Returning crowds add to enjoyment of racing action

IT was great to see some real buzz coming back to Tralee track at last Friday’s meeting. The restaurant was nicely booked, there was a much better take-up by the public on bookings for the outside viewing area and, between money bet at the track itself and online betting, the tote pools were exceptional.

Indeed, the winner of the sixth race, Bonnie Lass, paid a quite remarkable €95.20 to a €1 win stake on the tote and she paid an equally remarkable €35.60 to a €1 place stake. Other outstanding tote dividends included a trio of €225 in the ninth race, won by Roadstone Barney.

Bookmaker Berkie Browne was a very important part of the proceedings as well, offering proper odds, as he always does along with the other bookmakers, and, between everything, the scene at the Oakview venue at this stage of the Covid-19 pandemic was more than encouraging.

The racing programme itself featured an open 525 race and none other than the aforementioned Roadstone Barney won it in a fastest of the night 28.67 (.10 slow). A 5/2 shot with Berkie Browne, this September ’16 son of Tyrur Big Mike and Impact Mixture showed outstanding early pace from trap 4 to lead around the opening bend from 2/1 joint-favourite, Allaghaun River. He wound up beating Allaughan River by a length, with two and a half lengths back to another 2/1 joint-favourite, Cosard Jet, which had set the track alight a week previously when clocking 28.54.

Indeed, the greyhound which finished seven lengths adrift of Cosard Jet that night, Loher Storm, emerged as a clearcut winner of the eighth race (A1 525) for local owner, Noel O’Leary. Loher Storm, a 2/1 shot, blew out of trap 3 and she totally controlled matters to the line where she had three and a half lengths to spare from Sporting Pat in 28.86.

Times generally on the night were quite good, with 29.00 seconds being broken by four winners altogether, and there were also very good runs of 17.70 and 17.89 (both .05 slow) over 325yds, with the run of 17.70 being produced by the Patrick O’Connor-trained Clochan An Aifir.

Twelve nights earlier, the Spanish-owned Cloghan An Aifir had very impressively won in 17.74 and it was no surprise to see Berkie Browne pricing him up as the even-money favourite. Housed in trap 1, he joined the front-running Jesceda Salah rounding the first bend and, using his rails position well, he asserted control and beat Jesceda Salah by a length and a half.

The run of 17.89 was produced by Sign On Mac, from the Tralee kennels of Anthony Slattery. One of three wide seeds, this fellow did the business well from a trap 6 draw and he justified 6/4 favouritism in beating his main challenger, Laid Back Puma, by half a length.

In third place here was the Joe Broderick-trained Santarino Dru and, judging by the way this fellow drove home to be a length behind Laid Back Puma at the line, he could be banker material next time out if targeting 525yds.

Yes, form can lie from one race to the next and greyhounds can make absolute fools of you, but one could not but be impressed by that finishing thrust of

Santarino Dru.

Very impressive in running away with an A6 525 race was Feora Mossie. You don’t usually expect a time of 28.88 (.10 slow) by a greyhound in this class, but Ballyheigue trainer Michael A Reidy had this 6/4 joint-favourite in absolutely sparkling form – and what should chase him home, seven lengths adrift, but a greyhound trained by Ger Reidy, a brother to Michael A. That was Dolls News, which was also 6/4 joint-favourite.

In relation to Bonnie Lass, which paid the huge tote dividends in the sixth race (A2 525), she clocked 28.99 for Patrick McCarthy, of Listowel, while just outside 29.00 seconds, on 29.03, was Coolavanny Class, owned by Michael Hartnett, of Tralee.

The Jeremiah Hanafin-trained Fancy A Point clocked 29.12 when winning a thrilling last race by a neck in 29.12, while the remaining winners on a night of very welcome optimism at the Oakview venue were Camp Nora (29.59) and Spirit Brady (29.77).

Fingers cross that such optimism will continue to build...