The Dandelion Bar & Nightclub Easter Cup can always be relied upon to provide the thrills and the second round action at Shelbourne on Saturday didn’t disappoint in that respect. You would have got reasonable odds against Riptide Movement being the fastest of the session but that is just what Neilus O’Connell’s noted early pacer achieved. SUGAR RAY DOES IT AGAIN Favourite punters got the heats off to the right start when the odds-on Tyrur Sugar Ray gave another powerful performance as he won handily in 29.88. Cabra Buck got off to his anticipated fast start but Sugar Ray was again slickly into stride and he was a good second to the bend with Skywalker Mandy in third. PJ Fahy’s Tyrur Sugar Ray (Top Honcho/ Maireads Fantasy) closed down the back while Skywalker Mandy also closed right up on the front pair. But the race was well decided on the third bend where Tyrur got through on the inside and Skywalker found her gap closed and had to check. Tyrur, stuck to the inside rail as usual, thundered up the straight to win by four and a half lengths from Cabra Buck in 29.88 with Skywalker Mandy running another huge race just a short head back in third. RIPTIDE BURNS THEM OFF Some of the talk before the race concerned the race to the bend between Isabels Boy and Riptide Movement but the latter settled that pretty decisively as he scorched out of traps and hit the bend a few lengths in front of Isabels Boy with Hillcroft Champ third and the favourite Skywalker Legend last of the five runners (Homeless Boy was an absentee). By halfway Riptide Movement (Hometown Boy/ Dundooan Diva) was surely six lengths clear and obviously on his way to victory. Hillcroft Champ went second past Isabels Boy which appeared to check into the third bend. Hillcroft ran on strongly but the Gin N Tonic Syndicate owned Riptide Movement won by two and a half lengths from Hillcroft Champ in 29.73 with Skywalker Legend two lengths back in third. ARDFERT THUNDERS TO VICTORY Skywalker Farloe was all the rage for the third heat but it was his kennel companion Ardfert Thunder (Droopys Vieri/ Soviet Cheyenne) which raced to victory in 29.87. From traps it was Atitboy which broke best and moved wide immediately, forcing Ardfert Thunder out also. The order to the bend was Atitboy from Ardfert Thunder and Blenhiem Tricks and the latter bumped Skywalker Farloe which was forced wide and lost valuable ground. The Frances O’Donnell trained Ardfert Thunder went past Atitboy on the second bend and was chased down the back by Atitboy and Blenhiem Tricks with Tyrur Arthur now beginning to make progress. Tyrur went second at the final bend and came home fast but the Noel and Adrian Clifford owned Ardfert Thunder kept on to win by a length and a half in 29.87 with Skywalker Farloe getting up in the last strides to take third some two and a half lengths back. BURGESS RUMBLE TOUGHS IT OUT A tough night for the punters continued with Greenwell Hulk failing to qualify from the final heat where a poor start and a first bend mistake saw him lose whatever chance he had of making in through to the semi-finals. Instead we had a terrific buckle to the bend between Burgess Rumble, Star Ace and Ballyana Foxtrot and they hit the bend virtually in a line. The inevitable happened with the inside dog Burgess Rumble (Ace Hi Rumble/ Rising / Angel) toughing it out and he emerged a few lengths in front from Ballyana Foxtrot and Star Ace. Ballyana Ran a big race in second but the Sheila Spillane and JJ Fennelly owned Burgess Rumble kept on strongly to win by a length and a half from Ballyana Foxtrot in 30.00 with Glenanore Dancer some five lengths third. SEMI FINAL DRAW HEAT 1 1 RIPTIDE MOVEMENT 2 GLENANORE DANCER 3 SKYWALKER LEGEND 4 TYRUR SUGAR RAY 5 ARDFERT THUNDER 6 SKYWALKER FARLOE (W) HEAT 2 1 TYRUR ARTHUR 2 BURGESS RUMBLE 3 BALLYANA FOXTROT (M) 4 CABRA BUCK (M) 5 HILLCROFT CHAMP (W) 6 SKYWALKER MANDY (W)
Posted on: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 13:22:24 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015