TRAPRISE - Tipp Cup dream remains alive for Brilliant Bill
Amongst the most important racing occasions in any season for generations of our greyhound community, the 2023 Centenary Agri Tipperary Cup reaches final stage this coming Saturday evening at Thurles Greyhound Stadium and within a truly remarkable presence in the sport, Bernie Hogan’s Old Bill (Droopys Sydney-Starry Display) will carry poignant hopes to the €7500 showdown.
Last successful when reaching elite level for the 750-yards at Limerick in May, the Nenagh kennels resisted the lure of Shelbourne Park’s Corn Cuchulainn in favour of a return to their home circuit where Old Bill had contested the entirety of his early career and easing his way into the Premier circuit’s feature event, filled third place in both of his opening round heats.
Facing a treacherous assignment in Saturday’s second semi-final from a middle draw in trap 4, the Hogan stalwart ensured precious racing room for the initial exchanges when breaking smartly but with early paced rivals on all sides, he would reach the bend in tight quarters as Ballyhimikin Rex led the charge to the backstraight with the unbeaten Pape Di Oro in pursuit. Bravely holding strong against a bump on each side while turning however, Old Bill emerged in third place at the second bend and given his prowess from halfway, qualification was all but assured. With the leader gone well clear having enjoyed a virtual solo passage, Old Bill duly stayed stoutly in behind and passing event favourite Pape Di Oro in the home straight, settled for a pleasing six length runner-up position behind Ballyhimikin Rex in a fast 28.64 (-20).
The opposing semi-final harboured the Thurles hometown hopes and backing up his previous victory, Paddy Scally’s slick early pacer Cabra Kronk led home Liam Peacock’s fellow local challenger Bogger Rambo with three lengths to spare in 29.07 (-20) for the 525-yard trip.
Final Draw: 1) Old Bill 2) Cabra Kronk 3) Ballyhimikin Rex 4) Bogger Rambo 5) Boss Go 6) Pape Di Oro (m)
Clearly our local hope faces another tough assignment come Saturday but while trap 1 has never been clearly favoured by Old Bill, it is where he needs to be in a final which is divided in so far as three of the runners can lead, while the other three will hope to be first in line behind whoever does!
At present Old Bill is breaking sharply and a repeat can see him hold a prominent position along the rails in the early stages. Cabra Kronk is arguably the best drawn runner in the race as he will be expected to outpace the Hogan charge on the run to the bend. The latter will of course face opposition for the lead from Ballyhimikin Rex and Pape Di Oro, and therein lies a viable opportunity for our selfish local hopes.
Any traffic for the potential leaders will afford Old Bill the chance to advance for contention of the lead while turning and even without trouble for those around him, his rails position offers the opportunity to be the most forward of the fast finishers and in that scenario, it’s simply a matter of how close he can be to halfway before rattling home along the closing stretch.
While not leading claims, the hopes of Old Bill are far from rank outsider and connections, along with his hoard of supporters, will pray for some divine help come Saturday evening. The last greyhound owned and reared by Bernie Hogan’s late dad Tom White, there is no race, at no track, on any other given night where Tom would rather see Old Bill and within a sporting story which has always tugged at the heartstrings, daughter Bernie will be the proudest woman in the sport when leading the parade to traps for the final on Saturday.
His stealthy ascension from competitive graded racer to the Open ranks has been a training performance of near incredulous merit as the first racer under Bernie’s care and has been achieved under sizeable scrutiny as Old Bill always drew a degree of attention as a litter brother to racing’s current number one performer Swords Rex. With a packed Thurles Greyhound Stadium assured, there will hardly be a dry eye in the house should old Tom’s dream be fulfilled, c’mon Billy Boots!
Tynan double-handed for Divall decider
Having opened his competition campaign with victory in the first round of the Diana Divall Memorial A3 525 at Lifford, the Middle Aisle Syndicate’s Oaklands Lad (Pat C Sabbath-Killeen Princess) advanced to the final of the 24-runner event with a pleasing runner-up performance on Sunday evening last when chased to the line by PJ Tynan kennel companion Hillstreet Puma (Pat C Sabbath-Holiday Madge), completing a highly successful weekend for the Ballinderry kennels up north.
A first round winner when leading throughout in 29.32 a week earlier, Oaklands Lad added further to his consistent profile this time despite headed in the early exchanges as both he and Hillstreet Puma chased the pacesetting leader around the opening bends.
The latter Pat O’Connor owned runner had filled second in his first-round heat but would settle for third this time when ceding runner-up position to Oaklands Lad who was two and a half lengths adrift of the winner in 29.01.
The faster of the semi-finals, both Tynan challengers can hold realistic claims in this week’s final with Hillstreet Puma better drawn in trap 2 than his middle draw in both previous heats, while a repeat of his smart break in Round One would make Oaklands Lad a fancy to lead and therein lies the best chance for victory.
That Sunday fixture was a second journey of the weekend to Lifford for the kennels and claiming victory on the Friday card, PJ Tynan’s Rattle The Pan (Good News-Turree Kate) shed her maiden tag in the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust S3 325. Returning from a layoff in sparkling form, the lightly raced April 2021 whelp left a highly pleasing impression when battling through first bend crowding for a one and a half length verdict in 17.72, very much hinting at future progress despite a rise to S2 next time.
Monday brace for Byrne
The winning action commenced early last week and plundering a brace of victories on a successful Monday outing at Limerick for his Knockalton kennels was trainer John Byrne when firstly guiding Peadar Kinane’s Kevinsfort Luke (Laughil Blake-Kevinsfort Tiger) to back-to-back victories on the Dock Road in the Knocklong Schooling Track A6 525.
Improving to 29.25, the promising August pup absorbed a first bend bump before striking the front at halfway for a two and a half-length verdict. Just securing bragging rights for the short drive home when landing the following Greyhounds Make Great Pets A6 525, the John Ryan owned Raparee Molly (Pestana-Mottee Molly) also found pleasing progression to shed her maiden tag at the third time of asking. Finding an improved break from trap 1, the November 2021 pup led throughout a game one and a half-length score in 29.23.