***BALLYMAC SYD WITHDRAWN***
HERECOMESDAHONEY - Showing promise at every turn in a high class career start, it is fair to say that Graham Holland’s Herecomesdahoney has relished his surroundings on the Dock Road when improving yet further to hold leading claims in the final. Winning two of four heats, those victories came from Trap 1 and none will be happier entering traps now. He will be required to defend his rails pitch to the back-straight but command of the inside will bring serious win claims where a repeat of his best 28.30 performance can make him extremely difficult to contain at 3-1.
DEADLY STORM – Arriving to Limerick following a very smart A1 stake success at Clonmel, Michael O’Donovan’s Deadly Storm immediately signalled his Kirby credentials when winning his Trial Stake on debut here. A brilliant opening round win preceded three heats where he was forced to display immense battling qualities. A slick early pacer, he has repeatedly suffered bumping in his attempts to lead since that opening victory and his win claims now hinge on getting loose to the back-straight. But, be under no illusions that with his best break, he is capable of leading even this Kirby final field to halfway and is no forlorn hope despite his outside odds of 8-1.
BALLYMAC TAS – With blistering displays at Tralee and Shelbourne Park, Liam Dowling’s Ballymac Tas was already a star in the making before arriving to Limerick and she confirmed every suspicion that she was a stand-out talent of a generation when threatening our track record in a blistering 27.97 opening round win. Her only defeat of the event came at quarter-final stage when bravely battling through bumps from an unsuitable wide draw. She confirmed last week that she is indeed the fastest of the 2019 Kirby and one more adept break to ensure a clear run in the final may suffice to see her home in front. A worthy favourite at 6-4.
TOOLMAKER JOSIE – The lightest raced runner of the final, Robert Gleeson’s Toolmaker Josie had a Kirby legacy to uphold when arriving to Limerick with just one race under his belt as two of his half-brothers featured in last year’s decider. Displaying track-craft beyond his experience, he has cleverly found clear paths at the opening bends before impressing with scintillating back-straight pace which has brought victory in his last three heats as he grows within the event. He must again find clear passage but if front rank off the second bend, Josie has the tools to get the job done at 7-1.
BALLYMAC SYD – A second finalist from a brilliant litter for Liam Dowling and having gone so close in the final of the Juvenile Classic at Tralee, Ballymac Syd was a leading fancy before arriving to Limerick. A stunning opening round win in 28.07 immediately put him into contention but he has been forced to battle from behind when finding traffic from Trap 6 in his latest three heats. However now away from the striped jacket, it was this very trap which brought his best break of the event and if he should repeat that now for crucial clear passage, he could be the biggest threat to his sister. 3-1.
ANTIGUA RUM – The youngest of our finalists, Tom O’Neill’s Antigua Rum had just three races under his belt before arriving at Limerick to claim Trial Stake victory while posting his first open class time ahead of the Kirby. Maturing and developing his racing style on a circuit which ideally accommodates his deep reserves of stamina, none have been finishing faster throughout the event. He is unlikely to be with the lead to the halfway point but if within reasonable striking distance at the closing bends, he is capable of pouncing late and fast at 6/1.The Verdict
As with any greyhound race, when attempting to predict the
outcome we must first seek to establish the fastest runner before then trying
to envisage their path to victory. In the 2019 Con & Annie Kirby Memorial,
one greyhound has resounding confirmed herself to be that fastest runner and
Liam Dowling’s Ballymac Tas may be
just one clear run from converting in what has been a simply brilliant
campaign.
Immediately putting the track record under serious threat on
her debut appearance at Limerick in the opening round, she has secured a clear
run on three occasions and each time has been the fastest of the round. Her
sole defeat in the event came from an unsuitable Trap 5 draw in the
quarter-final when suffering significant bumping and if her final rivals are to
contain her now, it appears that they must execute their best race to
subsequently deny a worthy favourite from implementing hers.
The threats to Ballymac Tas are many and entirely viable as
it could be argued that there is some rivals drawn better than her. In that
regard, there will be none happier on the way to traps than Graham Holland and
his Herecomesdahoney. He has won two
heats on the way to the final and has been wearing the red jacket of Trap 1 in
each of those victories. He is breaking very adeptly, moves well on the run to
the bend and his left shoulder will scrape paint off the inside rail
throughout.
