2014 Irish St Leger Final

2014 Kerry Agri-Business Irish St Leger…...the story so far!

Semi shocks leave Limerick set for Classic Leger finale

Following two thrilling semi-finals on Saturday last, the 2014 Kerry Agri-Business Irish St Leger comes to a most anticipated conclusion tonight with a mouth watering final line-up that will draw down the curtain on a Classic renewal that has offered all that is good in the sport and maintains this wonderful competition’s status as one of the most prestigious prizes in Greyhound racing, very much intact!

In a truly remarkable performance twelve months ago, Irish and Limerick Oaks winner, Locnamon Bridie ensured greyhound immortality with a dominant final display. She made the bend in front from trap 3 and powered to a commanding lead on the back-straight where even Tyrur Sugar Ray failed to make inroads against the breath-taking bitch who registered a three and half length victory in a brilliant 29.34. There was again a strong challenge by the fairer sex this year in a bid to emulate the great bitch and tonight will see Borna Central carry the flag as the last bitch standing.

Nidge led the way with record rd 1 win

This year’s event was sparked into life when in our opening session of round one action Droopys Nidge set a blistering new standard for the 550 yard trip by dominating heat 8 in a new track record time of 29.29! He would subsequently exit at quarter final stage but such has been the quality throughout the competition that even his elimination could not detract from what has been a sizzling month of Leger fireworks from the onset.

Others to leave an indelible mark on that opening night were Pat Buckley’s Paradise Silva who scored a dominant heat 4 win in a slick 29.62 while Gerry Holian’s Emers Superstar looked at home now back at the Limerick circuit when displaying devastating early pace before taking control of heat 6 off the second bend for a nine length win in 29.66. The concluding two heats of night one action sent local patrons home with a smile as James Roche’s Ballyana Foxtrot firstly scored an impressive early paced victory in heat 10 when leading throughout for a two and a half length verdict over fellow finalist Vulturi. Heat 11 then went to Tim Gilbourne’s powerful bitch Cloon Glory who took up the running off the second bend to lead home Hannibal Rising by one and half lengths in 29.97.

Big guns turn up the heat in round 2

With the luxury of a fourth qualifying place gone, three of tonight’s finalists along with some of the competition’s main protagonists signalled their respective intentions with brilliant round 2 performances that threw the competition wide open as the new track record holder felt the classic heat despite getting the better of Burgess Oscar in an epic heat 5 tussle. The pair fought out a thrilling buckle all along the back-straight with Nidge just getting on top approaching the line for a half length verdict in 29.62 over the Cork raider who would influence the outright betting market following this game display.

Another close affair on the night saw Liam Dowling’s Vulturi, just mow down Metro Jack in the shadow of the post for his first heat win by a shorthead in 29.84 before Ballyana Foxtrot went back to back in another dominant display when one and a half lengths in advance of Big Bang in 29.75. Also remaining unbeaten was Emers Superstar with his early pace carrying him to a seven length win over tonight’s finalist Castleivy Crash in a fast 29.58. General Wolf then took the penultimate heat, leaving a very good impression when stretching to a twelve length verdict over Elevenerife in 29.74 despite not hitting the front until early in the back-straight. The fastest performance of the night however was reserved for the concluding heat where Paradise Silva made a fast start from trap 1 and this powerful runner galloped relentlessly to a ten length verdict over Cloon Glory, again registering a slick time of 29.52.

Silva and Emer remain unbeaten

Our quarter final heats saw two runners score hat-tricks of Leger heat wins when firstly Paradise Silva again made a smart start for a first bend lead in heat 2, recording a six length win over Castleivy Crash in 29.59 with Stone Boy King qualifying behind them and reaching his third big Limerick semi-final having reached the same stage in 2013 in both the Leger and Kirby Memorial. This immediately preceded another brilliant display of early pace by Emers Superstar when he again led throughout heat 3 but not before being forced to repel the eye-catching and sustained challenge of General Wolf by just a head in 29.58 as the latter once again impressed with his back-straight pace, Borna Helena followed these home, a further four and a half lengths adrift.

