Daleroad the Irish Champion with Sacundai taking Pall Mall crown
A monthly video record of the major SIS UK and Irish races run during 2024 with accompanying reporting.
06/07 - Shelbourne: BoyleSports Champion Stakes - Daleroad Duke
DALEROAD DUKE, who qualified from a tough draw in four in the heats, made the most of trap one to land the €20,000 final of the BoyleSports Champion Stakes over 550 yards at Shelbourne Park.
Trained by Pat Guilfoyle, for whom he was a first winner of the famous event, for Thomas O'Keefe, he quickly hit the front on the inside with his advantage extended by trouble in behind at the opening turn.
Always in control from that point, he came home three lengths clear of Carmac King in 29.42sec with Knockeen Dazzler, who had beaten the winner in the heats, five lengths away in third.
06/07 - Kilkenny: Centenary Agri Tipperary Cup - Tribal Syd
TRIBAL SYD provided trainer Murt Leahy with a first Tipperary Cup title by proving strongest all-round in the Centenary Agri-sponsored €7,500 final over 525 yards at Kilkenny.
Seven Beach, sent off favourite for the high-class decider, set a strong pace but the Martin Costigan-owned Tribal Syd was always within striking distance and came to challenge at the third bend.
There was a certain inevitability about the outcome after that and the Leahy dog duly asserted before pulling away to score by three lengths in 28.93sec, Singalong Dolly forcing a dead-heat with Seven Beach for second.
06/07 - Curraheen Prk: Denis Linehan Open Unraced - Droopys Plunge
DROOPYS PLUNGE, trained by Johnny Linehan for Roy Ball and Trevor Pearson, ran away with the €10,000 Denis Linehan Solicitors Open Unraced Stake final over 525 yards at Curraheen Park, Cork.
Two third places had followed a seven lengths debut heat victory but he was imperious when it mattered most, the November 2022 son of Droopys Sydney and Droopys Sweet quickly hit the front and maintained that lead to the opening turn.
He really turned the screw down the back straight as he pulled right away, going on to beat Romeo Control by fully ten lengths in a brilliant 27.94sec.
06/07 - Limerick: Time A4 Confined Derby - Carrigmore Dante
CARRIGMORE DANTE, locally owned and trained by Patsy and Aoife Coffey, pounced to claim the ultra-valuable €20,000 final of the Time Greyhound Nutrition Confined A4 Derby over 525 yards at Limerick.
He raced in third early behind pacesetter Crokers Hugo then made his move to close along the back stretch and asserted late on for a three-parts of a length in 28.61sec.
No fewer than ten of the 24 first round heat winners breached the 28.90sec mark which was not permitted in the first two stages and thus ruled out their further involvement with the eventual champion just okay in that regard having posted 28.92sec.
12/07 - Dundalk: Time International Open 550 - Droopys Mandolin
DROOPYS MANDOLIN proved too strong for Tipperary Cup champion Tribal Syd in the one-off €20,000 Time Dundalk International Open 550.
Her previous outing had seen her in the wars when sent off favourite for the Irish Oaks final at Shelbourne the previous month but she secured a better run this time even though was she crowded when prominent round the first couple of bends.
Tribal Syd had not started brilliantly but swept into the lead early in the back straight only for the Robert Gleeson-trained, Alan and Pat Dobbs-owned Droopys Mandolin to set after him.
The front-runner proved a tough nut to crack but the 2023 Shelbourne Unraced and Galway Oaks heroine got on top on the run for home and scored by just over a length in 29.72sec with Produce Stakes winner Unanimouspanther third.
27/07 - Oxford: BetGoodwin Pall Mall - Aero Sacundai
AERO SACUNDAI (5-4F) credited trainer Richie Taberner with a first Category One victory by claiming the £10,000 BetGoodwin Pall Mall final over 450m at Oxford.
The race was effectively won and lost at the opening turn as the market leader capitalised on his inside draw to barge challenging Madabout Peck, backed from a morning 20-1 and opening show 8-1 into 4-1, out of the way.
Always in control from that point, Aero Sacundai went on to score by two and a half lengths from Long Fellow in 26.52sec with Droopys Hanover almost four lengths back in third.
It was a second competition victory in a month for the Aero Syndicate-owned winner [Taberner, Stuart Forsdike, Mike Woolgar and Geoff Ansley] after his sprint record win at Towcester on Derby final night and came after he overcame a missed break to qualify from round one.
27/07 - Shelbourne: This Runs Deep ON1 525 - Yorkie Ollie
YORKIE OLLIE completed an unbeaten run through the This Runs Deep ON1 525 at Shelbourne Park in the same dominant fashion he had landed the preliminaries.
Trained by Owen McKenna for Michael Hennessy and Adrian Sheils, he won heat and semi by an aggregate of 30 lengths and, while the margin in the €10,000 decider was 'just' seven, it was still a special performance.
Quickly in total control, he led home Droopys Roar in a superb 27.88sec.
28/07 - Towcester: Genco Group Juvenile Classic - Slick Sentinel
SLICK SENTINEL kicked off an amazing 20 minutes for trainer Patrick Janssens with his victory in the £5,000 Genco Group Juvenile Classic over 500m at Towcester followed immediately by a track record over the trip from kennelmate Barntick Bear.
The trap draw proved crucial in the feature with favourite Syd Zafiro moving left from five allowing 11-2 chance Slick Sentinel in six a lovely run to the bend which he fully capitalised on.
Crowding in behind at the opening bend left him well clear and, although Syd Zafiro battled gallantly, it was always likely to prove a vain pursuit and so it proved as Slick Sentinel, owned by Keith Allsop, scored by almost three lengths in 28.77sec.