Mag lands Magical Connacht Derby

Traprise

Double handed following semi-final heats in the Kilcolgan Castle Connacht Derby 550 Yard Stake, trainer Pat Guilfoyle needed just one final representative at Galway on Friday when, following the withdrawal of Epic Ace, Magical Mag (Ballymac Cashout-Mystical Luna) assumed the captain’s role before ably carrying the kennel hopes to victory in the €9000 showdown.

Having chased home her kennel companion at the quarter-final stage, December 2022 whelp Magical Mag reversed that form when fastest of the semi-final winners and in a five-runner final with Epic Ace absent from trap 6, the Moneygall darling again produced a sharp break to lead in the early exchanges from trap 2.

With a narrow advantage on the extended run to the opening bend, Mag crucially reached the corner with a tight one length lead over trap 1 rival Canya Steve before fully seizing command of the rails while turning. Galloping the bends at pace, the Guilfoyle winner extended dismissively clear to the backstraight and had the verdict all but settled by halfway. Never under serious pressure thereafter, Magical Mag repelled the late attentions of a strong staying Ballymac Sorrel with two and a half lengths to spare in 30.18 (-10).

Steadily progressive through the event, she will be a feared opponent whatever target her prolific handler chooses next!

Fairy plots perfect final Footsteps

Having eased to A2 level last month, a highly appealing opportunity for Keith Allsop & William Rigney’s Fairy Footsteps (Droopys Sydney-Enable) to contest the Tom Real Memorial A2 525 Yard Stake looked ideal for a resumption of her winning ways and she duly completed a weekend final double for her trainer Pat Guilfoyle with victory at Limerick on Saturday.

Following a luckless outing in the Limerick Oaks at the same venue, the lightly raced May 2022 whelp ensured a return to Open class racing in first round victory while posting 28.42 (+10) and having backed that up with a game semi-final winning performance, the Moneygall charge improved further on Saturday.

Swift to stride from trap 3, Fairy Footsteps impressed when containing the early pace of Knockard Hero to her outside on the approach to the corner and once tackling the turn with command of the rails, she would always prove difficult to contain. Despite holding just a narrow advantage to halfway, the Guilfoyle winner remained defiant when challenged by the previously unbeaten Bogger Pat and staying stoutly throughout the closing stages, eased clear to victory thereafter. Striking the line with four lengths to spare over that Kirby hopeful, Fairy Footsteps posted a classy 28.33 and will resume her Open race campaign while in search of a four-timer in her next outing.

Sam win was set in Stone

Returning to the Friday action at Galway and a first competition winner of the weekend arrived in the Book Your Trials Online A7 525 Yard Stake where the James Byrne owned Stonepark Sam (Burgess Bucks-Turee Kate) completed his utterly dominant passage through the event with another facile winning performance at final stage.

Clearly very attractively graded ahead of the first round when a wide margin winner on just his sixth career start, the PJ Tynan trained June 2022 whelp never sighted a rival on his way to Friday’s showdown and once breaking sharply from trap 3, scored with the minimum of fuss.

A length to the good at the corner, the Ballinderry charge readily doubled that advantage to the backstraight and reducing the final to a virtual solo passage, thereafter, drew clear in strong staying manner for a nine-length verdict.

Improving to 29.22 (-10), an upgrade to A3 may prove within his range next time while in search of four in-a-row!

Saturday’s fixture at Thurles did not pass without a local winner to cheer and back from a five-month layoff, Joe Quirke & Donal Gleeson’s Abigails Barry (Grangeview Ten-Arterbury) greatly impressed when reverting to sprinting for a fifth career success in the Greyhounds Make Great Pets S1 330.

Just moderately to stride from his trap 1 draw, the John Byrne trained August 2022 whelp showed smart dash to recover his minor arrears while reaching full gallop and bravely defending the inside rail versus sharp rivals to his outside, narrowly struck the front while tackling the opening bends. Defending a half-length lead on the run to the line thereafter, Abigails Barry posted 18.28 in a half-length verdict and eligible to contest at S3 level next time, could quickly double up!