Vulturi, a thorough professional

The opening quarter final of the night went to Vulturi who was now warming nicely to his Leger task and the strong stayer showed clever track craft for a daring third bend run on the rails when overtaking early pacesetter Cloon Glory, Burgess Oscar and the struggling track record holder Droopys Nidge for the gamest of victories in a thrilling heat. Burgess Oscar followed him home at a three length deficit in 29.82 with the same back to Cloon Glory in third as she consigned Droopys Nidge to fourth and his Leger exit to boot.

Michael Dwan with Borna Central

The concluding quarter final was a heat to savour where Michael Dwan’s Borna Central produced one of the most memorable moments of this years’ event when recovering from significant first bend bumping to scythe through a high class field from last position off the second bend before mowing down Hawaii Kinsale on the line in 30.12. This exhilarating success meant we would have three bitches in the semi-finals but the heat also saw a gutsy display by Ballyana Foxtrot who failed to lead for the first time in the competition but managed to negotiate his way into a battling third qualifying place, an effort that could prove crucial in the final script of this Leger!

Favourites fall victim to Crash in semi shock

So often the semi-finals of major events can prove a stumbling block for big outright fancies, for classics are rigorous tests of resilience and the ability to safely negotiate early rounds whilst retaining top form in readiness to produce your racing best when the chance comes your way can be a potent weapon. So it proved for Denis O`Malley’s 12/1 shot Castleivy Crash in last weeks’ opening semi-final when he found his best split of the competition from trap 4 and tracked early leader Cloon Glory to the opening turn. He showed good pace to overhaul the lead entering the third bend as 2/5 favourite Vulturi began to close on the heels of the leading duo but was inconvenienced by a tiring Cloon Glory at the corner, leaving Castleivy Crash to record an impressive one and a half length win in 29.78, the best run of the youngster’s career to date. Three bitches went to traps for this heat and following the heroics of Locnamon Bridie in 2013, it was only fitting that at least one of these would advance to attempt to emulate her great feat. It was Borna Central who claimed the third final place and will have added yet more admirers when again overcoming a poor draw in trap 6 to recover from fifth place at the second bend to be only a half a length behind Vulturi at the line.

Foxtrot dances back to best as Silva sneaks through

Ballyana Foxtrot

The second semi-final was an eventful affair where Emers Superstar just shaded favouritism at 7/4 with his trap 1 draw over fellow unbeaten runner, Paradise Silva who had a treacherous draw in trap 5. The former missed his break and his Leger aspirations were tenuous in the opening strides as both Burgess Oscar and Ballyana Foxtrot made fast starts from traps 4 and 6 respectively. They led at the first bend with James Roche’s local favourite negotiating the turns much more smoothly for a back-straight lead that would see him safely advance in 30.03. The story in behind was much more complicated but Burgess Oscar held his second position entering the back-straight with Emers Superstar using his early pace to challenge for third ahead of the menacing General Wolf who was flying on his outer. However, with Burgess Oscar occupying the rails position at this point, Emers Superstar switched for a run on his outer and a bump between him and the advancing General Wolf shuffled both backwards into a veritable dog fight for the third qualifying place. This duo were still in advance of a closing Hawaii Kinsale and Paradise Silva entering the closing bends but despite suffering all the predicted traffic problems from his trap 5 draw the game Pat Buckley charge crucially found a rails run and denied General Wolf a final berth by a half a length, in a cracker!

The Finalists

Trap 1   Vulturi The Liam Dowling trained Vulturi has developed into one of Ireland’s most formidable competition trackers since blasting onto the open scene over 575 yards at Shelbourne Park as a pup before recording a blistering 28.25 at Limerick in the Con & Annie Kirby back in March. Fourth in this years Derby he has maintained an admirably high level of form over the past months and whatever beats him tonight will need an absolute clear run for his staying power will see him flying on the rails off the final bend but for victory, he must keep very close touch with Paradise Silva on his immediate outside for a back-straight challenge as that rival will not surrender the inside graciously. 15/8

Trap 2 Paradise Silva Pat Buckley’s Paradise Silva, always capable of blistering times, found a level of consistency in the early rounds of this event that saw him lead at the opening bend for a hat-trick of heat wins. He suffered first bend bumping in his semi-final from a predictably tricky draw but always a strong runner he gamely stayed well to claim his place in the final and holds big claims of victory now as he can lead Vulturi in the early strides for a rails run. Having recorded 29.62 or better on three occasions a likely clear run just about earns him the winning vote. 15/8

