First mating for Newhall Missile

Having captured the hearts of an entire greyhound racing community, along with attracting the attentions of the wider public in a wonderful 2018 Boylesports Irish Derby campaign which brought a stunning victory in the Derby Consolation, Colin Barry & Noel Coote's Newhall Missile (Romeo Recruit/Rathmeehan Holly) is set to be a daddy, having mated his first bitch on Wednesday of this week.

Set to resume his racing career in the very near future, he returned to Shelbourne Park when sparkling in an 18.67 trial over 350 yards in early February but took time out this week for a natural mating with Sues Music at the kennels of George Gallery.

Owned by Johnny & Grainne Burke, Sues Music had her racing career cut short with just a sole start but she was a member of a talented Open class litter which included Tynwald Galaxy (data rating 111), Log Cabin (127) and Mick The Master (109).

By Tyrur Big Mike, her dam Keplar Miss also threw Open class runners in her two other litters to Droopys Scolari & Droopys Maldini.

Fresh for her breeding career, she is certainly an exciting first mating for Newhall Missile, whose own prolific dam-line traces back to the 1984 Oaks winner Burnpark Sally and through Irish St Leger 3rd Burnpark Lisa, from the family kennels of trainer John Browne.

Surely the most heart-warming story of recent times in greyhound racing, the Newhall Missile script is clearly not yet completed and there is in fact a further instalment yet to be revealed as last year's Derby campaign inspired a hugely generous act from a previous stranger to connections. Watch this space!

Penned ahead of his quarter-final in the 2018 Derby, the Newhall Missile story to that point can be found here: https://www.igb.ie/OwnerShip/other-syndicate-stories/missile-takes-aim-at-derby-semi-final-for-colin-and-crew/

The 2019 Con and Annie Kirby Memorial 525 Yards Stake

For 72 greyhounds whelped on or after 1st January 2017 made up of:

Entries @ €200 each.

Trial Stakes to be run at Irish Stadiums nationwide. Limerick to run additional Trial Stakes.

Preliminary Rounds: Saturday 23rdMarch

2nd Round Heats: Saturday 30th March

Quarter-Finals: Saturday 6th April

Semi-Finals: Saturday 13th April

Final: Saturday 20th April

PRIZEMONEY

Winner €80,000, Second €20,000, Third €10,000

3 Unplaced Finalists €5,000 each

6 Unplaced Semi-Finalists €1,000 each

12 unplaced Quarter-Finalists €400 each

24 Unplaced in 2nd Round €200 each

24 Unplaced 1st Round €100 each

Heat Winners @ €150 each

Sean O Connor Cup for those greyhounds eliminated in the 1st & 2nd round with priority to those greyhounds eliminated in 2nd round.

This event is open to UK entries.

**ENTRIES CLOSE MONDAY 18TH MARCH @ 12 NOON.

Con & Annie Kirby Memorial Trial Stake

6 @ €20 each who are A0 grade whelped Jan 17 or later.

Winner €400 & Trophy plus free entry to Kirby in March.

Race to be run Sat Mar 2nd.

Entry closes Tue Feb 26th @ 12 noon.

Con & Annie Kirby Memorial Trial Stake

6 @ €20 each who are A1 grade whelped Jan 17 or later.

Winner €400 & Trophy plus free entry to Kirby in March.

Race to be run Sat Mar 2nd

**Entry closes Tue Feb 26th @ 12 noon.

Going Gold & Green for Kirby 2019

Regular readers will notice the tweak in colour scheme and will immediately guess that we are already preparing for the commencement of the 2019 Con & Annie Kirby Memorial on Saturday March 24th.

The first round will again house 72 aspiring champions along with 72 Limerick GAA clubs who will each have a representative greyhound to compete for a share of €20,000 on their behalf as part of the wonderful sponsorship package from JP & Noreen McManus, which will again see a total of €160,000 on offer in the main event.

Leading up to the event, and indeed following commencement, https://grgracing.blogspot.com/ will be your one-stop site for all the news, previews, tips, track-side reports, gossip and anything "Kirby" related, as we have been since first covering the event.

With our content for last year's Kirby appearing elsewhere on the inter-web ;) , in 2019 we return to what has been the most comprehensive coverage that the "Kirby" has ever received. All content this year will remain here on the main site but readers can expect to find all the same plethora of news that we have delivered in the past from such sources as our 2017 micro-site http://grgkirby.blogspot.com/ .

The most influential event on future form in the entire sport......it's almost "Kirby" time!

