AN IRISH TAKEOVER AT TOWCESTER
Ian Fortune
Ireland will have an unprecedented six finalists in the Star Sports & Orchestrate English Greyhound Derby after the green machine kicked into top gear at Towcester on Saturday night.
Ballymac Deniro and Hackney Corner were both flawless in their respective semi-final victories but they will be joined by Lennies Eddie, Ballymac Duffle, Ballymac Ralf and Lennies Tank in an historic final made up entirely of Irish trained greyhounds.
DENIRO SETS THE TONE FOR IRISH
Ballymac Deniro set the tone in the opening semi-final, going within a single hundredth of a second of the track record. Strike It Skye and Ballymac Duffle were actually fastest into stride but Ballymac Deniro was also pretty sharp at boxes and would soon move to the front on the outside of the fast-starting duo.
On the inside of the track Lennies Eddie was within a length of Strike It Skye and Ballymac Duffle as they hit the line on the run to the turn. He would power up the inside to force his way into second. This caused Strike It Skye to run short of room and find traffic.
Ballymac Duffle also lost ground but kept his balance to emerge in third. Sadly, Epic Ace, who had been so good to this point in the classic, seemed to lose his footing at boxes, stumbling as he hit the ground to sit a bad fifth into the bend ahead of the slow starting Ballymac Iroko.
Ballymac Deniro cared little about what was going on behind, however. Liam Dowling’s brilliant Juvenile Classic winner was on his way to another facile success and he ran right through the line to stop the clock in 28.15.
Behind Deniro, Lennies Eddie was running with purpose and he did what so many failed to do through the prelims; contain Ballymac Duffle. The latter flew home to close on Lennies Eddie but second spot went to Paul Hennessy’s star, some three and three quarter lengths behind Ballymac Deniro. Ballymac Duffle was just a head away in third.
Sadly, Ballymac Iroko and Epic Ace as well as the UK’s Strike It Skye made their exit.
HACKNEY DASHES TO CORNER TO LEAD HOME AN IRISH DOMINATION
With three Irish already in the Derby decider, attention switched to the second semi. Perhaps after the heroics of his compatriots and kennel companions in the opening heat, Ballymac Ralf was backed into favouritism, just ahead of the UK’s leading fancies, Scooby The Lady and Proper Heiress.
Hackney Corner was perhaps somewhat disrespected at 6-1 with Lennies Tank at 8-1. The opening exchanges were always going to have a huge bearing on the result and supporters of Hackney Corner were soon in clover.
The Pat Buckley trained star has taken his time to get used to the traps at Towcester but there was no problem on this occasion. Flashing from five and posting a sizzling 3.73 sectional, Hackney Corner was not in the humour to get into a battle.
Clearing the turn pretty comfortably, he entered the back straight in pole position. Behind him, Proper Heiress and Ballymac Ralf came away well with Scooby The Lady between the duo. Lennies Tank again missed the kick from six, while Sole Focus was also slow into stride and was last into the corner.
After failing to match Proper Heiress and Scooby The Lady for pace into the turn, Ballymac Ralf found himself shuffled back on the corner, while Lennies Tank stayed wide to go fourth with Sole Focus fifth and Ballymac Ralf last as they hit the second bend.
It was now race on. Hackney Corner powered down the back straight to contain Proper Heiress. Scooby The Lady was on her own in third, a couple of lengths ahead of Lennies Tank with Ballymac Ralf moving fifth early in the back straight.
Hackney Corner was imperious. Showing no mercy to those in chase, he contained Proper Heiress into the third turn before kicking on to increase his lead. The brilliant son of Here Comes Syd powered to a brilliant four length victory in 28.34.
It was all quite straightforward for Hackney Corner but the same couldn’t be said for what was happening in behind. Proper Heiress and Scooby The Lady continued to race second and third into the third turn but the wheels were about to come off the UK challenge.
Lennies Tank joined Scooby The Lady between the last two bends, while the stride of Proper Heiress was starting to shorten. Ballymac Ralf found traffic on the third turn and seemed in trouble but what was to follow was remarkable.
As Proper Heiress capitulated, Lennies Tank made his move but so too did Ballymac Ralf. After making a quick recovery from his third bend traffic, the flying fawn absolutely flew home. Ballymac Ralf somehow moved second in the closing yards, finishing a head in front of Lennies Tank.
Somehow, the three Irish runners in the heat finished first, second and third. It was a remarkable achievement and one that ensured that Towcester will be green on Saturday coming.
It’s official, Ireland will claim a nineteenth victory in the English Derby and a seventh in the past eleven renewals. Liam Dowling, Pat Buckley and Paul Hennessy (twice) have all won the classic before. One wonders, who will claim another?
POLLY A PLATE WINNER FOR BUCKS
Earlier on the card, Pat Buckley also sent out Singalong Polly to win her semi-final in the Derby Plate, in the process landing a hefty plunge in the betting.
Romeo Ability flashed from traps to lead early but the writing was on the wall when Singalong Polly moved second into the turn. Getting a clear run at the leader, she made her move on his outer off the final turn, wearing him down to win by a neck in 28.59.