Coronavirus scuppers latest regional meeting

BECAUSE of the coronavirus, which is restricting the general public from greyhound tracks, it was a case of ordinary racing at the Oakview venue on Saturday night instead of all the trappings which would have been associated with the latest of the regional meeting for Listowel, Moyvane, Tarbert and Ballylongford.

That regional meeting will be held at a later date and, obviously, the same is going to apply to the other regional meetings coming up.

Saturday’s programme of racing remained the same, meaning that it featured three semi-finals of an unraced 325 sweepstake for ON2 class (winner, €1,000) and the fastest, and certainly most impressive, winner was the Edward O’Sullivan-trained Russmur Panther, which won the second semi-final in a quite magnificent 17.55 on standard going.

This July ’18 son of Taylors Sky and Adament Gem, which is owned by Jeremiah Murphy, of Rathmore, was the 1/2 favourite and he justified those odds in some style, bombing out of trap 5 and powering home four and a half lengths ahead of Misty

Missile, with two lengths back to Getheupperhand.

The next fastest semi-final winner, on 17.79 in the third semi-final, was Antonella, which clocked 17.79 in the third semi-final for retired Garda officer, Mossie O’Donnell, of Dingle. Nothing came away in front from traps, with four of the field breaking more or less in unison, but Antonella, a 6/4 shot running from trap 3, had the early pace to be nicely in front around the opening bend and she held off the strong finishing thrust of the Jeremiah Hanafin-trained Fancy A Pint coming home by a head, with two and a half lengths back to Maglass Buick.

The remaining semi-final, the first, saw none other than the first-round conqueror of Antonella, Glenduff Marshal, score again in a time that was six spots faster than he had clocked in the first round – 17.96 as against 18.02.

The hot favourite at 1/2 was Lollypop Man, but the Padraig Regan-trained Glenduff Marshal, a 3/1 shot, was always going to upstage him after this wide seed bombed out of trap 6. Lollypop Man did drive home really well, but a length separated the pair at the line, with the same distance back to College Voyage.

The final takes place this Saturday night and that run of 17.55 makes it impossible to oppose Russmur Panther, especially if he manages to come away as smartly as he did last Saturday night.

The draw is (trap order): Lollypop Man, Russmur Panther, Misty Missile, Antonella, Fancy A Pint, Glenduff Marshal (W).

Fastest over the standard distance on the night was none other than an A5 greyhound, Pixies Penny, trained by Padraig Regan. He ran away with the seventh race in a quite magnificent 28.72, while the other winners were Leahy Emily, 29.50; Seomra Pixie, 29.40; Weight And Sea, 29.55; Jesceda Salah, 17.79; Doggie Barko, 28.90; Bodens Tiger, 29.45.

SUNDAY SIS MEETING

THE winners on going rated .10 slow were: Take No Chances, 29.63; Abbey Carmac, 29.03; Send It Brandy, 29.14; Millridge Milo, 29.04; Ballyard Rocky, 29.39; Ballymac Minton, 29.22; Stayaway Blake, 29.85; Bobsleigh Lass, 28.83.