet, was beaten here to powerfully underline the uncertainty of the greyhound racing game. Like Ballyard Paris, she, too, go it all wrong at the break (from trap 4) and victory rested with Feora Big Mike (3/1), owned by Michael A Reidy, of Ballyheigue. Feora Big Mike, which ran from trap 3, powered past the front-running Anascaul Jimmy on the back straight and he went on to score by three and a half lengths from Allaghaun Lough in 28.84, with three-quarters of a length back to You Go First. The remaining sweepstake final, for A1 class over 550yds and sponsored by Atlantic Oils (winner, €750) saw Michael A Reidy’s brother, Ger, score with the English-owned Rangers Quest (5/2), which absolutely flew out of trap 5 and won by a length and a half from 6/4 joint favourite, Palatine Diva, in 29.94, with a neck back to another Ger Reidy runner, Lee Smasher, which took a right clatter rounding the first bend. Between everything, it was a night to remember for the very best of reasons, with the presence of all the Roses right at the top of the list, and all due credit to the track management under Declan Dowling for ensuring that everything ran so smoothly. How fortunate the county is to have a venue so capable of hosting a great night like this and, in saying that, one name above all others springs to mind – that of the late Eileen Kelliher, of Castleisland, whose vision and energy was so instrumental in making the present Oakview stadium a reality. Other winners at the Rose of Tralee meeting: Ballintober, 18.35; Rattlesnake Lady, 29.61; Pennylane Darrs, 17.74; Slipalong Stsacey, 28.79 Solo Style, 29.55. • The 525yds races and 550yds race were rated .10 slow and the 325yds races were rated .05 slow, by ongoing edict.