The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
IGB to conduct full review of all 16 greyhound stadia
ALL sixteen Bord na gCon tracks are going to be put under the microscope following the appointment of consultants to undertake a comprehensive review of them,
The review, which is part of the IGB’s Strategic Plan 2018-2022, is to be undertaken by Indecon Economic Consultants, whose brief will be to assess the infrastructure, services available and standard of facilities at all 16 tracks.
There will, obviously, be a financial assessment of the future sustainability of each track, while the focus will also be on catchment areas and accessibility, racing schedules, availability of breeders/ trainers and competing sporting facilities.
The CEO of the IGB, Gerard Dollard, said that the greyhound industry has had to change and adapt in a number of different ways in recent years and the 16 stadiums in question will be assessed on an individual and collective basis.
“This review, which is a big step forward in the implementation of the IGB’s five-year strategic plan, will progress the industry’s footprint for the future,” he said.
Tralee Track, with its brilliant facilities (thanks largely to the foresight and dynamism of the late Eileen Kelliher, of Castleisland), good management and a strong schedule of racing, should undoubtedly fare well in the review, though it has to be said that young adult people just aren’t to be seen the way they were back the years, and we all know that activity in the betting ring isn’t a patch on what it used to be.
The story one bookmaker tells about a bet struck with him in the final of the Harp Lager Sweepstake many moons ago emphasises the latter statement pretty well. He laid £10,000 to £1,000 on the winner . . . and still showed a profit on the race.
There is no chance whatsoever that something like that could happen today.
Anyway, back to actual racing matters at the Oakview venue and specifically to an 11-race programme last Friday night which was pretty remarkable in that three greyhounds without a win between them in 32 career starts all managed to break their duck. Even more remarkably, despite their lack of success up to this, two of them were favourites at even-money and the third was a 6/4 joint favourite.
The greyhounds in question were Black Secret (0 from 8), Cashen Maputo (0 from 11) and Knocktoo Ted (0 from 13) and the fact that they were at such short odds with such dismal records reflects mighty well on the two bookmakers who were framing the odds, Berkie Browne and Kieran Bourke. They obviously knew from their homework that these three had been unlucky greyhounds – and how right they were!
One of the winners in question, Cashen Maputo, managed to break 29.00secs in the eighth race (A2 525) and, in the process, he completed a double for Ballyduff’s Chris Houlihan, earlier successful with Cashen Sammer (17.91), but the honour of recording the fastest time on the night belonged, by just a single spot, to the Jeremiah Hanafin-trained Rathoneen Road, which clocked 28.82 in running away with the tenth race (A3 525).
Rathoneen Road, which ran from 3 and was 6/4 joint favourite (with Gulleen Queen), was led early on by Hey Im Zsazsa (trap 5), but such was her dominance subsequently that she had ten lengths to spare at the line from Denville Gypsy. It meant a very decent measure of compensation for Jeremiah Hanafin, whose ½ favourite, Farran Aero, unluckily lost an earlier race.
The winner just a spot behind Rathoneen Road, on 28.82, was the fast-starting Toast Of Adare, while the other winners were: Rathronan Max, 17.92; Steeple Rd Emily, 29.74; Decorated Knight, 17.87; Millridge Luna, 29.70; Saleen Grace, 29.46; Black Secret, 29.29; Knocktoo Ted, 29.04.
•The going was .10 slow for 525yds and .05 slow for 325yds.