Trap 3 Castleivy Crash Denis O`Malley’s locally trained youngster Castleivy Crash has charted his way through this event with admirable track craft at the tender age of twenty-six months and this Puppy Derby heat winner continues to improve with his fastest semi-final win over Vulturi being the best of his career thus far. He can conceivably go even faster now but he will need a repeat of his recent fast start, for his win claims will hinge on leading Paradise Silva to the opening turn. Ignore him at your peril however and should he lead at any point, brace yourself for deafening cheers that may well carry him to victory. 9/1

Trap 4 Borna Central Michael Dwan’s wonderfully game bitch, Borna Central had passed two years of age before recording her first open time and had been campaigned solely at 525 yards before tackling this event without a race or trial at Limerick before her opening heat in the Leger. Despite poor draws throughout, this inside seed has negotiated her way to the final when never beaten more than two lengths in any heat, even when faced with seemingly impossible tasks. Her quarter-final win when coming from last to first means that she must be respected and should there be any traffic problems for the early pacers, she will scare any on the home-straight if within striking distance off the second bend. 14/1

Trap 5 Burgess Oscar Sheila Spillane & J.J Fennelly’s Burgess Oscar is the only finalist without a heat win in the competition but do not let that detract from the high class performances he has produced throughout. He has registered 29.65 in a round 2 defeat and should he produce that level of form he will hold claims of victory as he can both start well and he fully sees out the trip at the highest level. He matched the early paced Ballyana Foxtrot to the opening bend last week but surrendered his chance when not galloping the bends smoothly which does temper confidence now but should he remedy that the youngest finalist at just twenty-five months old, Oscar, has a chance! 9/1

Trap 6 Ballyana Foxtrot Another locally trained runner that will inspire rapturous cheers, James Roche’s Ballyana Foxtrot has won three of his four Leger heats and finally gets his crack at a big classic final after the early pacer bounced back to form in a quality semi-final win. Usually eliminated when failing to lead in similar situations, he gamely found a way to qualify from his quarter-final and holds big claims now as this race has a very similar set up to that which saw him defeat Burgess Oscar last week. He must lead to win but he can and with 29.65 to his name, those looking to come from behind will need a clear passage to mow him down….catch me if you can! 11/4

2014 Kerry Agri-Business Irish St Leger Final……the verdict?!

Attempting to predict the outcome of this mouthwatering final has proved a difficult problem to decipher and is greatly complicated by the attractive prices available with some firms about those labeled outsiders. Despite housing five inside seeds, the trap draw appears to offer a plausible chance for a clean run race with the sole middle seed Ballyana Foxtrot clearly comfortable in the stripes.

Outsiders have plausible claims

Trap 5 for Burgess Oscar on his inner may not read as acceptable being widest of the inside runners but he made his best start of the competition from trap 4 last week and has a brace of trap 6 wins to his name so with a slower starter on his inner, this draw may be very suitable as he should have room to drift inward on the run to the bend. He is the youngest runner in the field at twenty five months and should he run the opening bends smoother than he did when upsides Ballyana Foxtrot in the semi-final he may find the very slight improvement needed to score and a pillar to post victory is not a forlorn hope at the final’s most attractive odds of 9/1.

The big fly in the ointment tonight is Castleivy Crash following his brilliant semi-final display which on the face of things would give him a much greater chance than his 9/1 quote would suggest. At twenty-six months of age that run can not be readily dismissed as a one off performance, as further progression is clearly possible given his youth. He however must lead on the inside because although fending off Vulturi last week, that rival was closing with menace on the back-straight until slightly crowded at the third bend. Further complication for his chances is the presence of Paradise Silva on his immediate inside who will be more comfortable tonight now back close to the rails.

An inside seed, Borna Central has hardly caught sight of the white paint throughout the Leger but to her credit runs a straight line, whatever trap she exits. She will not lead to the first turn tonight but she continually finds a way to get competitive and will again fly from halfway. For win claims, one would much prefer to see her drawn on the inside of Vulturi in particular, as attempting a late swoop against a similar style of runner with a better draw will prove difficult. She will need help from somewhere to be close enough for a winning bid at the closing bends but the powerful bitch must be respected after an admirable Leger campaign.