Remember this screen-capture as the 2014 champ was greeted at the pick-up?! #Rambo

Con & Annie Kirby Memorial Stake to give 24 more clubs the chance to win €10,000 prize

24 more Limerick clubs are to be given a chance to win €10,000 in the 2019 Con & Annie Kirby Memorial Stake at Limerick Greyhound Stadium.

The past six years of the competition have seen Limerick GAA clubs share in the event fund, with each of the 72 greyhounds in the event assigned to a GAA club. The winning greyhound’s assigned GAA club win a nominator prize of €10,000 and a free benefit night at Limerick Greyhound Stadium.

The Pat-Buckley trained Droopys Davy won last year’s event, with Cappagh GAA taking home the spoils.

Now, every ladies football, camogie and handball club in Limerick are being invited to submit their applications to be assigned a dog for the Con & Annie Kirby Trial Stakes which begin this Saturday, February 16th in Limerick.

The first 24 applicants will be each assigned a dog in one of the four heats to be run this Saturday. Two of these dogs will progress to the Kirby Memorial First Round, which will begin on Saturday, March 23rd.

CEO of the Irish Greyhound Board, Gerard Dollard, commented: “The Con & Annie Kirby is a wonderful highlight of the Irish greyhound racing calendar. The generous support of Noreen & JP McManus cannot be underestimated. The juvenile race acts as a stepping stone for Ireland’s rising greyhound stars and creates a strong market for young dogs, as well as continuing the strong greyhound racing tradition that has existed here in Limerick for many decades. The Kirby Memorial Stake creates a county full of winners – and Limerick has been used to winning plenty recently!”

Sponsored by Noreen and JP McManus in honour of her parents, Con & Annie Kirby, the competition has the biggest prize fund in Ireland after the Irish Greyhound Derby, with a total fund of €160,000.

The Kirby Memorial Stake will run for five consecutive Saturdays at Limerick Greyhound Stadium from Saturday, March 23rd, with the final taking place on Easter Saturday, April 20th.

The trap draw for the Kirby Trial Stakes will take place this Thursday, February 14th.

POWERSTOWN BETTING

Available markets for the 2019 National Coursing Festival

Derby Sponsors Boylesports markets can be found here: Boylesports Coursing

Berkie Browne's markets with daily specials and form analysis here: Betbrowne

Course bookie Peter O'Reilly's markets for all stakes can be found below and there are some differences of opinion from the layers!

P O’Reilly Oaks Betting – Non Runner (No Bet) e.way 1.2 ½ the Odds.

First Quarter

9/1	BALLYMAC ENYA	v	RUSHVIEW GOLD	33/1
50/1	OUTCAST ALONSO	v	GO JETTER	40/1
40/1	BREAK THE HABIT	v	ISTEACHAGUSAMACH	20/1
33/1	TAILTEANN STEEL	v	RUSH RUTH	25/1
14/1	KARASOVA	v	SMINKY STAR	40/1
28/1	CARDI BEE	v	MOUNTFINN BINGO	33/1
50/1	THRUTHECHAIRSHAW	v	BELIEVETOACHIEVE	33/1
40/1	GO ELLIE	v	ALVOR	28/1

Second Quarter

33/1	COULD BE LUCKY	v	OUTSTANDING LADY	28/1
40/1	GENTSTOWN MARIA	v	SKELLIG PRINCESS	25/1
7/1	NEWINN FIFI	v	ELEGANT WONDER	18/1
50/1	STEAM QUEEN	v	FOXHOLLOW DARKIE	18/1
40/1	SAMSARA	v	WYNNIE	40/1
20/1	LAURINA	v	CRAFTY CUCKOO	33/1
33/1	ASHTOWN ADI	v	QUARRYMOUNT KIM	40/1
33/1	TRY AND TRYAGAIN	v	RUB AND TUG	28/1

Third Quarter

25/1	MAGICAL HANNAH	v	JAMAICA BELLE	33/1
66/1	TROMORA BLISS	v	HOLLYHILL MOIRA	40/1
20/1	TAILTEANN SPEED	v	CHEERFUL BLONDE	50/1
25/1	BALLYMAC ISMAY	v	CORAFLINN RED	33/1
12/1	CRAFTY PERFECTO	v	DOONEEN CATHY	40/1
33/1	SKELLIG SHELL	v	GADGET VALE	33/1
33/1	KINGSMILL CAT	v	BALLINAKILL GAGA	33/1
25/1	GAISCE BUI	v	STILL AMAZING	40/1

