Untold dominates National pups as Locke finishes with a flourish

A monthly video record of the major SIS UK and Irish races run during 2024 with accompanying reporting.

07/12 - Shelbourne Park: IGOBF National Puppy 525 - Untold Rufiyaa

UNTOLD RUFIYAA produced a dominant performance to land the €12,500 final of the IGOBF National Puppy 525, the feature event at Shelbourne Park's Winter Racing Festival.

Trained by David Byrne for Callum and John Purdy, Untold Rufiyaa had chased home Fire And Ice in the Romford Puppy Cup decider in September when based in the UK with Tom Heilbron and always looked set to go one better after making a flying start from trap two.

Ballymac Eli on his inner was slowly away and Untold Rufiyaa was able to comfortably beat fellow sharp breaker Hopes Kitty to the turn and quickly had matters completely in hand.

Powering on, he came home four lengths to the good of a recovering Ballymac Eli in posting 28.29sec with Hopes Kitty a length away in third.

07/12 - Oxford: BetGoodwin Series Maiden Cup - Droopys Prefect

DROOPYS PREFECT turned the £3,000 BetGoodwin Series Maiden Cup final over 450m at Oxford into something of a procession.

Trained by Maxine Locke for the JR Racing Syndicate, Droopys Prefect made by far his best start of the competition when it mattered most and always looked in a winning pitch even though speedy Black Gent paced up to lead round.

That is how it panned out with Droopys Prefect asserting in the back straight then pulling right away to beat Black Gent by six lengths in a hand-timed 26.62sec (-20).

Longacres Honey was just over a further length away back in third, while favourite Ballymac Axel, a kennelmate of the selection, had to settle for fourth after being left flat-footed at the start then running into bad first bend trouble.

14/12 - Oxford: bet365 Challenge Cup - New Destiny

NEW DESTINY kickstarted an unprecedented and truly remarkable 50-minute Category One treble for trainer Mark Wallis and the MWD Partnership with victory in £10,000 bet365 Challenge Cup final over 650m at Oxford.

The first battle between market principals New Destiny and Queen Georgia was for favouritism with the Wallis bitch supported from 11/8 into evens to claim that honour but the crucial tussle was who would get first run.

After outsider Swift Giddy broke marginally in front, it was the black jacket of New Destiny which quickly asserted, stealing a vital half length over Queen Georgia who then went to the bend marginally quicker but had nowhere to go at that point.

Chopped for racing room, Queen Georgia was always playing catch up but New Destiny was relentless in front and kept on powerfully to claim her own third Category One title by just under two lengths after previous Romford successes in the Coronation Cup and Champion Stakes.

The winning time was 38.93sec (normal), well inside Queen Georgia's first round track record of 39.17sec but the fact that it was hand-clocked meant the runner-up did have the small consolation of keeping the official mark.

Just 16 minutes later, Wallis sent out Garfiney Blaze to land the George Curtis & Ballyregan Bob Memorial at Hove and it was then only another 34 minutes before his Proper Heiress claimed the Olympic title at the Sussex track.

21/12 - Towcester: bet365 English Puppy Oaks - Yahoo Maizy

YAHOO MAIZY got the run of the race from the front to land the £10,000 bet365 English Puppy Oaks over 500m at Towcester.

Trained by Maxine Locke for the JR Racing Syndicate, the bargain £4,000 Romford sales purchase produced a 4.03sec sectional to lead up and entered the back straight with a tidy advantage after trouble in behind effectively knocked all bar kennelmate Ballymac Lucia out of contention.

As when the pair met in the semis, Ballymac Lucia closed in with every stride but Yahoo Maizy was game in front and repelled her to claim the Category One title by half a length in 29.25sec for a memorable one-two for the Locke kennel.

27/12 - Tralee: Eric Browne Memorial Kingdom Derby - Ballymac Briar

BALLYMAC BRIAR made full use of his favourite inside draw to run right away from his rivals in the €5,000 Eric Browne Memorial Kingdom Derby over 525 yards at Tralee.

Sent off marginal second favourite at 7/4 behind 13/8 Epic Boy, the Juvenile Derby third soon hit the front on the inside and, as his rivals jostled for position, built an unassailable load.

Clear into the back straight, he went on to score by seven and a half lengths from outsider Jim By Two in posting 28.13sec, the joint fifth-fastest winning time of the year.

The winner is trained by Liam Dowling for Father Maurice Brick with Dowling telling the Racing Post: “He’s a lovely dog with a fine turn of early speed and wants the inside draw so the opportunity was there for him and thankfully he took it.

“His owner is a priest and I’d say there was a few of the congregation there cheering him on so it was nice to win it.”

28/12 - Shelbourne: Bernard Barry Christmas Oaks - Silverhill Freya

SILVERHILL FREYA, supported from a midweek 6/1 into 5/2 joint-favourite alongside Drive On Beauty on the night, made the most of her inside draw to claim the €10,000 final of the Bernard Barry Christmas Oaks over 525 yards at Shelbourne Park.

Capping another brilliant year for trainer Graham Holland, who trains the winner for Eugene Buckley, Silverhill Freya flashed from traps with Short Grip initially her nearest challenger before Grangeclare Lady flew into the turn to almost join the leader.

Almost inseparable along the back straight. Grangeclare Lady was pushing hard to take control but Silverhill Freya had no intention of allowing her rival get first run on her into the third turn.

Having dropped inches behind, Silverhill Freya quickened on at this point, putting the result beyond doubt, powering away for a three lengths win in 28.29sec from Grangeclare Lady with Short Grip another length back in third.

HIGHJAY MUZZY became a two-times winner of the Shelbourne Marathon when again dominating over the two-lap event covering 1,025 yards.

Sadly 1/5 favourite Ballyhooly Tejay broke down when starting to make a move on the opening lap by which point Highjay Muzzy was already in front.

Galloping on relentlessly, Jimmy O’Hanlon and the Highjay Gang Syndicate's bitch went on to beat Early News and Terrific Tonic by eight lengths and six in 58.89sec, remarkably an identical time to the one she posted in victory a year earlier.

28/12 - Oxford: BetGoodwin Maiden Stayers Trophy - Emmybell Boy

EMMYBELL BOY, trained by Shaun Gresham for Gaz Williams, held off a big mid-race surge by Head Count to land the £3,000 final of the BetGoodwin Series Maiden Stayers Trophy over 650m at Oxford.

Easy to back at 3/1 in the face of strong support for Fabulous Masie (11/8F), he out-trapped that rival to take early command and was left with what looked a decisive advantage when Head Count passed the market leader at the third bend by getting inside.

However, Barry O'Sullivan's bitch then unleashed a devastating burst of pace which saw her close the leader right down going into the fifth bend and apparently travelling much the best.

Perhaps that effort took a toll, though, as that was as near as she got and Emmybell Boy was going away again at the finish as he scored by over two lengths in a hand-timed 39.54sec with Fabulous Masie just holding Savana Clowns for third.

29/12 - Clonmel: Riverside Kennels Munster Xmas Cup - Im An Exile

IM AN EXILE, fastest in the opening round, avenged two subsequent defeats at the hands of Swords Hero to land the €6,000 Riverside Kennels Munster Christmas Cup final over 525 yards at Clonmel, the last major decider of the year.

Owned and trained by Andrew Lynch, she raced into the opening bend in command, saw her advantage extended by trouble in behind and went on to cross the line five and a half lengths clear of Mustang Marydel, posting 28.48sec.