Silva service can resume now back near the rails

So to the short priced runners, Vulturi and Paradise Silva have vied for favouritism all week at prices close to 15/8 and at those odds the clear choice between the pair must be Paradise Silva. He came through a horror draw last week when gamely recovering from first bend bumping to reach this final and gets the vote to gain his reward for those exertions with his much more favourable now. He has two wins from trap 3 and another from trap 1 in the opening heats and again showed smart early pace compared to Burgess Oscar and Ballyana Foxtrot after a slow start from trap 5 last week. He can outpace Vulturi to the bend now and the rails pitch offers more ways for him to win than any else in the final. Even if led to the opening bend, the manner in which Burgess Oscar moved off the inside at the corner last time could offer an inviting gap for Silva and he also possesses powerful back-straight pace that may mow down Ballyana Foxtrot even if that rival produces his best form on the outer. His win times from the early heats are impossible to ignore and with no value in tipping bigger priced losers, Silva is the percentage call.

Although both feared and respected in equal measure, it seems clear that Vulturi will need Paradise Silva to miss a beat at some stage if he is to claim victory. He has not bettered 29.82 thus far and although trap 1 offers a chance for clear racing room, a similar run for his market rival makes this a tough proposition and the likely odds are not so attractive. The 11/4 available about Ballyana Foxtrot does seem more on the mark however. His chance of victory is a simple one, he must lead around the opening bend and try to hang on which is a plausible prospect. With 29.65 to his credit he merits plenty of respect with a likely clear run on the outer. Prediction: 2-1-6

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                                       How the Final was won!

Emer the fastest as Nidge meets his Leger demise!

Four wonderful heats of the 2014 Kerry Agri-Business Irish St Leger provided all the thrills and inevitable spills that only the classics of Greyhound Racing can deliver as both Emers Superstar and Paradise Silva kept their unbeaten competition records intact as new track record holder Droopys Nidge suffered elimination when heat 1 sparked the Leger quarter finals into fiery action an Saturday last.

That opening heat was highly anticipated as Droopys Nidge and Burgess Oscar would reoppose following their epic battle just a week previous but the presence of Vulturi in trap 1 looked an ominous threat and he duly proved just that, in a cracker! Elevenerife began best from trap 5 to lead from Droopys Nidge on the outside who showed pace to almost join the leader before a brief bump between the pair shuffled him back to a one and a half length tie for second place with Cloon Glory who had made good headway with smart pace from trap 4. The latter overhauled the leader early in the back-straight and was joined by Droopys Nidge but the expected back-straight surge of the track record holder failed to materialise as Tim Gilbourne`s local favourite put up stubborn resistance that would ultimately seal Nidge’s fate when unable to beat him to the third bend.

That was where the whole complexion of this race changed when Burgess Oscar began to range up on the inside of Cloon Glory with a threatening challenge but as he did, left an inviting gap for the strong staying Vulturi who in turn made his bid on Burgess Oscar’s inner for a winning run. He stretched on for an impressive three length verdict over Burgess Oscar with three more lengths to Cloon Glory, who were both admittedly inconvenienced by his rails run, in a time of 29.82. This heat also brought the elimination of Hannibal Rising who was unluckiest of the remainder when his big late bid was blocked at the third bend but Paudie Ryan’s track regular can be very proud of his Leger campaign in spite of his injury worries.

Paw perfect Emer was dominant…..in General!

Gerry Holian’s Emers Superstar was the fastest winner of the night in heat 3 and this brilliant early pacer found a smart break to register a sizzling 2.77 split on his way to a first bend lead over General Wolf who impressively was just one length adrift of the pacesetter. Emers Superstar however has an enviable ability to run these opening bends at Limerick with apparent acceleration and he stretched clear to a four length lead on the back-straight. Borna Helena showed canny track craft after her slow start form trap 6 to chase this pair off the second bend and the order would remain the same throughout but not without a late scare for backers of the 4/6 favourite out in front. General Wolf impressed greatly with his running from halfway the previous week and found a threatening late thrust on the run to the line which Emers Superstar only just managed to repel by a head in 29.58 with four and half lengths to Borna Helena in third.

