TRAPRISE - Duke dominates in new Tralee track record
Opening round heats of the 2023 Eric Browne Memorial Kingdom Derby were chief amongst the elite action over last weekend and producing a stunning fastest of the session performance, the Pat Guilfoyle trained Daleroad Duke (Good News-Burgess Sarah) set new track record figures for the 525-yard trip as the first to dip beneath the 28.00 barrier at the Tralee circuit.
Out of luck on the Winter Festival a week earlier, the Thomas O’Keefe owned September 2021 whelp had a previous best of 28.01 for the standard distance at Shelbourne Park but taking the Tralee record away from Curious Boy on Friday, the Moneygall charge wowed in a sizzling 27.92!
Drawn in trap 3 for a hot contest, Daleroad Duke broke on level terms and easing clear to a strong one length lead over Ballymac Finn at the first bend, doubled his advantage to the top of the backstraight. Always in command thereafter, the Guilfoyle speedster contained that same rival by three and a half lengths while maintaining a powerful gallop to the line in that new track record time.
Fastest ahead of this week’s semi-finals, Daleroad Duke joins the wonderful Explosive Boy on the Tralee record roll of honour as that fellow Guilfoyle star holds the 550-yard standard of 29.22 in the Kingdom.
Thurles win is good for the Soul
Following a delay owing to freezing conditions on the previous weekend, Saturday’s fixture at Thurles proved well worth the wait for Pat & Brian Kennedy’s Kind Soul (Dorotas Woo Hoo-Nametab Gigi) when producing a new career best to land the Race Entries @ Thurles Track A4 525.
Last successful in A6 grade, the August 2020 whelp began on terms from trap 3 before tracking an early paced leader around the opening bends at a one length deficit. Remaining on that rival’s tail all along the backstraight, the Kennedy winner joined and passed the pacesetter while tackling the closing bends before forcefully stamping his authority on the race in the closing stages.
Staying strongly on the run to the line, Kind Soul registered a fifth race win while drawing dismissively clear to a commanding five-length winning margin in 29.34 (-20). That winning time will see him return to his career high mark of A3 for his next outing, but a repeat of this latest performance would bring obvious claims to follow up.
Staying with the Saturday action and another bouncing back to winning ways in the Inter Track Betting A6 525 was young Abigail Morrissey’s Toolate Shannon (Toolatetosell-Security) as the veteran racer took her win tally to eleven at Galway.
Eased to a highly appealing level, the July 2019 whelp had been out of the winner’s circle since her June A3 score but beginning in mid-division from trap 3 this time, tracked a leading pair of rivals with command of the rails while tackling the opening bends. Advancing to a share of the lead at the top of the backstraight, the Morrissey stalwart could be called the winner before reaching halfway as a strong runner at the standard trip.
Duly drawing clear of rivals while settling the race on the run to the closing turns, Toolate Shannon extended to a dominant five and a half lengths at the line in 29.59 (-10). That winning time will see her return to A4 next time, but that level will hold no fears if she can again secure a prominent early position.
A number of local challengers advanced to the next round of competition over last weekend and chief among those when concluding the Saturday action was Christopher Delaney’s Skirk Gem (Droopys Sydney-Oldburrin Diva) when claiming the final heat of four in the Limerick Clare GOBA A2 525 Stake.
In sparkling form of late, the August 2021 whelp scored in the same grade over 550-yards at Limerick last month and taking her win tally to seven on Saturday, dominated following a slick break from trap 6. Dashing clear to a two-length lead around the opening bends, the Roscrea charge was never likely to be contained given her winning form at further and duly repelling a persistent pursuer, struck the line with three and a half lengths to spare in 28.83.
That winning time was surpassed just once in the heats of the 24-runner event and leaves Skirk Gem with leading claims for outright victory ahead of this week’s semi-finals where she will be joined by Terence Delaney’s Chapelstreetlady (Grangeview Ten-Ballybrack Lexi) who settled for a five-length third when chasing home the fastest first-round performer in 28.66. A winner on the previous weekend at Limerick, however, the John Byrne charge can hold every claim for advancement to final stage.