BENSON COMPLETES HER MARCH AT KILKENNY

Ian Fortune

There was a huge crowd at Kilkenny on Friday night for what was a pretty notable meeting at the St James Park venue.

Not only was it a benefit for the Barrow Rangers Gaa Club, featuring some superb racing but it was also the first time the new bar was open to the public and reports of the evening have been very encouraging.

The feature on the track was the valuable final of the BOYLE Sports A3 Bitch 525 and Twenty Benson produced a typically determined display to complete her unbeaten march through the competition for handler Michael Donnelly and her curiously named owners, the Babe Magnets Syndicate.

The daughter of Broadstrand Bono and Long Kiwi was an even money chance from trap four but she had to work harder than in recent starts. Challenged into the turn by the other semi-final winner Sliabh Bladhma, Twenty Benson took a bump on the turn and was forced to check her stride slightly as Sliabh Bladhma moved of the fence.

It was only a temporary setback, however. Once straightening up down the far side, Twenty Benson started to reel in the leader. Joining Sliabh Bladhma by halfway, she made the most of her inside line to edge on into the third turn.

It was all very straightforward for the favourite thereafter. Droopys Mags also got up the inside of Sliabh Bladhma at the third turn to chase the leader but Twenty Benson was on her way to a famous success. She stayed on powerfully to win by three lengths in 29.37 (rated .40 slow). Droopys Mags ran another encouraging race in second with Volcano Vicky finishing a further half length back in third.

JULES IS A GEM

The final of the Willia Hanlon Memorial A1 was also on the card and Jules Gem emerged a comfortable winner for Murt Leahy and the Gem Spring Syndicate.

The daughter of King Sheeran and Droopys Meteor was always in a position to strike, chasing the fast-starting Carrigeen Whit into the back straight before slipping up the inside of the early leader into the third turn. Jules Gem than eased on to eventually see off Coolemount Ger by four and a half lengths in 29.20.

HIDALGO TOO STRONG IN OPEN 525

Lemon Hidalgo saw of his namesake Lemon Herbie in the valuable Track Bookmakers Open 525.

Neither were fast into stride but the duo were far faster than their rivals. Lemon Herbie shot up the fence to take control into the turn, while Lemon Hidalgo rode a bump or two to enter the back straight in second.

It was now a straight shootout between the pair. Lemon Hidalgo had plenty of work to do but he closed the gap into the third turn to press around the last two bends. It was on the run in that he finally got on top. Tom Lennon’s son of Ballymac Best and Lemon Ariana came wide and fast to lead inside the final twenty yards. Lemon Hidalgo would emerge a length scorer in 29.45.