The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Russmur Panther wins ON2 final and €1,000
IT says an awful lot for the strength of the doggy base in these parts that an unraced 525 sweepstake for ON3 class attracted an entry that necessitated nine first-round heats at the Oakview venue on Saturday night and, for sure, there will be a lot of competitive fare before the destination of the winner’s purse of €2,500 is decided, though, so sadly in these very worrying times, it will all be happening behind closed doors.
On going rated .30 slow, the fastest of the nine winners was the Michael A Reidy-trained Leon Nebula, which won heat 6 in 29.21, while the other winning times varied from 29.36 to 30.37.
Leon Nebula (6/4 second fav) could not have been more impressive in fashioning his victory in heat 6.
Housed in trap 1, he powered into the third bend behind even-money favourite, Hero Sam, which had bombed out of trap 3, and he mastered him by four and a half lengths, with half a length back to Millroad Trend.
The only non-heat race was actually the feature event of the night, being the final of an unraced 325 sweepstake for ON2 class which carried a winner’s purse of €1,000, and it was won by 4/5 favourite, Russmur Panther, which Edward O’Sullivan trains for Jeremiah Murphy, of Rathmore.
Russmur Panther had very impressively clocked 17.70 and 17.55 on his way to the final and he maintained his unbeaten run in quite outstanding fashion, getting the smartest of first runs on the field from trap 2 and powering home a length and a half ahead of Antonella in 17.73 (.15 slow).
Interestingly, his litter sister, Russmur Gem, also trained by Edward O’Sullivan for Jeremiah Murphy, immediately followed up by winning heat 8 of the unraced 525 sweepstake in 30.10. This lady was the hottest of orders at 1/2 and she justified those odds by hitting the line a length ahead of Renasup Emer, with the same distance back to Abbeyballboy.
The draw for round 2 of unraced ON3 525 sweepstake on Saturday night is (trap order): Heat 1: Abbeyballyboy, Nalas Pride, Dolls News, Madabout Zeus, Take Itup Wink, Safe And Sound.
Heat 2: Boxer Murph, Maglass Jet, Leahys Charmer, Coom Magic, Hero Sam, Leon Nebula.
Heat 3: Serenissimo, Sullys Bullet, Urlee Corona, Millroad Trend, Feora Field, Ballyard Hilary.
Heat 4: Millroad Vectra, Black Hill Boy, Maglass Matt, Hawthorn Slippy, Quiet Confident, Lixnaw Lollypop (W).
Heat 5: Over The Bonnet, Boxer Nidge, Bernal Egan, Feora Mossie, Window Maker, Misty Hataway (W).
Heat 6: Tiswhatitis, Flyaway Wink, Butlers Blake, Russmur Gem, Renasup Emer, Madabout Latta (W).
The other first-round heat winners were: Bernal Egan, 29.66; Tiswhatitis, 29.36; Serenissimo, 29.51; Flaway Wink, 30.37; Quiet Confident, 29.71; Butlers Blake, 29.62; Maglass Matt, 29.56. Bernal Egan are both trained by Ray Fleming and he owns the latter.
SUNDAY SIS MEETING
On going rated .10 slow, the winners were: Bambam Antigua (4/1), 29.47; Millridge Casper (7/2), 29.48; Boom Mabe (5/1), 29.15; Bolus Oran (9/2), 29.11; Tokenfire James (3/1), 29.01; Millabbey Mandy (3/1), 29.34; Conaic View Mini (3/1), 29.28; Russmur Abbey (2/1), 29.01.