The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Brassil heading to National meeting with at least eight runners
SOUTHOFHERE ran out a decisive winner of the All Age Bitch Stake at Cahill Park last Sunday afternoon for the delayed Castleisland coursing meeting. Her success capped a tremendous season for Abbeydorney handler Dan Brassil who now heads to the National Meeting in three weeks time with no less than eight qualifiers.
Now in her third season, the winner showed her appetite for the game is as sharp as ever when romping to victory against formidable opposition. 3/1 in the long-odds book, Southofhere needed victory in the deciding course against Our Girl Adajio to be guaranteed a place in this season’s Champion Bitch Stakes. Making the perfect start off the white collar, the daughter of Adios Alonso and Loyal Leader quickly opened a commanding lead and stayed the trip well to score by a length.
Connections of the runner-up were compensated by the fact that the points gained have comfortably qualified her for the All Age event at the National Meeting. For Southofhere it will be a third trip in a row to the National Meeting where her best showing was running-up to Blades Of Honour in the final last term.
Netflixandchill (NewInn Wonder/Blades of Steel) confirmed qualification for this season’s
Champion Stake following his success in the Island Cup at Cahill Park last weekend. Having already claimed silverware at Killimer/Kilrush and Limerick City, the Shane Flanagan trained runner impressed throughout the feature event, however his task was made much simpler following the withdrawal of both Cryuff and long odds favourite Boylesports Magic from the penultimate round.
The pair were due to meet and in the opening semi-final which resulted in the remaining buckle of the round between Downunder Wonder and Netfixandchill taking on extra significance as it would ultimately produce the winner of the event. The latter held the edge on the bookies board but there was little to choose between the pair through the opening yards. The winner began to build a head of steam on the rising ground and drew clear of his rival from halfway to take the flag with relative ease by 2 lengths. The Clare runner was subsequently declared the winner of the event with no runner up. The result meant that Netflixandchill is the leading point’s scorer in this season’s Champion Stakes leader board on 17 points.
The Derby Trial Stake got underway on Friday with eventual winner Granard Gust (Adios Alonso/Granard Storm) priced at 10/1 for the 64 runner event. His best form from two previous outings came when he lost out to eventual runner up Portane Turbo in the second round at Millstreet. However he improved with every run over the weekend and headed the market at even money by the penultimate round on Sunday.
The March son of Adios Alonso and Granard Storm booked the white collar in the deciding course following victory over Our Boy Gringo and really stood up in the final when holding off a late challenge by local hope Tailteann House. Owned by the O’Flaherty Syndicate from Liscaroll, the winner enters the Classic market at 25/1.
Please Abbie was an eye catching winner of the Oaks ticket and became the fifth qualifier for the National Meeting from Snap And Chat’s litter to Adios Alonso. Having lost out to Laurelina at Charleville on her only previous out, the Dermot McCarthy and John Mulcahy owned April whelp showed a keen likeness for the rising ground and heads to Powerstown as a lively contender.
Having accounted for Hillside Flyer in the penultimate round, the winner went to slips at odds of 1/6 in the final against the Paudie Lyons trained Wiseguy Ava. Quickly into stride, Please Abbie was always in the driving seat and took the flag with minimum fuss by three lengths. Introduced to the Oaks market at 16/1, any further improvement over the coming weeks would put her firmly in the shake up.