Todd is tops in Magical final at Limerick
Traprise
Having guided a brace of debutants through the semi-finals of the Bet On The Tote ON2 525 Yard Stake on the previous weekend, the Moneygall kennels of trainer Pat Guilfoyle dominated Friday’s final showdown at Limerick as Magical Todd (Dorotas Wildcat-Magical Poppy) denied his litter brother within a wonderful forecast for connections.
A winner when thoroughly impressing on his first public appearance, Magical Todd posted 28.91 (+10) in its semi-final victory and from his trap 4 draw on Friday, immediately showed in front with a smarter break this time. With the best dash throughout the initial strides, he would, however, find company on his inside at the opening bend as Magical Alex outpaced all once in full stride.
Highly eye-catching in his debut second, Alex had made his way towards the rail from trap 6 and offering a strong right shoulder to his brother while tackling the corner, skipped clear to a two length lead approaching halfway. Never allowing the new leader an easy advantage however, Magical Todd stealthily reduced the arrears and offered a passage along the rails, sibling jealousy saw him back on terms entering the home stretch.Locked together with one final bump on the approach to the line, it was Donal & Pat Guilfoyle’s Magical Todd who prevailed by a neck at the line as both displayed improvement in a time of 28.64.
Retaining huge scope for further progression, both Todd and Alex are obvious high-class prospects to follow for the remainder of the season as they further hone their racing skills with enviable latent abilities.
Epic Connacht Derby forecast
The second round heats of the 2025 Kilcolgan Castle Connacht Derby 550 Yard Stake were the feature of a high-quality fixture at Galway on Friday.
Having guided a brace of challengers through the opening round on the previous weekend, Pat Guilfoyle registered another competition forecast when Epic Ace showed Magical Mag the way to this week’s quarter finals.
Both had filled second in their first-round heats which for Epic Ace (Signet Ace-Free From Desire) was just a fourth defeat from his ten career outings at that point. However, resuming his more accustomed position this time, the John Kennedy owned star claimed the seventh win of his career in a battling performance.
Slowly to stride from trap 6, the December 2022 whelp needed all of his classy early pace to overhaul sharp runners on his inside which included kennelmate Magical Mag (Ballymac Cashout-Mystical Luna). Forcefully striking the front despite a bump to his hind quarters while turning, Epic Ace skipped clear to the backstraight as Magical Mag led the chase with three lengths to recover at halfway. Try as she did, Magical Mag could not reel back her companion and striking the line with a diminishing three-quarter length lead, Epic Ace posted 30.45 (-10) and both are obvious big players as the event continues this weekend.
With further success at Tralee over last weekend, the Guilfoyle kennels guided Magical Costa (Droopys Sydney-Amazing Alice) to the fastest semi-final victory in the Steve Kennedy Memorial A5 525 Stake when posting 28.54 (+10) while Magical Champ (Dorotas Wildcat-Magical Poppy) also registered the fastest time in the opening round of the Kingdom Stadium ON3 525 Yard Novice Stakes when debuting in 28.83 (+10) and we will report on anticipated successful outings for both following this coming weekend’s action in the Kingdom.
Cagey semi-final score for Billy at Shelbourne
Further sweepstake action over last weekend brought another smart victory within a hugely pleasing career strike-rate for Christopher Delaney’s Cagey Billy (Pestana-Lilly Lula) as he returned a dominant winner of his semi-final in the Sporting Press A3 575 Yard Stake at Shelbourne Park.
Operating at figures of one win in three, the wonderfully consistent April 2022 whelp was drawn in a suitable trap 5 on Saturday and breaking sharply, immediately showed in front before tackling the first bend with clear racing room. Never sighting a rival thereafter, Cagey Billy posted 31.42 in a comfortable five length verdict and a repeat may suffice in this week’s final!
Christy and Farah impress at Thurles
A busy Saturday evening of action at Thurles Greyhound Stadium for the Tipperary GAA Supporters Club Night at the Dogs did not pass without local winners to cheer.
Announcing himself as another bright prospect by his kennel’s own flagship sire Bockos Jon Jo, Denis McGrath’s Foxwood Christy (Bockos Jon Jo-Bockos Brandy) could hardly have left a more pleasing impression as he claimed debut victory in the Tipperary GAA Night ON2 525.
Headed in the early stages by a sharp Whats Up Mac for Padraig O’Lone, the McGrath May 2023 whelp tracked that local rival throughout the initial exchanges and had two lengths to recover as the pair dominated to the backstraight. Reducing his arrears when ranging up on the inside of Whats Up Mac at the third turn, Foxwood Christy subsequently stretched dismissively clear to the home stretch and extending to a six length winning margin, posted a very smart 29.36 (-20).
A performance which left ample scope for improvement as he further develops racing skills, he is eligible to contest in A4 grade next time, but one suspects that his future lies above graded level on Saturday’s evidence!
Closing out that Thurles fixture in the Best Wishes to Liam and his Team A6 525 was Terence & Tony Delaney’s Lady Farah (Malachi-Rifles Flash) and amongst the performances of the night, the usually named boy found impressive improvement from his bumpy November debut.
Drawn in trap 6 with a middle seed for his second career outing, the June 2023 whelp broke in mid-division before outpacing rivals on the run to the corner for a one length lead upon turning. Reducing the race to a virtual solo passage thereafter, Lady Farah completed an eight length rout in 29.19 (-20) and should have little concern about a rise to A2 next time out.
Returning to that Limerick fixture on Friday and there was a most welcome first race victory for the Steed Family Syndicate’s Workin From Home (Broadstrand Bono-Skips Abby) when scoring at the eleventh time of asking in the Limerick Sales A5 525.
Twice a previous runner-up having reached a career high of A3, the Pat Steed trained July 2022 whelp was again slowly to stride from trap 2 and gave all rivals a head start when a length adrift of the fifth placed runner entering the opening bend. Sneaking a passage on the rails however, the Ballinaclough charge advanced to a dispute of second entering the backstraight but still had all of six lengths to recover on a runaway leader. Setting out in chase of the pacesetter while reducing arrears to the closing bends, Workin From Home then confirmed his strong staying abilities over the standard distance as his perfectly timed effort saw him strike the front on the run to the line for a one-length victory in 29.13.
That winning time will bring a return to A3 next time but prospects of going back-to-back will again rest simply on just how close he can be to the lead at halfway!