Guilfoyle trio advance to Derby third round

With the generous qualifying conditions for the opening round gone, the action in the 2018 Boylesports Irish Greyhound Derby was intensified at Shelbourne Park for the second round heats last weekend and with just 48 runners now remaining, all three of the Pat Guilfoyle challengers advanced safely.

Highlight of the round for the Moneygall kennels came in the second session of heats on Saturday where Cabra Hurricane and Magical Bale contested the same Heat 14. Housed in Traps 1 & 3 respectively, they faced the complication of having Holycross Lad perched in between and for a time after their level start, it appeared as if he could threaten Magical Bale’s passage as the pair briefly brushed.

Quick to stride on the inside of both however, Cabra Hurricane again displayed his slick early dash and would claim the lead on the run to the corner. He would remain in command to the top of the back-straight when stretching to a three length lead as Bale battled for second position on the outside of Holycross lad. Out front, Hurricane had extended to a four length halfway lead as the tussle for second saw Beara Gig get involved in a three-way scramble behind the pacesetter. Producing a powerful turn of pace approaching the turn however, Magical Bale would settle that issue in no uncertain fashion and forcefully turned ahead of those rivals before setting out in chase of his kennel companion.

Steadily reducing his arrears to the home-straight he would join Cabra Hurricane approaching the line where a photo-finish was needed to separate the Guilfoyle duo. It was Magical Bale who gained the verdict by a head in 29.77 but in what could have proved a real banana skin for both, this outing will have pleased their trainer greatly.

 

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