TRAPRISE - Magical Winter Festival for Guilfoyle

A gathering of stars graced Shelbourne Park on Friday for the feature events of the 2022 Winter Racing Festival where six one-off races harboured €10,000 prizes over varying distances and signing off the elite greyhound racing season with a stunning treble on the card was the prolific Moneygall kennels of trainer Pat Guilfoyle.

Amongst those featured contests, the concluding AA0 600 would see Alice & Patrick Guilfoyle’s Magical Mary (Droopys Jet-Mystical Moll) confirm her current rich vein of form when a stunning winner amidst a field of exalted rivals. Successful over the same trip at Limerick on the undercard to the St Leger last time, that form when defeating Bens Teddy was all but dismissed by the track bookmakers at Shelbourne and a repeat of the Limerick forecast saw Magical Mary astoundingly returned at 10/1!

Those winning odds further confounded when considered that the Guilfoyle superstar was double the odds of her Limerick victim and in truth, Friday’s contest was as good as settled in the very early strides as Magical Mary again began well from her trap 3 draw.

Scorching to a two length first bend lead over Bockos Crystal, the March 2020 whelp extended that advantage to three lengths over the advancing Bens Teddy approaching the closing bends and though that familiar rival predictably continued to close late on, Magical Mary ably contained the challenge while never sighting a rival with a length to spare in a brilliant 32.18. Further evidence that there is little beyond her capabilities when on song, Mary exits 2022 just as she entered it, one of the most exciting raw talents of the sport!

Earlier on the Winter Festival, the kennel’s star stayer was back to winning ways as Donal Guilfoyle’s Magical Poppy (Confident Rankin-Cabra Twister) added the Retired Greyhound Trust DD0 850 to her season’s exploits when relishing the extreme test.

Narrowly denied over 750-yards at Limerick last time, the August 2019 kennel stalwart began well from trap 5 and contested the lead on the long run to the opening bend before ceding advantage to rivals on her inside approaching the corner. Avoiding traffic while tackling the bends however, Magical Poppy tracked Good April passing the stands for the first time and reached the backstraight with only a length to recover. Rushing up on the outside of that leading duo at the penultimate bend, the hugely eye-catching effort of Jacktavern Bella looked to have settled the race when advancing to a two-length lead at the final turn. However, Magical Poppy refused to be denied and rallying in defiant fashion, the Guilfoyle winner proved much the strongest close home when again powering to the front for an ultimately comfortable three length score in an exciting 48.05.

Sparking a truly remarkable festival treble for trainer Pat Guilfoyle when landing the Barking Buzz App AA0 Bitch 525 on the early part of the card, the Cheryl Sutcliffe owned Cornetto (Laughil Blake-Love Honey) bounced back to winning ways in a dominant fifth career victory.

Denied clear passage in the semi-finals of the Christmas Oaks most recently, the lightly raced August 2020 whelp broke on level terms from trap 4 and displaying the best early dash for one length lead at the opening bend, was never likely to be denied once extending to three lengths at the top of the backstraight. Hugely impressive when increasing her winning margin to five lengths over the strong running Millridge Dolly, Cornetto left a most pleasing impressive throughout her slick 28.26 performance.

MCKENNA ENDS 2022 WITH GALWAY TREBLE

Preferring their winners in multiples over recent times, the Borrisokane kennels of Vincent McKenna enjoyed another wonderfully successful evening at Galway Greyhound Stadium on Friday, closing out the 2022 season with a brilliant treble.

Starring for connections of late with his victory in the Liam Brussels Memorial A4 Stake at the venue, Paul Pardy’s So Its Rapid (Rosbirr Ranger-Classy Ebony) missed his break on upgrade to A1 last time in the capital but back on his regular circuit, the August 2020 whelp fully got to grips with his new level.

Breaking behind the pace from trap 6, the McKenna charge briefly trailed all before displaying smart dash to join a line of four runners in contention for the lead at the first bend. Ushered wide with a minor bump, So Its Rapid reached the backstraight with two lengths to recover on the pacesetter but readily reduced those arrears by halfway. Striking the front without hesitation on the approach to the closing bends, So Its Rapid took his win tally to five from eleven when posting a fastest of the night 29.16 (-10) with one and a half lengths in hand.

Sparking the McKenna exploits on the night while delivering a brace of winners for owner Tom Bourke, Ballygraigue Ten (Grangeview Ten-Grangeview Vicie) completed a most impressive hattrick of victories to commence his career when landing the Greyhound Care Fund S5 350.

A winner in the same grade last time, the July 2021 prospect broke on level terms from trap 6 and showing the best early dash on the long run to the bend, eased to a two-length lead when turning. Readily extending on the run to the home stretch, Ballygraigue Ten completed victory with the minimum of fuss, thereafter, posting 19.18 (-5) in a near seven length verdict. Relishing the Galway sprint trip in this fruitful early career campaign, a rise to S3 may not contain the McKenna charge next time.

Over that same sprint distance, Ballygraigue Ros (Rosbirr Ranger-Classy Ebony) completed the Bourke owned double in the following S3 350, and in very similar fashion. Breaking on level terms from trap 6, the August 2020 whelp was made to work a touch harder for her one length lead at the opening bend but equally dominant in the closing stages, stretched to a three-length verdict while posting 19.28 (-5) and can remain in the same grade in search of a fifth career win next time.

Staying at Galway, that same Friday meeting squeezed in one last highly notable local achievement before 2022 exited as young Abigail Morrissey challenged for further headlines in a wonderful season for connections of the Cloughjordan kennels.

Claiming the last race of the season at her regular venue, the immensely likeable Abigails Hope (Premier Fantasy-Geelo Lu Lu) fulfilled the column prediction of last week by completing a hat-trick of A2 victories. Only moderately to stride, the November 2020 whelp sneaked a rails-run from her trap 1 draw before reaching the backstraight in third. However, a powerful runner at the standard trip, Abigails Hope struck the front on the inside at the third bend before bounding clear to a three and a half length victory in 29.32 (-10).