TRAPRISE - Guilfoyle star the Undisputed fastest in Oaks quarter finals
In search of his second victory in racing’s leading classic for bitches, trainer Pat Guilfoyle was double handed ahead of quarter finals in the Sporting Press Online Edition Irish Oaks 525 on Saturday, and following an evening of mixed fortunes at Shelbourne Park, enters this week’s semi-final session having guided Wayne McCarthy & Paul Prendergast’s Undisputed (Pestana-Unlock Unlock) to a fastest of the round performance for the second time in the event.
On a busy night for the kennels, Cornetto would make her exit from the classic when cruelly and repeatedly baulked in the concluding heat while only missing out on third place by half a length behind 28.73 winner Droopys Timing. There was better fortune on the early part of the card when Music Glideaway claimed his semi-final in the RCETS A1 575, posting a very smart 31.18 before Salmic Fitz advanced to the semi-finals of the GRI Summer A0 525 when third in his qualifier.
We will follow their progress here next week as they again contest on the undercard to the Oaks where the Moneygall kennels continue the hunt for yet another major victory with the brilliant Undisputed.
It must be conceded that a brace of withdrawals for Heat 3 on Saturday did make the task more straightforward for Undisputed this time but it would scarcely have mattered if she had faced a full field for once breaking on terms from trap 1, the January 2021 whelp ably defended a rails pitch against her second round conqueror Crafty Shivoo and holding a narrow lead to the opening bend, the Guilfoyle winner ably defended a one-length lead all along the backstraight within an entertaining and extremely high-class tussle.
Strongest from the closing bends however, Undisputed drew clear in dismissive fashion and held a commanding five lengths over the staying-on Droopys Nice On at the line in 28.49.
A subsequent mischievous draw sees her housed in a viciously hot second semi-final this week while widest of the inside seeds in trap 5. Further out than she has ever raced before, her task is highly complicated, but such is her raw ability, a precious qualifying place can be secured granted anything approaching clear passage.
Joey still a Champ at Galway
One of the most consistent racers over the past two seasons on the local racing scene, John Moloney’s Joeys Champ (Kinloch Brae-Mt Heaton Daisy) scarcely knows how to run a bad race and further extending his impressive strike-rate at Galway on Saturday, concluded the meeting with a dominant victory in the Slan Abhaile A1 525.
A close-up second on rise to the grade last time following smart victory at A2 level, the Robert Moloney trained May 2020 stalwart was claiming a third win from his latest five outings this time when quick to stride from his ideal trap 1 berth. A length to the good with command of the rails on the approach to the corner, the Roscrea favourite gamely defended a slender lead to the third bend before shutting the door on his closest pursuer while turning. Fending off a strong staying rival thereafter, Joeys Champ registered a one and a half length verdict in 29.14 (-10) for an eleventh race win from 35 starts within a wonderfully competitive racing campaign.
Kick-starting the weekend winning action on a pleasing fixture for the Borrisokane kennels of Vincent McKenna on Thursday at Shelbourne Park was Paul Pardy’s So Its Rapid (Rosbirr Ranger-Classy Ebony) as the kennel stalwart bounced back to winning ways in the Sporting Press Online Edition A2 525.
Last successful when completing a hat-trick in early February which included an A1 score over the standard trip, the August 2020 whelp was plausibly graded for Thursday’s assignment and well housed in trap 6, the wide seed began just behind the early pace before reaching bend in third place on the outside of rivals. Advancing to second at the top of the backstraight, the McKenna winner negated two-length arrears when joining a pacesetting rival at the crown of the closing bends and strongest from that point, So Its Rapid forged clear to a most game one-length verdict in 29.25. Avoiding a rise for this victory, he can be fancied for a repeat next time!
Earlier on that same card, the McKenna kennels guided the Sandbaggers Syndicate’s Mister Sandbag (Skywalker Rafa-Rylane Dubh) to the second round of the Talking Dogs A4 525 Yard Stake as the March 2021 whelp bounced back from a brace of indifferent comeback runs to fill second in a pleasing eleventh career outing. Showing smart early dash to lead until the closing bends, he went down by three lengths to a strong staying rival but can remain a factor in the event if progressing back towards his career best A2 form.
Further final action to follow this weekend will see Pat & Alice Guilfoyle’s Magical Mary (Droopys Jet-Mystical Moll) contest the final of the Deadly Kennels Open 750 Stake at Cork on Saturday. Made to settle for second in each of the heats, the kennel star chased home Ballymac Katie at a one and a half-length deficit in 41.95 in their semi-final clash but remains a big final threat if able to strike the front at any point on the first circuit.