Moana looks magic ahead of Kirby festival conclusion at Limerick

TRAPRISE

The Con & Annie Kirby Memorial festival will come to a close at Limerick this weekend as the lucrative juvenile event reaches final stage, as does the perennial chief support competition and taking leading claims to the final of the 2026 A1 Sean O’Connor Memorial will be the Vincent McKenna trained Brickhill Moana (Ballymac Bolger-Twentylittletoes).

Having filled third in her opening round which was just a second outing of the season following a three-month layoff, the John Collins & Albert Long owned August 2023 whelp produced stunning career improvement on Saturday with a facile winning performance in the opening semi-final.

Finding her best break from trap 4, the Borrisokane charge led by two lengths on the run to the opening bend and turning in isolation, reduced the race to a virtual procession thereafter. Completing victory with nine and a half lengths to spare, Brickhill Moana clocked a big new personal best of 28.27 for the 525-yards.

That time will see her rise to the very top level of racing after this Saturday’s €5,000 decider and fastest in the event by a significant margin, clear passage can see her compensate for the upgrade with final victory.

Of course, we had fervently wished to see Sandra Guilfoyle’s Waitingforastar contest the final of the main event this weekend but the dreaded slow start from his unwanted trap 6 draw ultimately led to elimination is Saturday’s semi-final.

Trailing all on the run to the opening bend, his was a valiant effort thereafter. Covering more ground than the remainder of the field when widest throughout, he passed a brace of rivals around the closing bends before missing out a qualifying third by just a length and a half. However, his career progression will be an exciting watch on the back of elite raw abilities shown in the infancy of his career.

The final of the Kirby is undoubtedly the hottest in thirteen renewals of the J.P. & Noreen McManus sponsored €80,000 to the winner event and following the final draw, the unbeaten Bockos Gold disputes favouritism for Graham Holland at around 7/4 with Liam Dowling’s long-time market topper Ballymac Setanta.

However, that duo occupy the middle traps in a final of all inside seeds and with the plum draw on the fence, Michael O’Donovan’s Bouncing Monarch is a value percentage call to fend those rivals off at the opening bend, at attractive odds of 11/4.

Luka is back

There was one very notable winner from the Moneygall kennels on Saturday as Pat Guilfoyle’s Magical Luka (King Sheeran-Magical Mary) made a triumphant return over the 400-yard trip at Dundalk.

The four-time track record breaker showed his explosive early paced prowess in a three and three-quarter length defeat of Clona Comet, posting a swift 20.97 and we look forward to filling paragraphs about the racing superstar for the remainder of the season following this pipe-opener in likely preparation for the Irish Sprint Cup at the Louth venue.

Alien sparks Thurles treble

The winning action commenced early last week with a treble to cheer on the monthly SIS fixture at Thurles and first into the winner’s circle on the daytime fixture was John Feehan’s Alien River (Broadstrand Bono-Makeit An Alien) when shedding his maiden at the fifth time of asking in the SIS Racing A7 525.

Taking a step forward from his latest return to action following a layoff, the April 2023 whelp began in mid-division from trap 2 but with command of the rails, advanced to the tail of a pacesetting rival around the opening bends. Switching wide to challenge the leader entering the backstraight, Alien River displayed the best pace from that point and struck the front before tackling the closing turns. Seeing out the trip stoutly thereafter, the Roscrea youngster hit the line with three lengths to spare in 30.25 and looks open to plenty of improvement on the back of this first race win.

Next up on the Thurles fixture, David McGrath’s Determined Orla (Glengar Bale-Ruffian Rose) left recent troubled outings well behind when doubling her career win haul in the SIS Racing A6 525.

The August 2024 pup had hinted at ability beyond this grade in victory at the same level back in February and found progress this time despite a sluggish start from trap 1. Pacing up well on the inside approaching the opening bend however, the McGrath charge took full advantage when afforded room to gallop along the rail while turning and advancing beyond rivals, powered her way to the lead off the second turn. Extending to her two and a half length winning margin by halfway, Determined Orls completed with the minimum of fuss, posting a new personal best of 29.44.

Closing out the action over the same trip and grade, James Treacy added to a smart run of form this season when his Montore Danny (Pestana-Bull Run Blue) claimed his first career win in most game style.

In his thirteenth race start within a very lightly raced campaign, the October 2022 whelp overturned a three-length early deficit before striking the front with a daring gallop on the inside of two pacesetters at the closing bends. Extending to a one-length winning margin on the run to the line, Danny posted 29.87 and without a rise, looks a runner to follow in the coming weeks!

Friendly brace for McKenna at Galway

Friday’s fixture at Galway was another to return a trio of local winners and concluding a special evening for the McKenna family of Borrisokane as sponsors of the featured Paul McKenna Memorial Sweepstake, the A Charda Gael Syndicate’s A Charda (Orchestrate-Highview Moment) returned to winning ways with victory in the Aine McKenna Memorial A1 525.

An impressive A3 stake winner last December, the Vincent McKenna trained April 2024 whelp was progressing for a recent comeback outing when getting to grips with the grade despite just a moderate start from trap 6. Fourth upon reaching the opening bend on the outside of the field, A Charda advanced to race just two lengths off the lead on the run to halfway and with the best pace approaching the closing bends, was just a half-length adrift while turning. Widest into the straight, the McKenna winner stayed strongly to line and forged a thrilling head winning margin close home in 29.13, his fifth win from nine career outings on a card which featured the Paul McKenna Memorial Sweepstake under the sponsorship of his home kennels.

Sparking the McKenna trained double in the opening A9 525, the Kilbrennan Syndicate’s Rendezvous Estel (Orchestrate-Highview Jewel) shed her maiden at the third time of asking, also getting up close home for a half-length verdict in 30.11.

The following Siobhan Brooks Memorial A6 525 saw John O’Meara add to the local exploits on the night when his Ballygibbon Fury (Bockos Jon Jo-Beannacht Cleo) secured a second career win in dominant style.

In this fifth race outing, the October 2024 pup was supplementing debut victory when gleefully exploiting racing room on the inside rail at the opening bend having tracked leading rivals to the corner following a tardy break from trap 3. Striking the front while turning, Ballygibbon Fury readily settled the race when streaking clear to halfway and completing in isolation, posted 29.48 in a six-length verdict.