Silva service has Buckley in Paradise as Stone Boy makes third Limerick semi



Stone Boy King is now in his third big semi at Limerick

Trainer Pat Buckley must be delighted with the consistent breaking form that Paradise Silva has found in this Leger campaign and though producing his slowest split of the competition he again put himself in prime position to maintain his winning run when quickly to stride from trap 3 for a first bend lead in heat 2. A strong runner from the second bend,  victory would never be in doubt and he raced to an uncontested six length verdict over Castleivy Crash who used his rails pitch from trap 1 to good effect ahead of the ever game Stone Boy King who claimed a second Leger semi-final place when two and a half lengths further back in 29.59. Eleanor Mullins & Mark Curtin`s Stone Boy King reached the 2013 Con & Annie Kirby semi’s here when a puppy before making the same stage of last year’s St Leger. He had suffered significant balking in that first big semi-final before cruelly KO`’d in this event twelve months ago. Without prejudice we wish this most gallant of racers a safer passage throughout his heat tonight, whatever the result!

Borna’s bid to emulate Bridie…..on the double!

Michael Dwan with his Borna Central

The formidable Borna Kennels of the Dwan family in Thurles continued their bid to emulate the heroics of super bitch, Locnamon Bridie, when having already guided Roger`s Borna Helena to third place in heat 3, they witnessed Michael`s Borna Central produce a stunning display of guile and determination to score victory in the concluding quarter-final despite being plumb last off the second bend. Fast trapping Macho El led into the back-straight from Metro Jack and Ballyana Foxtrot who failed to lead for the first time in the event. Hawaii Kinsale mounted his challenge around the closing bends having been fourth down the back and ranged up on the outside of a tired leader with Metro Jack also fading out of contention before the eventual winner finally laid down her claim. Borna Central had suffered bumping at the first bend which left her with much ground to make up. She was moving fastest of all however on the back-straight and despite racing widest in the white jacket, continued to pass rivals around the closing bends. Her sustained challenge mowed down Hawaii Kinsale by a shorthead in 30.12 with Ballyana Foxtrot gamely sneaking third a further one and a half lengths adrift.

Semi-Finals

Vulturi appears best housed runner of the night

1) Vulturi 2) Stone Boy King 3) Cloon Glory 4) Castleivy Crash 5) Borna Helena 6) Borna Central

Liam Dowling's Vulturi has plumb draw in heat 1

It might seem obvious to say that Liam Dowling’s Vulturi has the best draw in trap 1 of six inside seeds but such is his running on the inside, that the clever railer is almost guaranteed a clear run now. His splits compare well with those on his outer and he gets a confident vote to defend his position and strike the front on the back-straight, or sooner! The remaining qualifiers are not so straight forward to predict however and a plausible case can be made for all runners. That said, Cloon Glory just edges the advantage on the early splits and he has hardly put a paw out of place in the competition thus far. He can hold a prominent position at the opening bend and convert that to a trio place as he is strong enough to fend off some of the likely fast finishers. Most formidable of those finishers is Borna Central and though drawn worst of all, a glance back her previous outside draws in the competition suggests that she will keep a straight line to the bend and if that brings her a clear run she will be almost impossible to keep out of the places. Prediction: 1-3-6

Unbeaten pair collide but watch out, the Wolf is at the door!

1) Emers Superstar 2) Hawaii Kinsale 3) General Wolf 4) Burgess Oscar 5) Paradise Silva 6) Ballyana Foxtrot(m)

