The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Cruyff wins O’Carroll/O’Connor Cup at Lixnaw
CRUYFF enhanced his growing reputation when adding the O’Carroll/O’Connor Cup to his season’s haul at the club grounds in Lixnaw on Sunday. The final of the feature brought the curtain down on what will be considered amongst the best meetings ever held at the Ballinclogher venue. The hare stock was immense, fast and strong, with huge credit owed to the husbandry team.
Having scored at Kilflynn on the opening weekend of the season, it was no surprise that Cruyff heading the market in the long-odds book at 4/6. He easily accounted for Master Of Chaos by three lengths in the opening round but remained on his opening mark at the quarter final stage where he was pitted against the Sean Counihan trained Kerry Trump. The latter produced a good turn of early foot to lead through the opening exchanges and a shock appeared highly lightly as Cryuff struggled to make an impression passing halfway. However, the winner kept at it and got to the front in the dying strides of a long slip.
The son of Blades Of Hope and Might Be Magic again came from off the pace in the penultimate round against Blackpool Flyer, however it was done in more convincing fashion this time round and he pulled well clear of his rival from halfway to score by 2 ½ lengths.
The relatively unknown Brake And Clutch, owned by Conor Matthews from Down, progressed from the top half of the draw whilst producing some stellar performances along the way. Indeed the northern raider and Cruyff were priced ‘4/6 your pick’ going to slips for the deciding course. Both runners broke smartly although the Tom O’Connor trained Cruyff held a narrow lead over the opening yards. Brake And Clutch stayed in the slip stream of the leader throughout, but he could never get on terms and Cruyff held out for a hard earned ½ length victory.
Jointly owned by Richard Mee and trainer Tom O’Connor, the victory all but assures the Ballyheigue
runner of qualification for this season’s Champion Stakes at the National meeting.
There was a big shock in the final of the Mickey Murphy All Age Bitch Stake as Big Sive (Adios Alonso/ Big One) turned over the 1/5 priced ‘jolly’ Silent Wonder in the deciding course. The latter produced the fastest clock of the meeting in the penultimate round when defeating Crafty Perfecto by two lengths while Big Sive had a comfortable three-length success over Mannequin to reach the final. Silent Wonder made the early running however she failed to produce her usual turn of early pace and approaching halfway Big Sive was breathing down the neck of the leader. The latter made her bid for victory in the dying strides and pulled a half length clear on the opening turn. The winner is owned and trained by the Ryall family from Lixnaw.
Former Ballyduff and Kerry hurling great Pa O’Rourke produced the impressive Gonetoflorida to land the Derby Trial Stake. The April whelp by Howdododo and Staceys Girl clocked well throughout the Stake but he was the outsider in the final against the Paudie
Lyons trained Sheffield Steel. In a thrilling deciding course, the winner showed in front from slips however his advantage was minimal and the buckle was very much in the melting pot as they passed halfway. Decisively, Gonetoflorida pulled clear of his rival as they approached the opening score and took the flag by a length and a half. The winner will relish the test that Powerstown Park presents and he enters the Classic market at 25/1.
Ballymac Smokey (Drive On Smokey/ Ballymac Adelpha) was a convincing winner of the Reserve Oaks for Shane Dowling. The July whelp won all her courses independent and was as short as 1/5 in the final against Being Realistic. The winner showed in front off the white collar and while her rival battled hard to make an impression, the result was never in doubt with Ballymac Smokey pulling three lengths clear by the opening score. The winner will no doubt improve from the outing and possesses the capabilities to claim full Trial Stake honors as the season progresses.
Also catching the eye was Global Warming (Adios Alonso/ Moat Nancy) who won the Puppy Surplus Stake for Norman Prendiville, Castleisland. The April pup was pushed all the way to the opening turn by Old Court Jester in the deciding course, however the winner edged in front late on to land the spoils by a ½ length. Finally, the Local Stake was won by the Ava Lyons owned Wiseguy Gav (Wiseguy Mark/ Avas Sweetheart) who fashioned a convincing 6 length success over Black Is Beauty in the final.