The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Back in the fast lane as greyhound racing returns
GREYHOUND racing returned to Tralee Track last Friday and, even if it was behind closed doors and in the flattest of atmospheres, all the owners and trainers were delighted to be back running for prize money again – a handsome total of €4,130 on this very welcome return to action.
It said it all for the urgency and desire to be back racing that, of the sixty greyhounds due to run, there wasn’t a single absentee... and a trainer from just over the Limerick border, Jerry Griffin, of Abbeyfeale, supplied the star of the show in Sporting Rita, an April ’18 daughter of Definate Opinion and Coolavanny Angie.
Sporting Rita, which ran from trap 3 and is owned by English man, Michael Rowe, hadn’t the best of records going into the ninth race (A2 525), with just one win from eleven starts, but it was pretty impressive the way she ran the back straight to overtake the front-running Gulleen Harry, and, in control by the third bend, she raced home five lengths ahead of Gulleen Harry in a quite superb 28.88 on going rated .20 slow, with a head back to Samba Active.
A very notable feature about greyhounds trained by Jerry Griffin is the way that they are able to run on, and the victory of Sporting Rita certainly testified to that. This lady hadn’t won since November of last year, when clocking 28.62 in beating Manhattan Field by five and a half lengths, and, back in the winning enclosure in such impressive fashion, she will surely be picking up a lot more in the weeks and months ahead than the €345 she won on this occasion.
Mind you, a sprint winner, Coldwater Twirl, also excelled for trainer Derek Galvin and owner, Maurice Lyons, of Lixnaw, by clocking 17.81 (.10 slow) in the sixth race (S2 325). This lady did really well to lead around the opening bend from trap 3 and she raced home two lengths ahead of Scart Sean, which challenged her well into that first bend.
The hottest 525yds race of the night, the eighth for A1 class, was won by Catch The Action, which Michael A Reidy trains in Ballyheigue for Jon and Marilyn Carter. This fellow ran from trap 4 and he produced the most powerful of finishes to get up on the line for a neck victory over Pixies Penny (trap 1) in 29.32.
This was one of a number of exciting finishes, which a proper attendance would have thoroughly enjoyed, and the leading official at the Oakview venue, Declan Dowling, can’t wait for HSE restrictions to be further lifted to allow the public to go racing again.
“It’s great to be back tonight and everything went really well, but you need our patrons back, you need the place buzzing again, and the sooner the better,” he said.
Bookmakers were not allowed to attend and no tote bets could be struck at the track itself, but people were able to bet online into the tote and, in fact, the trio for the first race was guaranteed for €500, with the winning dividend being €178.
The winner of the second race, Boys Of Ballymac, paid a win dividend of €15.90 (to a €1 stake) and the runner-up, Dog Gone It, paid a quite remarkable place dividend of €37.40 (also to a €1 stake).
Later, Lixnaw Medals paid a place dividend of €24.70 when finishing second to Weight And Sea in the fifth race and Millridge Romeo paid a win dividend of €14.10 in the seventh race.
Everything on the night was expedited well, with strict adherence to the HSE guidelines, but greyhound racing was never meant to be funereal like this and when we have the public back, the bookmakers back, the excitement back, we will give thanks.
The honour of winning the first race back belonged to young Donagh McKivergan, of Gortatlea, whose bitch, Maga Baby, won by a length from Boxer Smurf in 29.89.
The other winners, in order, were: Boys Of Ballymac, 18.45; Safe And Sound, 29.45; Knocknaboul Spot, 29.41; Weight And Sea, 29.90; Coldwater Twirl, 17.81; Millridge Romeo, 29.54; Catch The Action, 29.32; Sporting Rita, 28.88; Scart Storm, 29.39.