Pat Buckley and Paradise Silva face tough draw

Treacherous was the first word that came to mind upon witnessing this draw and the line-up would grace any classic final. There is conceivable danger for every runner from the moment traps open but the percentage call must be Emers Superstar to continue his unbeaten run from trap 1. He has won two from four when wearing red and if breaking on terms, his early pace will see him defend the rails pitch at the first bend. Hawaii Kinsale found his best split last week and he really will need that again now but on balance, General Wolf must be fancied to lead him in the early strides. He has enough early pace to fend off those on his outer if so and gets the second vote for a qualifying place as the back-straight pace he has shown throughout the competition is laudable. To be choosing a trio contender from the three phenomenal trackers on the outside seems a ridiculous situation but such is the quality of this heat and although unbeaten thus far, Paradise Silva has been handed a horror draw now. Not only has he the headache of those fast early runners near the rails and the teak tough Burgess Oscar on his immediate inside but he also has fast early pacer Ballyana Foxtrot on his outer. The latter, has in the past, been eliminated from classics when failing to lead early but he earned himself a gutsy reprieve last week and he can complicate this heat greatly for Paradise Silva if returning to his best breaking form. Burgess Oscar has shown too much class throughout the heats to rule him out now and he earns the final vote to qualify by tracking General Wolf around the opening bends in pursuit of Emers Superstar. Prediction: 3-1-4

Racing Post Link http://www.racingpost.com/news/greyhounds/vulturi-and-the-wolf-can-advance-at-limerick/1762898/top/

Silva goes fastest as Classic posse gathers around Nidge!

New track holder and outright favourite for the 2014 Kerry Agri-Business Irish St Leger, Droopys Nidge, gamely registered back to back opening round wins when just fending off the sustained challenge of Burgess Oscar in a thrilling Heat 5 buckle. However, on a wonderful night of classic action a host of aspiring champions emerged with every passing Round 2 heat to breath down the neck of this young superstar like schoolyard bullies determined to send him back down the pecking order as Paradise Silva went fastest in a dominant Heat 8 display.

Silva goes fastest in Rd 2!

Pat Buckley`s powerful Gold Cup runner-up closed the night’s action by lowering his round 1 clock in landing heat 8 with another strong running performance following a level start from trap 1. He defended his inside pitch at the bend before streaking to an unassailable lead early in the back-straight, with bumping for those in behind. Never seriously threatened, he held ten lengths over Cloon Glory and Glideaway Con, who recovered well from early traffic to fill the places in a brilliant 29.52. Paradise Silva has found his best breaks in the opening heats and should that continue, his powerful gallop from the second bend makes him a leading hope for outright honours.

Six runners remain unbeaten

Five more winners will defend unbeaten tags in our quarter finals and the first to score back to back victories last week was Adrian McPherson`s Lemon Pumba who produced another impressive early paced display when just denying Burgess Four a first bend lead in heat 2. He was tracked into the back-straight by Jackal Frampton but a bigger challenge materialised at the closing bends as De Real McCoy continued his impressive comeback with a strong late challenge which fell short by just a head in 30.16 with Jackal Frampton in third.

The Gerry Holian trained early pacer Emers Superstar showed an impressive turn of foot on the run to the opening bend in Heat 6 before smoothly galloping to his seven length winning margin early in the back-straight. He relegated the race to little more than a procession thereafter when chased home by Castleivy Crash and Borna Helena in a brilliant 29.58. A Kirby finalist here back in April, he was improving on his opening 29.66 win despite suspicions that the track was slower than the previous week. Emers Superstar continues to grow in stature and his Derby campaign proves that he can withstand the rigours of a tough classic campaign which will make him a formidable opponent as the event progresses.

Nidge nails stubborn Oscar in a thriller

This heat was preceded by that epic tussle between Droopys Nidge and Burgess Oscar where the latter showed the best early pace having been just headed in the early strides from trap 2. He held the inside pitch at the bend where Droopys Nidge came to within one length having paced up well in splendid isolation on the outside after breaking just behind the lead despite charging at his trap 6 door before trap rise. A protracted buckle from the top of the back-straight saw Nidge draw alongside Burgess Oscar at the halfway point but the response was strong and sustained by the Cork raider until eventually succumbing in the home-straight but only by a half a length in a slick 29.62!

James Roche`s Ballyana Foxtrot again showed his Limerick prowess in Heat 4 when quickest to the opening bend after a level break from trap 5 to lead Big Bang into the back-straight. The latter gamely reduced a five length halfway deficit to just one and a half lengths at the line in 29.75 with Hawaii Kinsale recovering from a tardy start to claim third. Graham Holland`s General Wolf then added to his impressive Limerick record despite being led to the opening turn and slightly inconvenienced by fast trapping Macho El en route. He quickly overhauled the leader however when swinging off the second bend and streaked clear to an eye catching twelve length success in 29.74 with Macho El just relegated to third by Elevenerife.

