A COUPLE OF PROMISING ANNADOWNS

Peter Farrell

With the spotlight having fallen on Friday night’s Connacht Derby at Galway Greyhound Stadium, Saturday’s programme produced a couple of serious performances in its own right, none more so than those of Annadown Elliot and, most notably, Annadown Shadow.

Both owned by Gerry Dillon, the pair look to hail from an exceptional litter, a fact emphatically underlined by the display of Annadown Shadow in particular. It is a rare occurrence for a greyhound to dip under the 29-second barrier on debut at Galway, yet that was the notable feat achieved by the September ’24 puppy in race two. Sent off the 4/6 favourite, the pacey black had early questions to answer but, once afforded room to maneuver, the son of Grangeview Ten – Annadown Cutie quickly asserted. Striding clear down the back straight, he grew stronger with every yard and ultimately crossed the line seven and a half lengths clear of Oyster Boy in a scintillating 28.94 .10s. On that evidence, he is a prospect of considerable promise and will undoubtedly generate significant interest in the weeks ahead.

Earlier on the card, his heavyweight brother Annadown Elliot had already laid down a marker with a commanding success of his own. Tipping the scales at 81lb, he too was installed as an odds-on favourite at 4/7 and wasted little time justifying that confidence, breezing past Croaghill Macy on the run-up. In doing so, ‘Elliot’ quickly opened up a three-length advantage, a lead that continued to extend around the bottom two bends. Powering home with real authority, Dillon’s charge brought the curtain down on race one five lengths clear of Sues Pearl in second, stopping the clock in a brisk 29.31 .10s.

CUTIE A BROOD STAR

Their dam, Annadown Cutie, was herself a high-class performer, reaching AO grade with a series of standout displays around the Connacht circuit. On the strength of these latest performances from her first litter, she now appears poised to make an equally significant impact in the breeding paddocks. If early indications are to be trusted, Annadown Elliot and Annadown Shadow are two names certain to feature prominently in the months ahead.