The prelims to the opening round of the 2021 Centenary Agri 525-Yard Tipperary Cup were the hallmark of an exciting Saturday game at Thurles Greyhound Stadium, and the results list featured a household name, with the dubious Cabra Ava (Kinloch Brae-Cabra Smokey) fastest at the flagship -Event of the premier venue.
The 2020 Thurles Champion, trapped in trap 2 for the last of five rounds, is offering a remarkable double, while the Ava Scally darling, now in the veteran phase of her wonderful career and advancing rapidly on Saturday, confirmed that she is as sprightly as ever.
The June 2017 puppy quickly built a length lead and defended that lead over Borna Aoife and Dark Devil as he tackled the first corner. The latter, stretching two lengths at the top of the back straight, made a staggering attempt to overtake Cabra Ava, who passed halfway, and it was Dark Devil who led two lengths in the final corners.
However, a defiant refusal to be defeated on home turf resulted in the Scally Star Rally entering the home straight and the shortest route along the track took length judgment in a quick 28.93 (-20), with Borna Aoife remaining third .
Second best in the opening round of the feature event, Auxerre (Droopys Sydney-Toms Delight) had emerged for Oliver Shelds as the winner in an exciting Heat 2, his Thurles debut.
The Newry raider showed the best early jump after a level break in trap 6 and enjoyed plenty of leeway as he swept the curve in front of Meduza. This rival, stretching two lengths up the back straight, remained a constant threat before Auxerre tackled the third corner decisively with a narrow half-length advantage.
Once again over a length before the home stretch was reached, the shield attack was again required to fend off the stubborn Meduza near the house, and only one head separated the pair in a brilliant buckle. With 29.16 (-20), Neon Alex took third place after the first corner.
With Heat 4, Kathleen Pomfret’s promising candidate Freedom Epic (Belles Direction-Jaytee Sahara) complemented his recent first success at A3 level with an extremely gratifying win on his Open debut.
As a puppy in September 2019, he battled the lead during the initial exchange after bravely lapping the rival while negotiating the turns after leveling Trap 4 and hitting the opening curve on Luke Fizz’s shoulder. He was nearly four lengths ahead on the way to halftime, however the latter rival was starting to close on the approach to the home stretch, but it was the quick-to-finish Jaytee Japan who would pose a greater threat.
However, with his lead diminishing just before the finish line, Freedom Epic retained plenty of determination to maintain a half-length lead on Jaytee Japan in 29.17 (-20), with Luke’s Fizz Lemon holding off Yohan for third place.
Heat 3 confirmed his latest rich form in the capital, going to Andrew Murray’s Gortkelly Nestor (Droopy’s Jet-Dream Queen) when he was also leading in a highly competitive competition.
The broad Seed deftly broke out of its ideal trap spot 6 and saw little rival as it reached the opening curve with a length in hand over Cabra Luna before sweeping into the curve with a powerful swing. Two lengths for the better, while still being chased up halfway by that rival, it was Nidge’s flashy finish that would threaten the Murray onslaught in the home stretch, but seeing the trip well, Gortkelly Nestor kept that rival up to save a length at the post of 29.19 (-20) when Coolavanny Bundi took third place, three lengths further back.
At the start of the Tipperary Cup, while heightened the local challenge of the event, Heat 1 delivered an extremely admirable win for Pairic Campions Lynchy Boy (Confident Rankin-Boozed Bubble) when he made an Open Class debut with four corners above his rating started.
Officially a puppy for just one more week, the July 2019 puppy was the slowest to leave its berth in trap 1, but once in full flight showed an intelligent stroke that closed on pacemaker Ballinbola Bolt while he was holding the rails commanded on approach to the corner.
The Campion youngster fought his way around in a tight space turning and battled his way to second at the top of the back straight, targeting the leader who was swept halfway forward. Behind it, Edencurra Brae followed every move and took second place, racing on Lynchy Boy’s tail into the last corners.