He appears the best drawn of the entire final field and a
repeat of his best 28.30 performance will mean that even Ballymac Tas will need
to be at her very best to stay with him. He does of course need to reverse
semi-final form with the favourite but on the correct side of her this time,
his final chance is obvious.
A further aid to his claims may be the runner to his
immediate right and separating that afore mentioned duo from Trap 2 is Michael
O’Donovan’s Deadly Storm. Many will
take a glance at his latest defeats and pass him over for consideration in the
final but that could prove foolish for this brilliant early pacer retains the
capability of leading.
Contesting in the front rank in every round thus far, he has
found traffic at the opening bends when racing in tight quarters with similar early
paced rivals and it can be argued that we have yet to see the best of him. He
will need to break smartly and beat Herecomedahoney to the corner for victory
claims of his own but in the overall context of the race, he may hold the key
to the chances of the runners on either side.
The one thing Deadly Storm won’t do is move towards the
rails on the run to the bend so in that regard, he is the ideal neighbour for
Herecomesdahoney and by consequence can be very crucial in terms of racing room
for Ballymac Tas in the early stages. It’s not a case that he will seek to move
markedly right but examination of his running sees him chart a course at the
opening bends which is essentially about two dog widths away from the inside
rail. So if he breaks, his early pace is certain to have him front rank and he
could well be forcing some rivals to race wider than optimum while offering the
freedom of the inside to Herecomesdahoney. The presence of Deadly Storm to her
inside leaves no scope for error from Ballymac Tas at trap rise!
Rivalling Herecomesdahoney for second favouritism is Ballymac Syd and just like Deadly
Storm, he must also bounce back to first round form for he has been struggling
to secure clear passage in his recent heats. Back-straight pace has been
getting him out of trouble and he is very strong from the second bend to home.
He must however arrive at the first bend in the front rank if he is to score
now.
The big plus in regard to the draw however is that he is
away from Trap 6 which did not appear to entirely suit and it was from Trap 5
that he produced a stunning first round win which remains the second best time
of the entire event. Having posted 28.07 he looked a major fancy from the
outset and the biggest question ahead of the final is will he return to that
form? If so, he appears entirely capable of victory.
Ballymac Syd is also likely to get clear racing room in the
early strides as Antigua Rum will
certainly not be moving left to meet him from Trap 6. Tom O’Neill’s strong
stayer has been showing huge back-straight speed from the behind the pace in
his heats and none will finish stronger. The big question is just how close he
can stay to the leaders before reaching the halfway point. There are many
rivals here who will not be ceding much ground late on so he must be within
three lengths at the very minimum and even that depends on who is ahead of him.
His brilliant 28.39 in quarter-final victory says that his hopes are realistic
but will there just be too many good finishers in his way as he will not match
these rivals to the opening bends?
Toolmaker Josie
is also likely to afford Ballymac Tas some racing room as Robert Gleeson’s
least experienced finalist really does appear to be a confirmed railer. Again
in his semi-final victory, he switched in behind a leader to his inside when
seeking the rails but such is his back-straight pace, he again managed to
secure victory in the manner of real young star. He can match any of his rivals
along the back-straight but could again be in behind when reaching the corner.
The issue with that this time is when seeking a run on the rails, he is highly
likely to find Herecomesdahoney occupying the ground where he wants to race. It
would ideally suit Josie for those who lead him at the corner to race in tight
quarters and he would prove wholly capable of taking advantage. If one gets
loose however, they may just skip too far clear.
It’s not a straightforward task for Ballymac Tas to win the
final but she gets the vote. A wild swing at how the race pans out goes like
this; Herecomesdahoney, Deadly Storm and Ballymac Tas race in unison to the
first bend with Honey taking control to the back-straight as Storm and Tas are
ushered a touch wide. Just in behind this trio lies Ballymac Syd having tracked
his sister around the bends. Honey remains in command to halfway but with Tas
bearing down on him to the closing bends as Syd threatens Storm for third.
Joining Honey off the final corner, Ballymac Tas proves too
strong on the run to the line as Honey fends off Ballymac Syd for second place.
Just one scenario amongst a myriad. Trio 3-1-5
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