Marian ran like a dream
THE RED Mills unraced bitch stake final on Friday at Newbridge resulted in a great result for Wexford town owner Brendan Frayne when his bitch, Marians Dream, put in the perfect performance to lift this prestigious stake and the €5,000 first prize.
Breaking fast again from her trap three box, Marians ran a super second bend to open up a good lead. As hard as the Forest bitch tried, there was no catching Marians as she recorded a fastest of the night 28.71.
Marians in a home bred by Headbound-Southeast Suzie who won the masters in Waterford, and a top-class bitch owned by Brendan’s son, Daniel.
A great team effort by the lads was rewarded, and a very well done on the great win. At Kilkenny, also on Friday, the Francis Kent (Duncormick)-owned Except Change continued her winning run when following up her win in the previous week’s McCalmont Cup, scoring a comfortable three and a half lengths win in a good 28.92 in heat one of round two.
The winner is trained by John Codd (Enniscorthy). Enniscorthy on Thursday saw some very good runs, and the John Doyle-owned Kiltrea Brien put in an eye-catching display in race seven when powering home a clear winner in a fast 28.85.
The victor should be even more effective over a longer trip. The Seamus ‘Shanks’ Whelanowned Piercestown Moll was also a very impressive winner in race nine, coming home a long way clear of her field to record a fast 28.95, her eleventh career win. On this type of form there are plenty more to come.
The Patrick Roban-owned Lemon Pete is in great form at present and recorded his fourth win in a row when taking race two, although he had to battle hard to get the better of Slaneyside Roche by a head in a useful 29.27.
No doubt we will see a number of these runners in the upcoming April stakes. The Spring Open unraced stake final was run on Monday, and yet again it was won by Kilkenny trainer Peter Cronin.
It seems he only started to train Angry Man and Angry Anne during the stake for Liam Walsh of Waterford, and Angry Man duly went on to take the final from kennel companion Angry Anne by eight lengths in a very fast 28.72.
Unraced stakes will prove difficult to win I fear for local owners, as trainer Cronin won the majority of them last year and looks to be carrying on where he left off.
Owner Lisa Murphy enjoyed two wins in the one week when her White Tyson scored both on the Monday and the Thursday. Tyson is improving nicely and will line up in the second round of the A5 stake this Thursday.
March 23 results - race one, Welcome To Enniscorthy S2/S3 350: 1, Telex Cracker (owners, Tony and Anton Butler, Coolballow), 19.30; 2, Town Shadow, 19.37.
Race two, Try A Trio A3 525: 1, Lemon Pete (owner, Patrick Roban, Enniscorthy), 29.27; 2, Slaneyside Roche, 29.28.
Race three, The Alcast A5 525 round one, heat one: 1, White Tyson (owner, Lisa Murphy, Enniscorthy), 29.80; 2, Glenbrien Glint, 29.81.
Race four, heat two: 1, January Weather (owner, Philip Coleman, Campile), 29.71; 2, Fredthechauffeur, 29.99.
Race five, heat three: 1, Tagalong Hylandr (owner, Dermot Flynn, Enniscorthy), 29.41; 2, Tomahurra Rock, 29.72.
Race six, heat four: 1, Cosy Messi (owner, Helen Toft, Killinick), 29.51; 2, Zip Up Front, 29.58.
Race seven, The Intertrack Betting A4 525 semi-final: 1, Kiltrea Brian (owner, John Doyle, Kiltrea), 28.85; 2, Jumbos Brother, 29.16.
Race eight, The Intertrack Betting A4 525 semi-final: 1, Beannacht Dinny (owner, Mark Jeffers, Co. Wexford), 29.22; 2, Slaneyside Seán, 29.67.
Race nine, The Track Bar A2 525: 1, Piercestown Moll (owner, Seamus Whelan, Piercestown), 28.95; 2, Tomahurra Sonic, 29.54.
Race ten, March A3 575: 1, Dingo Will (owners, Alex Callachan and David Sinclair; trainer, David Flanagan, Co. Tipperary), 31.69; 2, Triangle Apache, 32.18.