Doyles’ delight in Shelbourne Pk

WITH ENNISCORTHY on its annual winter break, Co. Wexford greyhound owners and trainers are having to travel to get races for their charges.

And in Shelbourne Park on Saturday night, Gorey owners John Doyle Snr. and Patrick Doyle enjoyed a nice win in race four, an A1 contest.

Their Ashwood Soul showed some nice tracking sense to go second off the second bend and took the brave route up the inside at the third bend to go on and score a good win in a time of 29.08.

Three other members of the litter of Soul x Except Change also ran on the same card, recording two seconds and a fourth for the Cushie prefix of John Codd and Diane Brodie from Enniscorthy.

Waterford are running two meetings per week and there are plenty of runners on the card from the Model county.

Some near misses were recorded on the Tuesday night card, but Barntown trainer Nick Turner struck a winning note when Onestepbeyond, owned by Jack and David Fenlon, took race three in convincing fashion.

After a good break he was quickly in control, and never saw another challenger as he went on to record his second race win from just three runs.

The winning time was 29.45, and he is moving up the grades nicely.

Thursday morning’s meeting was far more successful as there was five Co. Wexford winners.

It started in race two where there was a battle between two Kingsmill runners. The Raymond O’Sullivan (Carrigbyrne)-owned Kingsmill River came from well off the pace to get up and catch long-time leader Kingsmill Hakone in the closing stages in a time of 29.73.

Race three saw another battle between Co. Wexford runners as trap seven’s Jade, owned by Helen Morris and trained by Vincent Morris in Rosslare Harbour, got a good break and led around the opening corners.

Trap three’s Rockmount Samba drew level by the sprint box and looked a danger, but trap seven stays well and Jade got the upper hand by the third bend and came away to beat Samba snugly in a good 29.18.

Race six saw a good win for Hawks Recruit, owned by Ray Stafford from Killinick. Hawks got away well and made the bend in front with the field in hot pursuit.

Whitey’s Dropzone ranged up and challenged Hawks strongly all the way, but ultimately Hawks proved the stronger and ran out a two-length winner in the end in a time of 29.29.

Race ten, an A3 grade, saw a good win for Tomahurra Ciara after Risk A Shilling initially led the field a merry dance.

Tomahurra was back in the field and was a good six lengths off the pace down the back before moving into second at the third bend.

She came with a strong finish to grab the win right in the shadows of the line in a good 29.06 for owner Ciara Kehoe from Enniscorthy. The trainer was Donal Kehoe.

Ferns trainer Brendan Murphy got his win after just missing out earlier when Itcanbedone lived up to his name.

It looked very unlikely he would score as the field went into the opening turn, as Bing Sydney set the pace.

Itcanbedone tracked well to get into second and set about cutting into the lead of Bing down the back. He went for the inside at the third bend but Bing was not for giving up the lead easily.

However, Itcanbedone got through off the last bend and came away to score easily in the end for owner Michael Murphy.