Mag back to Magical best in Lifford Oaks success
TRAPRISE
2025 brought a return of the prestigious Lifford Oaks 525 Yard Stake and packing stands at the Donegal venue over the past three weeks, a keen pursuit of the title by trainer Pat Guilfoyle saw him with half the final field ahead of the Boylesports sponsored €10,000 showdown on Saturday.
Made to settle for runner-up finishes in both of her qualifying rounds, Pat’s own Magical Mag (Ballymac Cashout-Mystical Luna) had been a warm favourite for the event from the outset and retained that mantle despite having been pegged back when leading each time.
Joined in the final by semi-final winner Daleroad Mya (Explosive Boy-Razldazl Mya) and Magical Sapphire (Grangeview Ten-Grangeview Mags), it remained fair to expect that the final would revolve around Magical Mag’s ability to dominate the initial exchanges.
Such an entertaining presence on the elite scene this season, her brilliant trapping and slick early pace are on a par with anything in the sport and brought a stunning passage to this year’s Irish Derby Final just a matter of weeks ago.
Primed for Saturday’s final, Magical Mag was at her brilliant best from a suitable trap 2 draw and duly breaking sharply, led throughout final victory. Immediately in command, the Moneygall marvel dictated matters on the run to the opening bends and galloping the turns at pace, continued to dictate on the approach to halfway. She would always face a stiff examination of her stamina when the strong staying Hackney Tango was the rival to chase her off the final bend but containing the threat, Magical Mag posted 28.69 for a half-length victory.
Fiery Laurels finale for Magical
The month-long campaign of Magical On Fire (Ballymac Cashout-Burgess Sarah) in the 2025 Bar One Racing Irish Greyhound Laurels has been immensely admirable in the face of exacting tests at every turn. Now set for a tilt at early career classic success, she produced another performance of true merit in her semi-final on Saturday in Cork.
On the back of a stunning quarter-final win when posting 27.89 for the 525-yards at Curraheen Park, the Pat Guilfoyle owned and trained September 2023 whelp was rewarded with a horror draw for the opening semi-final. Widest in a field of inside seeded runners with the event’s two unbeaten survivors better drawn to her left, she nonetheless advanced while enhancing her elite credentials yet further.
Breaking on terms, Magical On Fire edged just marginally inwards on the run to the corner as last week’s track record equalling Ballymac Setanta showed the best dash for command of the rails at the opening bend. Gratefully avoiding any bumping, the Guilfoyle girl rounded Trionas Tribe to race second on the outside while turning.
A length and a half adrift exiting the second bend, Magical On Fire chased that prodigious Liam Dowling talent to the line, thereafter, going down by three lengths in a swift 27.99.
Final Draw: 1) Solo And Go 2) Ballymac Brandan 3) Ballymac Setanta 4) Magical On Fire 5) Trionas Tribe 6) Lemon Joey (w)
The final presents another stiff task for Magical On Fire with yet another poor drawn in trap 4. Not only does she have three slick early paced Liam Dowling runners to her inside, but all evidence suggests that Trionas Tribe will immediately seek the rails upon exiting trap 5.
Magical On Fire simply must break sharply. Saturday’s semi-final confirms that she must turn ahead of Ballymac Setanta, and indeed all three of the Dowling runners on the inside, all of whom all capable of victory if leading. The value amongst those will be Ballymac Brandan as this will the first time he has anything approaching a good draw in the Laurels.
It all looks stacked in favour of a Dowling victory, but this classic has eluded the Kerry trainer and with a sharp break, there is a passage to victory for Magical On Fire if reaching that rail ahead of the Dowling trio. Here’s hoping that she can deliver a second Laurels to Moneygall following the victory of Good Cody in 2022!
Scarlet is scorching semi winner
Trainer Pat Guilfoyle will seek further final glory on the undercard to the Laurels this Saturday after Tommy Ryan & Alice Guilfoyle’s Scarlet Ella (Ballymac Cashout-Burgess Sarah) confirmed her graduation to the upper echelons of the sport with a classy semi-final victory in the Knockeen Dazzler @ Stud Open Bitch 525 Yard Stake.
Having produced a brilliant career best with 28.21 victory over the trip at Limerick a fortnight earlier, the September 2023 whelp tracked a sharp Ballymac Mint at a two-length deficit to the opening bend from trap 2 this time. Turning with command of the inside, Ella railed with aplomb while readily reducing the arrears and striking the front on the run to halfway, powered her way to a five-length defeat of Steeple Rd Amber in a classy 28.13.
Next best of three semi-final winners was superstar racer Glengar Martha who posted 28.17 but having drawn trap 1, Scarlet Ella will take all the beating if defending her inside pitch to the corner and she can secure a precious first competition victory.
Gem shines in Friendly Fair Warrior
Amongst the most prestigious sprint events in every season, the 2025 Pat Doran Memorial Fair Warrior Open 400 Yard Stake reaches semi-final stage this Saturday with the Vincent McKenna trained Gem Friendly (Droopys Sydney-Susie Sapphire) a hot fancy following a brace of brilliant heat victories.
Having registered 21.59 (-20) in her debut at the circuit on opening night, the Conor McGarth owned September 2023 whelp progressed for that first spin on the sharp midlands track when again relishing the long run to the corner following a level break from trap 6. Easing her way to a one length lead before forcefully sweeping the corner, she had the race settled as a contest when streaking clear to the backstraight.
Extending to four lengths at the line, she posted a classy 21.24 (-20) and will take all the beating in the event with another ideal draw in trap six for the second semi-final this week.
Adding further to a wonderful weekend for McKenna was a double on the Friday card at Newbridge with the Paul Pardy owned So Its Ranger (Rosbirr Ranger-Errill Sue) particularly impressive in the This Runs Deep 325. Back to winning ways while taking advantage of an ease in grade, he posted 17.71 (-10) in strong running style and still promises better to come!
Sparking the quickfire McKenna brace in the preceding A3 525 contest, the Garrafrauns Syndicate’s Lallys Legacy (Droopys Sydney-Droopys Lucia) prevailed within a bumpy affair, securing his ninth career win with a gutsy half-length to spare in 29.70 (-20).