Racing goes ahead at Shelbourne despite the picket

NO significant progress appears to have been made in the dispute between the Irish Greyhound Board and the Dublin GOBA concerning the closure of Harold’s Cross track.

The normal Thursday meeting is due to go ahead at Shelbourne tonight but the DGOBA chairman Jimmy O’Hanlon has intensified the protest by stating that a picket will be placed outside the track at 6pm. Up to this the Thursday meeting was allowed to go ahead without protest but that has changed.

The decision was announced on Tuesday night after a statement had been issued which said that “the IGB has ruled out any further track closures as a means to achieve recovery in the industry”.

A 12-race card has been advertised for tonight at Shelbourne and the word from the IGB is that the track will be opening on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Most interesting runner on tonight’s card is GARRYVOE BOBBY (10.28) in the finale. This fellow had been due to contest the semi-final of the cancelled Best Car Parks Gold Cup and in the meantime he has clocked a flying 28.32 in a trial around Curraheen.

Liam Kennedy reports that some 70 entries have been received for the Kirby Memorial which closes next Monday. At this stage it can be safely stated that the event will be oversubscribed.

Meanwhile, Pat Buckley’s Droopys Wilbury did a flying 28.90 trial at Central Park in advance of the Racing Post Juvenile.