TRAPRISE - Duke dominates in Shelbourne Champion Stakes decider

Feature event at Shelbourne Park over the past fortnight, the final of the 2024 BoyleSports Champion Stakes 550 delivered an overdue and much deserved major competition victory to boast for Thomas O’Keefe’s Daleroad Duke (Good News-Burgess Sarah) as the Pat Guilfoyle trained star dominated a hot decider in the capital on Saturday.

A track record breaker over 525-yards at Tralee towards the backend of last season within a campaign of repeated sizzling performances, the September 2021 whelp had prepared for his Champion Stakes tilt with victory over the same trip in the Kingdom last month, before stepping back up to 550-yards when chasing home Con & Annie Kirby winner Knockeen Dazzler at a one and a half-length deficit in his 29.88 semi-final of the 18-runner major at Shelbourne.

Performing with huge credit from trap 4 then, that qualifying performance earned Daleroad Duke the plumb draw on the fence for Saturday’s €20,000 showdown and back to his best breaking form, the Moneygall star scarcely sighted a rival once showing the best early dash off a level start.

Tackling the opening bend with a near three length lead, the final was as good as over once stretching further clear of Knockeen Dazzler and Carmac King on the run to halfway and completing in dominant fashion, Daleroad Duke held three lengths over that latter rival at the line in a brilliant 29.42. Another truly stunning performance from a rare talent, all major events of the sport will be on his radar for the remainder of the season.

Billy uncaged but Hugo denied

There were high hopes for further big celebrations over the weekend as the Vincent McKenna trained Crokers Hugo (Droopys Sydney-Crokers Princess) went to traps for the final of the TIME Greyhound Nutrition A4 525 Derby at Limerick but despite a truly laudable final performance, the Borrisokane youngster was denied in the dying strides of a thrilling €20,000 showdown.

With a straightforward, if somewhat daunting final task, the John Croker owned June 2022 whelp executed his most crucial final requirement when winning the early battle to the opening bends and gave himself every chance of victory when in command to halfway.

The Limerick owned Carrigmore Dante for Patsy & Aoife Coffey was, however, a little too close for comfort at that point as a strong stayer and he duly closed to the tail of the McKenna charge at the final bends. Stubborn in front however, Crokers Hugo repelled the threat until the final strides, succumbing to a three-quarter length defeat in 18.61 but, in truth, loses little in defeat when considered that he delivered a career best performance when it mattered most.

There was some final success to cheer on the big night at Limerick, however, and having delivered a thrilling semi-final buckle on the previous weekend, a pair of familiar rivals offered more of the same as Christopher Delaney’s Cagey Billy (Pestana-Lilly Lula) again came out on the right side of his tussle with Dazzes Beauts to land the final of the Time Garmivite Extra A2 550 Stake.

Scoring in 30.26 last time, the April 2022 whelp was perfectly drawn in trap 6 and smartly to stride, disputed the lead with Terence Delaney’s rails running Dazzes Beauts for the second week in succession. Reaching the corner on the outside, the Delaney winner never allowed more than a one length margin while tackling the turns and joined the John Byrne trained leader at halfway. Serving up a cracker once again, Dazzes Beauts and Cagey Billy raced in unison to the home stretch but again just forging a lead in the dying strides, Cagey Billy prevailed by three parts of a length in 30.07 for a timely eighth win from his seventeen race starts.

Coco seeks hattrick in TIME 600 Final

A very hot competition for the advertised grade, the final of the Time Record Breaker A3 600 Stake will be a tight affair at Limerick, but taking leading claims to this week’s showdown will be Patrick Conway’s Curraghmorecoco (Droopys Sydney-Allowdale Coco) who improved to a new career best to enter the final with an unbeaten event tag.

A quarter final winner in 32.77, the October 2021 whelp repeated his smart break from trap 3 this time and immediately showing in front throughout the initial exchanges, tackled the opening bend with a length in hand before easing further clear to halfway. Never likely to be contained in such a scenario with form at further, the Ballina winner posted 32.57 in a five and a half-length verdict which will ensure a rise to Open class upon completion of Saturday’s final.

The opposing semi-final was won by Cresent Emily in 32.52, so victory will be hard fought but capable of leading to the opening bend, Curraghmorecoco is fancied to prevail by proving too tough to contain on the bunny!

Commencing the winning action of the Friday fixture at Kilkenny last weekend, Alanna Williams & Michael Delaney’s Mad Mike Ross (Grangeview Ten-Rifles Flash) stepped up on previous form for a second career win in the Festival of Racing @ Kilkenny Track A5 525.

Having shed his maiden tag on return from a layoff back in April, the Toomevara youngster had been held the last twice but bouncing back while confirming strong running abilities, produced his best break to date from trap 5 when immediately contesting the lead on the run to the opening bend. An imposing presence at 81 pounds in weight, the Delaney trained April 2022 whelp was unnerved by a bump from a rival to his inside while tackling the corner and gamely absorbing the contact, forcefully struck the front on the approach to the backstraight. Easing clear to a three-length lead at halfway, Mad Mike Ross was never likely to be contained from that point and duly completed a dominant passage with five lengths to spare at the line in 29.42 (-20).

That winning time will bring a hike up the grading table to A3 next time, but that level should hold little fears on this evidence.