The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Ballinorig Rock shows age is no object as he wins A8/A9 contest No luck for Wisdom in Juvenile Derby
BALLINORIG Rock will be six years old next February, which is the equivalent of 42 years in human terms, but the son of Cashen Legend and Champhers Legacy is still able to put a very good foot forward, and he proved that by winning the fourth race at the Oakview venue on Friday night.
Back to A8/A9 class and a 2/1 shot in the betting, Ballinorig Rock took a real flier from trap 3 and, although Valarian Prince (trap 5) threatened him big-time rounding the third bend, his determination carried him to victory by three-quarters of a length over the Templeglantine dog in 30.21 (.30 slow).
It was his eighth victory from 48 starts and he has been placed 22 times.
There were, of course, much faster winners on the night and the best of them was the Neilus O’Connell-trained Knocktoo Ted in the last race (A4 525).
Knocktoo Ted (2/1) had been running at Shelbourne Park of late, without success, and it wasn’t easy to see him winning after an average enough break from trap 1. However, he ran the first bend really well to be second off it to the fast-starting Milly Moo (trap 3) and he revealed his true potential in a big way after that by overtaking Milly Moo rounding the third bend and driving clear for a six-length victory over 5/4 favourite, Sporting Fortune, which was also back from running at Shelbourne Park.
The winning time was 28.80 on going rated .30 slow, which was pretty exceptional for an A4 class race, and, interestingly, Knocktoo Ted was the only winner on the night to run from trap 1, which certainly doesn’t deliver the winners as freely as it did back the years on the old grass track.
Also inside 29.00secs in the ninth race (A1 525) was the Glinowned Pulley Nibbs, which made all from trap 4 to score by a length from Faithful Swank in 28.99 and follow up most impressively on another fine sub-29.00secs run a week previously.
Once again, the tote paid a few remarkable dividends, the most notable of them on the winner of the opening race, Santarino Dru. The win dividend on this fellow was €66.70 to a €1 stake and the place dividend was an even more remarkable €80.90 to a €1 stake.
Santarino Dru got up on the line for a short-head victory over Baltovin Justin in 18.15 (.15 slow), while the other winners were: Russmur Doll, 30.55; Espoir Dadare, 29.49; Leaha Katie, 29.32; Mixture, 18.18; Sugar Plum Fairy, 29.66; Youngfellathanks, 29.31.
LIAM Dowling enjoyed no luck with Ballymac Wisdom in the final of the Dublin Coach Juvenile Derby at Shelbourne Park on Friday night and he had to be satisfied with a consolation prize of €1,400. Ballymac Wisdom badly missed the break from trap 4 and was never a factor in the race.
Winner of the winner’s purse of €22,500 was the John A Linehan-trained Broadstrand Bono, which was 6/4 favourite and beat Glenlara Ace by two and a half lengths in 28.25 (.20 fast).