Fourth Quarter

25/1	MANNEQUIN	v	PERSONAL OPINION	33/1
25/1	IRONHILL LADY	v	MUNGOS WREN	50/1
33/1	CATCH KAZURI	v	HAVEANICEDAY	40/1
8/1	CHA CHA MATILDA	v	MAGGS FLY	40/1
33/1	WAVE TO DAVE	v	ATLANTIC FOX	50/1
40/1	SALEEN JULIE	v	DÉJÀ VU	16/1
33/1	WESTLIMERICKROSE	v	AGHADOWN LUNA	50/1
50/1	LIGHTS DOWN LOW	v	HOLLYHILL TERESA	22/1

P O’Reilly Derby Betting – Non Runner (No Bet) e.way 1.2 ½ the Odds.

First Quarter

20/1	MANOR MOAT	v	DOWNUNDER WONDER	33/1
25/1	ASTOUNDING	v	MULBOY BHUNA	33/1
9/1	BOYLESPORTSMAGIC	v	SKELLIG SKINNER	33/1
50/1	CHANCE ME ALONSO	v	LONE TANK	33/1
66/1	UPTHEMAINROAD	v	YIPPEE ASSASIN	40/1
10/1	HUNTINGTOWN	v	COONEY	25/1
11/1	BALLYMAC BINGO	v	CRESTOFAWAVE	40/1
50/1	QUIVERS ANT	v	ROCKING MAGIC	28/1

Second Quarter

25/1	OAKVIEW LEIGH	v	DRIVE ALONG	25/1
50/1	BUDORE MOAT	v	BOYNESIDE BUSTER	33/1
25/1	CLEVER JACK	v	MADE UP	40/1
50/1	ANNUAL CRAFT	v	GLANMORE DEN	40/1
20/1	CRYUFF	v	NEVER A LIE	12/1
40/1	NAVY RACING	v	SOMELITTLERAZOR	18/1
28/1	MOONRAKER	v	STEADY FERGUS	50/1
50/1	FLAGFIELD STAR	v	BIG HERO	50/1

Third Quarter

50/1	BADMINTON BIGBEN	v	COUNT EGUREN	50/1
40/1	WISEGUY ALLY	v	HOLLYHILL MILEY	33/1
33/1	ITSTHEONLYWAY	v	BALLYMAC HUGO	16/1
28/1	IM NOT WAITING	v	TILFORD TORNADO	50/1
50/1	GALTEE SNOW	v	SMOKEY HARVEY	50/1
14/1	BEXHILL LIAM	v	RUMOUR HAS IT	11/1
28/1	INCORRUPTIBLEMEN	v	PICTURE HOUSE	14/1
66/1	DRUMTULLA MAGIC	v	LEADING HAND	50/1

Fourth Quarter

66/1	CLONMORE DROOPY	v	KILLUCAN ROCKET	40/1
12/1	NEEDHAM OUGHAM	v	PLEASE HARRY	25/1
16/1	RETURN TICKET	v	SCUBA STEVE	50/1
40/1	DRESDEN VALE	v	SEASIDE DANGER	50/1
25/1	GIBMAHS DREAM	v	BORNBYTHESEA	40/1
14/1	UNDERSUPERVISION	v	TOEMS MAGIC	66/1
20/1	BALLINVEALA TORO	v	IMPACT FACTOR	28/1
50/1	CRYPTIC HUNTER	v	DURANGO JOHNNY	25/1

P O’Reilly : Kevin Smith Champion Stakes Betting

 Non Runner ( Rule 4 to all bets apply) Win only

7/1	LONE ROCKET	v	LONG JOHN SILVER	6/1
8/1	GRANARD BOLT	v	SOULDERN STREET	10/1
10/1	AHAMORE WONDER	v	WATCHMAN	2/5
4/1	COBRA COMMANDER	v	SHINE A DIAMOND	8/1

P O’Reilly : Grace Bruton Champion Stakes Betting

 Non Runner ( Rule 4 to all bets apply) Win only

20/1	LAKESIDE PEARL	v	BLADES OF HONOUR	1/1
6/1	BALLYMAC MEENA	v	SHARE THE DREAM	2/1
10/1	HEARTOFALADY	v	SOUTHOFHERE	5/1
12/1	DROMOHER GLORY	v	BELLINTER KERRY	3/1

NON RUNNER NO BET APPLIES FROM 26/1/19

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HAPPY PUNTING !