Close calls throughout exciting Round 2!

Heat 3 served up another cracker where Metro Jack used his rails pitch to good effect for a four length back-straight lead over Vulturi who tracked the early pace for a rails run at the corner. The leader maintained a strong gallop from this point and still had two lengths in hand off the final turn but Liam Dowling`s Derby finalist found his trademark fast finish to just deny the Paul Hennessy charge by a shorthead at the line in 29.84. Catching the eye when claiming third was Paudie Ryan`s Hannibal Rising who lost no ground on the winner from the second bend to home, having been plumb last in the early exchanges.

There was little more than the minimum winning margin in our opening heat also as Dromore Premier just held the inside at the first bend and gamely kept his neck in front all the way despite being hard pressed throughout. His final challenger was the strong staying bitch Borna Central who just failed to get up on the line in 29.97 with Stoneboy King filling third in a highly entertaining heat that set the tone for a wonderful Round 2 session.

Solo for show, now race for dough!

We have seen stunning displays of racing excellence by some of Ireland`s most impressive trackers in the opening round heats of the 2014 Irish St Leger and while there was still the odd wide margin winner last week, we also saw many heats with the result still in doubt upon exiting the final bend. Expect that latter trend to continue into our quarter finals tonight and those who registered fast clocks with little fuss can expect greater competition for racing room now as the ability to secure a competitive position in the face of adversity becomes infinitely more important than the stopwatch.

Nidge faces biggest test tonight!

For one runner in particular, this will prove the biggest challenge of his career as the supremely talented Droopys Nidge attempts to graduate from speed merchant……to racing champion! He deserves great credit for responding to the challenge laid down by a resilient Burgess Oscar last week and reopposes that rival in Heat 1 tonight but Classics get tougher with each round and the presence of Vulturi with the plumb trap 1 draw makes this three way clash a mouthwatering prospect. Nidge will need to be at his best to secure victory here and that includes relaxing in traps. He charged the trap door as hare exited the final bend last week and any repeat of this tonight could cost him dearly. Conversely, Vulturi rarely puts a paw too far out of place and with a likely clear run on the inside of Burgess Oscar, just gets the nod to lower Nidge`s colours for now.

The second heat, on paper at least, appears the most straight forward to predict and Paradise Silva will go to traps a very short priced favourite. Without the presence of a confirmed early pacer to rival him for a first bend lead that would seem justifiable and he should hold the inside pitch at the bend, allowing him to skip clear at the top of the back-straight. Glideaway Con has posted smart splits in his opening heats and can give the favourite most to worry about if fending off Jackal Frampton in the early strides.

Our third heat brings three unbeaten runners together in a vicious draw where connections will gladly settle for any qualifying spot but the slick early pace of Emers Superstar can prove decisive. Expect him to outpace likely early challenger Lemon Pumba off the second bend, provided he matches General Wolf at trap rise. Trap 4 in this particular situation is far from ideal for the Wolf and he must be smart in the early strides to secure a run as Emers Superstar will drift towards the rail at the earliest sign of clear space, making this a complicated heat for the places, especially as De Real McCoy appears close to his very best form on latest evidence. Big Bang and Borna Helena will pick off the early pacers that fail to secure racing room and the trio combination in this heat really could be anything!

Ballyana Foxtrot will bid to continue his winning ways in our closing heat and likely racing room from trap 6 makes this a clear possibility as he can post a time that will make him extremely difficult to reel in. Fast trapping Macho El can lead on the inner and by doing so, give Metro Jack a tow into the race on the back-straight and he can chase Foxtrot around the closing bends while Borna Central may again secure a qualifying spot with her powerful pace from halfway.

Outright Betting: Droopys Nidge 2/1 Vulturi 7/2 Paradise Silva 4/1 Emers Superstar 7/1 Ballyana Foxtrot 7/1 General Wolf 12/1 Metro Jack 25/1 Jackal Frampton 25/1 De Real McCoy 33/1 Lemon Pumba 40/1 Burgess Oscar 40/1

50/1 bar        

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