Racing continues but Covid-19 has caused event cancellations

GREYHOUND racing continues behind closed doors at the country’s tracks, along with horse racing, but it comes as no surprise that the high profile Con and Annie Kirby Sweepstake at Limerick, which is sponsored by JP and Noreen McManus and offers a magnificent winner’s purse of €80,000, is not to commence as planned this Saturday night, the reason, of course, being the coronavirus epidemic.

In a statement, the IGB states that the event will be rescheduled when the coronavirus epidemic has passed.

“Our approach at this time is to continue to support the greyhound community whilst managing risks in accordance with the latest guidelines from the government and the HSE,” adds the statement.

Trouble is, of course, the coronavirus epidemic is likely to be with us for quite a while to come and that brings a lot of worry and uncertainty with it.

Hopefully, the crisis will abate and this great Limerick sweepstake will be run at some later stage this year. Fingers crossed on that one.

Other things in the greyhound world, of course, have fallen by the wayside, such as the big ICC awards night in Limerick on April 4, while, across the pond, the English Derby has been postponed.

We know it’s not the end of the world, or anything like that, but walking around the town of Tralee this week and seeing the way it has closed down is the most eerie of experiences.

We all want to come out safely at the other end and, with proper adherence to the advice of the people guiding us, the odds have to be very much in our favour. Positivity and optimism must crush any sense of foreboding. Solidarity as well.

At Tralee, all the safety guidelines are being followed by the management and Declan Dowling, the track’s sales and operation manager, says that the John and Mary (Killeacle) Dowling A1 570 Sweepstake, which honours the memory of his parents, will be starting, as planned, this Friday night.

This is always a great sweepstake and the Dowling family do not want it to be denied to the doggy people who have runners for it, empty stadium or no empty stadium.

Meanwhile, the programme at the Oakview venue last Friday night featured three semi-finals of an 18-greyhound A5 525 sweepstake (winner, €750) and the fastest winner, by just three spots on 29.17 (.10 slow), was Getheupperhand, owned by Paddy Flaherty, of Lixnaw.

Getheupperhand was nicely tuned up after running in an unraced 325 sweepstake the previous two Friday nights and she fairly excelled in winning the first semi-final from a trap 1 draw, justifying even-money favouritism in the process.

She was well challenged to the third bend by Gulleen Elusive (trap 4), but she powerfully pulled away from this point onwards and beat Gulleen Elusive by four lengths, with a length back to Cashen Missile.

The winner three spots behind Getheupperhand, on 29.20 in the third semi-final, was Skidroes Jane and this lady, a 2/1 shot running from trap 3, also did the business in quite outstanding fashion for William McKenna, of Knocknagoshel.

Garfiney Queen (trap 2) cut out a strong pace to the third bend, but Skidroes Jane powerfully headed her into the last bend and she went on to score by two and a half lengths from a reserve, Lone Control, with a length and a half back to Garfiney Queen.

Another reserve went one better in the remaining semi-final, the second. That was Tokenfire Blaze, owned by Seamus Cooper, of Rathmore.

It was 5/2 the field here and Clashmealconadam trapped best from trap 1, but Tokenfire Blaze, which ran from trap 2, ran the back straight to such effect that he was able to hold a two-length lead over Schemozzle rounding the third bend. Although Schemozzle challenged well coming home, Tokenfire Blaze was able to hit the line half a length ahead of her in 29.71, with a head back to Lissycasey Holly, which improved from fifth at the third bend.

The draw for the A5 525 sweepstake final on Friday night is (trap order): Getheupperhand, Tokenfire Blaze, Lone Control, Gulleen Elusive, Skidroes Jane, Schmozzle (W).

Other winners were Aughacasla Mac, 18.26; Keen Abbey, 29.27; Amyville Sandy, 29.89; Spirit Makruma, 18.13; Send It Softly, 29.58; Killahan Diver, 29.94; Millridge Romeo, 29.42.

The going was .10 slow for all 525yds races and .05 slow for two 325yds races.