JUST TWELVE REMAIN IN CON & ANNIE KIRBY MEMORIAL

Peter Farrell

Its crunch time at Limerick Greyhound Stadium later tonight as the semi finals of the Con & Annie Kirby Memorial 525 take centre stage and patrons are in for a real treat with two intriguing contests expected to unfold.

After three weeks of pulsating action in the Treaty county, two fascinating contests lie ahead but the first semi final in particular is red-hot with the first three in the betting all locking horns in their bid to seal one of those all-important qualification spots. While Faypoint Ranger will no doubt go to traps as the favourite, he will face stiff competition from all angles and there will be zero margin for error as a result. Meanwhile, the second semi final may be more favourable in terms of avoiding some of the big hitters, however, it remains a stacked contest where arguments could be made for all six runners.

MARKET RIVALS TO DISPUTE FROM THE OUTSET

There is only one place to start and that is with what can only be described as a semi final fitting of a final itself. In and amongst it, there are two unbeaten runners in the Classic with Faypoint Ranger and Brideside Bill putting their records on the line. Both trained by Graham Holland, bragging rights may well be at stake for the kennel companions, however, at this stage of the competition qualification is the name of the game and both will be confident of advancing. The favourite will be Faypoint Ranger and of the remaining twelve runners in the Kirby, he without doubt holds all the aces in regard to early speed. In possession of an abundance of early dash, Patricia Flanagan’s black is well-housed in three and he is unlikely to break as poorly as he did last time out. As a result, expect a sharper exit this time around and it will be a case of ‘catch me if you can’ thereafter. Of his main rivals early on, Brideside Bill is expected to challenge from the outset. Eugene Buckley’s runner clocked a brilliant 1.26 last time out as he posted 28.24 off the front and any repeat of that will no doubt see him qualify. As the sole wide runner, the son of Droopys Sydney is also exactly where he wants to be in trap six and he warrants huge respect given what has gone before. Indeed, he is consistently shaving time with each and every outing and he will carry plenty of support on the night.

BIG FINISHERS

Outside of the early pacers, there is stamina in bucket loads and the likes of Droopys Deploy, Ballymac Jester and Pain Barrier all fall into that bracket. Droopys Deploy, trained by Robert Gleeson for Paul Allen, has been in the mix at the head of outright market since the outset of the competition and he will again be fancied by many to book a ticket into the decider. The UK Puppy Derby champion has yet to win a round up to this point, however, he has produced several powerful displays in defeat and he remains a real force to be reckoned with. Drawn in five, the son of Malachi would have probably preferred to be drawn a little closer to the rails but nonetheless, he could gain a good pitch early on and this be the case, tonight could be the night where he outlines his outright credentials. The aforementioned Ballymac Jester and Pain Barrier will be flying at the finish. While Faypoint Ranger and Lemon Joey were battling it out last weekend, Ballymac Jester almost chinned both runners at the winning line as he finished at a rate of knots to take third. Liam Dowling’s charge is coming to the boil nicely and it's worth noting that he is the in-experienced runner in the line-up with just six starts under his belt. That said, while he will need to negotiate a clear path early on, expect further improvement from the son of Ballymac Wild and that is a frightening prospect for his rivals. Pain Barrier, meanwhile, represents double winning Kirby connections, Brendan Matthews. He too has slipped under the radar somewhat up to this point, however, his quarter final performance was a real eye-catcher. Throw into the mix a plumb draw in red and this tracker could be the value bet in the contest. Like Ballymac Jester however, gaining a favourable pitch early doors is crucial. The remaining runner is the Maurice O’Connor-trained Silent Kobbie. A winner of his quarter final assignment in a blistering 28.27, his turn of speed from the second bend thereafter was a thing of beauty and the penny would appear to be dropping for Timothy and Tom Nolan. That maiden victory could be a sign of things to come from the son of Droopys Sydney and he could make life difficult for Faypoint Ranger, who is drawn on his immediate outer in three. Verdict - 3/5/4

JOEY GETS THE NOD

While the second semi may not be as stacked as the opening semi, there are some hugely fast individuals in the line-up.

Of the sextet, Lemon Joey is the likely favourite as he bids to get back to winning ways for Murt Leahy and Billy O’Keeffe. Despite tasting his first defeat of the competition last weekend, the son of Ballymac Best lost little in defeat and if anything, was even more impressive in going down by a mere neck to Faypoint Ranger. The strapping brindle missed the break by his standard on that occasion, however, he is much better drawn in trap four this time around and that could be the catalyst to ping out and make-all. Of his rivals, the unbeaten Fun Inthe Run can continue his outstanding form for Daire and Michael Malone. The son of Malachi and Love Island, a half-brother to last year’s winner Knockeen Dazzler, ‘Fun’ has a bit of everything in his locker and he is perfectly housed in six as the sole wide runner. Indeed, there are more pros than cons with this quality blue and he will hope to continue defying the odds later tonight. Another likely to dispute early doors is Sole Mio in trap three. The Peter Cronin-trained runner has consistently come in for big market support in each round to date and he looked like rewarding his loyal follower’s last time out when making virtually every yard before surrendering the lead late on. Aidan Comerford’s charge is still relatively unexposed however, and he is certainly going the right way in terms of the clock.

POWER-PACKED FINISHERS

Like the opening semi, the second semi is also filled with greyhounds that will likely dominate the extended distances in the months to follow. Bubbly Charger came into the competition unraced and has shown unbelievable ability in each of his three starts to date. His quarter final performance was a major eye-catcher as he took off between the bottom two bends to go down narrowly to Brideside Bill and that performance could well see Brendan Matthew’s runner dispute for favouritism in this contest. Drawn in two, if he can fend off Skywalker Schar on the run-up, the son of Ballymac Bolger will be a major player thereafter. Another that falls into the powerhouse category is Flight Club in trap five. The son of Good News, trained by Paul Hennessy for Carol O’Riordan, had defied double figure odds in his last two rounds, however, he has shown he possesses a massive engine and he will look to capitalize on potential traffic once again. Sandwiched between two fast starters in Lemon Joey and Fun Inthe Run, a little luck will be required early but Flight Club will be flying at the finish and he is another more than capable of making the podium. The remaining runner Skywalker Schar, who is likely to go off the underdog of the contest for Michael O’Donovan and Ray Patterson. While the son of Ballyhimikin Jet is searching for his first win after seven starts, he has shown pockets of real talent and one suspects that elusive victory is just around the corner. That said, it is unlikely to arrive in this contest but he has the draw in red to put his best paw forward. Verdict - 4/2/3

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MICK THE ONE TO BEAT IN SEAN O’CONNOR MEMORIAL

Prior to the Kirby action, the semi finals of the Sean O’Connor Memorial 525 get underway and all eyes will be on Kilcolgan Mick as he bids to repeat his incredible 28.16 first round win.

Trained by Neilus O’Connell for Karen Geoghegan, Kilcolgan Mick dismantled his rivals to win by six and a half lengths last time out and given the time, he is very much the one to beat going forward. Drawn in four in the second semi, the son of Razldazl Annie faces still opposition from the likes of Abigails King and Teeming Spirit, however, it’s foolish to oppose a greyhound that clocked 28.16 last time out and he should have too much from a level start.

In the opening semi, Tinahue Pappone and Kapuka Warrior are likely to dispute favouritism but it is Blastoff Cooper that gets the nod after a smart performance in defeat last time out. Owned by Philip Buckley, he has just five starts under his belt so further improvement can be expected and he boasts a decent draw in three.