ALL TO PLAY FOR IN MAGICAL KENNELS 325 SHOWPIECE

Peter Farrell

Kindly sponsored by Pat Guilfoyle, the final of the Magical Kennels ON2/ON3 325 carries a €1,500 winner’s purse at Lifford Stadium tonight and shapes as a wide-open contest, with Bucko narrowly preferred to land the spoils.

The recent sale of likely favourite Cash Your Chips at a UK auction has reshaped the betting landscape, leaving the door ajar for Bucko to go one better than his narrow neck defeat to ‘Chips’ last time out. Owned and trained by Brian Robinson, Bucko made an immediate impression when winning on debut in a sharp 17.78. He lost little in defeat next time, improving again to 17.67. In truth, a switch in traps might well have seen that form reversed and although drawn once more in trap four, the son of Dromana Bucko is clearly progressing. On that basis, a level break can see him gallop to his second win from three starts.

Unbearable is feared most. Trained by Brendan Matthews, his presence in this final may itself be telling, having bypassed the sales auction in midweek. He has finished strongly in both outings to date and, if the son of Signet Ace – Press Unlock can sharpen up at trap rise, he holds the crucial inside line in trap three and rates a serious danger.

Jamie McGee fields two representatives in littermates Gizmo Mystery and Gizmo Alpha, with the latter appearing the kennels leading hope. The only unbeaten runner in the decider, ‘Alpha’ posted a best of 17.78 in the opening round. Ideally housed in trap six, he may need to trim a couple of lengths off that mark to land the spoils, but as a September ’24 whelp, natural improvement is very much on his side.

Of the remainder, Gizmo Mystery and Swanson Dubh will need to find improvement on what they have shown in their two starts to date, and on known form, it is difficult to build a compelling case for either.