Lynchy Boy held on to his task calmly, however, never for overtaking maneuvers and achieved a very gratifying victory with one and a half lengths behind Edencurra Brae, while Ballinabola Bolt remained third with 29.32 (-20).
Rory maintains belief in the speedy return of racing
There was more open racing action outside of the Saturday feature event and the 330 yard S0 sprint contest saw Patrick Treacy’s Faithful Rory (Mall Brandy-Faithful Fairy) make a successful return from a substantial layoff when he was on his ninth Career victory was just at the top.
As a semi-finalist in last season’s Tipperary Cup, the March 2017 puppy had passed the veteran phase since his last appearance in October but was prepared for his return. A suitable draw in case 1 meant that he immediately took the lead after a level break.
Together with Hon The Jet, who took the lead on the long stretch to the opening curve, but always had the shadowing feature, the Treacy veteran used his rails pitch ideally when he could handle the turns. A tenacious challenger, Hon The Jet gallantly held the winning edge on the line, but with 17.93 (-10) in a sparkling return, Faithful Rory was never up for catch.
In a second sprint contest on Saturday, the S2 330 also proved to be decisive for the rails run of Trap 1, as Christopher Delaney’s Roscrea Billy (Pat C. Sabbath-Forest Tess) was just hurling a tightly packed field back into the first corner before stretching out to a four-length profit margin over Boherash Mike in 18.35 (-10).
Sonic does a hat trick
In addition to their Tipp Cup successes, the Scally family’s kennels recorded another double on the night when Paddy Scally’s puppy Cabra Sonic (Kinloch Brae-Cabra Ebony) completed a quick double at the start of his career in September 2019 and the beginner’s rating for the last Week through a dominant. added A3 525 victory.
Very quickly out of trap 4, the bright prospect comfortably led to the opening curve before moving up to halfway away from bumping back under full control. Cabra Sonic never saw a rival, holding in 29.32 (-20) six and a half lengths from Nowursinging.
Second best over 525, the second of Saturday’s A3 events, delivered the eighth career win for Canice Hyland’s Foxrock Genius (Farloe Blitz-Swift Hazel) as he cornered with a smart early pace of Trap 6 by a narrow margin reached. The June 2018 puppy swept across a bumpy field and then easily skipped clear as it stopped four lengths above the permanent Lingrawn Roxy at 29.46 (-20).
A string of early wins started the action on Saturday, with Patrick Maher & John O’Deas Killduff Duke (Laughil Duke-Killduff Kerry) advancing from debut to 7/30 (-20) in an hour and a half loss to Nutsy before Jackie Sparrow’s Ballyphilip Fab (Skywalker Farloe-Ballyphilip Ace) scored for the eighth time when he asked for a double judgment on Flattenthecurve while staying and booked 29.77 (-20) on the A7 525.
The final A6 525 was a close affair, but it just took off with a second win on the go. The early pace of PJ Peacock’s Ratchies Boss (Pat C. Sabbath-Droopys Magician) let him dominate up to halfway before tackling the great late challenge of Rahyvira Spice by. fended off a head in 30.17 (-20).
Top dog
Coming back from a nine month absence, Faithful Rory (Mall Brandy-Faithful Fairy) presented himself in splendid shape for a laudable win in his S0-330 yard contest and was still easy for his age, could set up an exciting veterans campaign his March was four years old.
Best bitch
Cabra Ava (Kinloch Brae-Cabra Smokey), the fastest in the opening round of the Tipperary Cup, remains in splendid shape and is the one to beat as she is sure to take on everyone as the leader of the home challenge in the main event of the season.
One to watch
On the hunt for Gortkelly Nestor in the opening round of the Tipperary Cup, Nidge from the Better Together Syndicate (Laughil Blake-Gurrane Blue) was a real eye-catcher when it came to reducing significant residues on the line to one length and with this first Thurles- With racing experience behind him, he can still have a big say in the event.
