BRILLIANT RENEWAL OF TOMMY & BRIDGET MARY DUNFORD BITCH STAKE

Peter Farrell

The build-up to Clonmel’s Festival of Racing continues later tonight with the commencement of the Tommy & Bridget Mary Dunford Memorial Bitch Stake, kindly sponsored by the Dunford Family of Ballinamult.

With €2,000 on offer to the eventual winner, the stake is expected to be fiercely competitive, with four qualifying places available from the three opening-round heats.

Heat one features Bogger Callie, who produced a rapid 28.67 around Clonmel at the beginning of December in a trial. Drawn in trap three, the daughter of Callaway Pro Am, owned by Dora Hattemore, is a powerful galloper and is likely to be well tuned for this assignment. If securing a clear passage in the early yards, few will finish faster. Of the remainder, Imokilly Roxanne boasts plenty of early pace and must be respected, while Bad Dreams is a proven Clonmel performer and should also figure prominently.

Heat two appears more open, though a tentative vote goes the way of Tinahue Skylark in trap one. Owned by John Fox, she returns to action for the first time since September but has shown encouraging signs in two sharp sprint trials at Waterford. Expected to be on the premises early, the daughter of Malachi remains open to improvement as a July ’23 whelp and is well housed on the inside. Droopys Melon and Clonfert Annie both bring solid form to the table and are unlikely to make matters easy.

Heat three will see Bushpark Mel attract plenty of interest as the Graham Holland-trained black makes her seasonal reappearance following her run in the Bernard Barry AAO 525 final. A six-time winner, the daughter of Malachi brings high-class form into what looks like a drop in grade. Long Calling, representing Michael O’Donovan from trap one, appears the chief danger and a repeat of her 28.14 Waterford performance would see her firmly in the reckoning.