Billy and Maasai reach Tipp Cup Final at Thurles

TRAPRISE

The second semi-final of the 2025 Centenary Agri Tipperary Cup looked a daunting prospect as our remaining local hopefuls were drawn side by side in the outside traps but ensuring double representation in this Saturday’s final showdown, Christopher Delaney’s Cagey Billy (Pestana-Lilly Lula) led Tarsna Massai home in highly pleasing forecast.

Both successful at the quarter-final stage, it was Geoff Parnaby’s Tarsna Massai (Droopys Sydney-Tarsna Rose) who went to trap 6 an odds-on favourite for the semi-final but with the pressure on to break well from trap 5 on the inside of his main rival, Cagey Billy exited on a galloping stride and immediately began to draw clear throughout the initial exchanges.

Scampering to a strong one length lead before tackling the opening bend, Cagey Billy further extended while turning as Tarsna Massai was forced to battle for second spot while rounding the bends through bumping with a rival on his inner. Always strong at the 525-yard distance, Cagey Billy was always going to convert once in command to halfway and although his winning margin was a touch flattering as Tarsna Massai became unbalanced at the third bend in second position, the Delaney winner could hardly have been more emphatic within an eleven-length verdict in posting 28.76 (-10).

The opposing semi-final was claimed by Borna Thyme in 28.90 (-10) and clearly this Saturday’s final will be a tight affair where our local pair are again drawn side-by-side. Tarsna Maasai occupies trap 5 on the immediate outside of Cagey Billy and both are capable of leading on the crucial charge into the opening bend. However, in current form and on the back of his brilliant semi-final display, it is difficult to oppose the latter Roscrea contender.

Major final show at Shelbourne

As hot a novice competition as your ever likely to see, the Celtic Cooling ON1 525 Yard Stake concluded at Shelbourne Park on Saturday and although forced to share the spoils, Pat Guilfoyle’s Magical Major (King Sheeran-Magical Mary) notched a second mark in the win column within a wonderful start to his hugely exciting career.

A debut winner in 28.23 before a most game runner-up performance through repeated crowding at the semi-final stage, the October 2023 whelp looked well housed in trap 1 for the final but despite good reactions at trap rise, was sluggish to reach full stride. A strong two lengths adrift on the run to the corner, the Moneygall pup was four lengths behind off the second bend as the unbeaten Ballymac Stud cut out the running on the approach to halfway. Making gradual inroads to the closing turns, Magical Major firstly advanced beyond his litter comrade Coloursaregreen on the outside but crucially, was forced to check his stride while sweeping across that rival into the final bend. Taking aim at the leader in the home stretch, the Guilfoyle starlet closed with every stride on the run to the line and forced a dead-heat verdict as the clock stopped in a brilliant 28.23.

The performance was another which confirms a wealth of latent ability and simply put, Magical Major is a beast in full gallop, with an impending career that will make for compelling viewing!

Magical four for Mag

In cracking form of late, Magical Mag (Ballymac Cashout-Mystical Luna) had already sparked a Saturday double at Shelbourne Park for Pat Guilfoyle and having completed a hattrick in her latest visit to the capital, progressed to a stunning new career best in the Bet With The Tote AO 525.

Breaking on terms from trap 2, the December 2022 whelp displayed the best pace once in full flight and tackled the opening bend with two lengths in hand of her closest pursuers. Impressing along the backstraight, the Moneygall winner had doubled her advantage to the third turn before further asserting on the run to the home straight. Concluding a dominant passage while scarcely sighting a rival as she completed a four-timer, Magical Mag stopped the clock in a sublime 28.11.

Rising to the elite grade for the first time following this eighth career win, all upcoming major events will be firmly in her sights on the back of this performance.

Erica returns at Thurles

Returning to the Saturday fixture at Thurles, the action concluded with a second career win for Maureen & Sally Mounsey’s Patterdale Erica (Good News-Patterdale Lena) in a thrilling Racing Again Next Saturday A2 525.

A close-up third on her return from another layoff last month within a much-interrupted racing campaign, the very lightly raced July 2022 whelp built on that comeback effort when breaking on terms from trap 4 this time.

Front rank to the corner, the Mounsey winner would cede advantage to a rival on her inside while rounding the bends but remained on that leader’s tail all along the backstraight. A stalking presence to the home stretch, Patterdale Erica delivered her winning challenge on the outside and striking the front in the dying strides, posted 29.41 (+10) in a gutsy head verdict.

With a best of 28.69 over the trip, there are plenty more prizes to plunder if she can now enjoy an extended run of races over the coming weeks and months.