FAHY LEAVES IT LATE IN CURTIN MEMORIAL

Ian Fortune

The final of the Pat Curtin Memorial Cup provided the most incredible contest at Mullingar on Saturday night with Fahy Shop finding a way to come out on top after racing off the pace for much of the way.

If you froze the action twenty yards from the winning line, there was five greyhounds within a length of each other but Fahy Shop was in full stride and she came through to score for the Iron Man from Rhode, Paddy McCormack.

Lahinch Toby and Home Darragh swapped the early lead with the latter taking up the running on the corner to dictate down the back straight. Skilled Sean moved second at halfway, while Fahy Shop began to close into the third turn.

The stage was set for a wonderful finish. Skilled Sean moved upsides the leader on the final turn with Lahinch Toby and Fahy Shop on their heels. Freffans Tess was also trying to get involved at this point, closing at speed in fifth.

Again, it went right to the wire, but Fahy Shop found a passage through the middle of her rivals to come through in the closing yards. The daughter of Head Bound and Fork Lightning would eventually hit the line with just a half length in hand on Lahinch Toby in 29.69. Freffans Tess was just a half lengths further back in third with Skilled Sean and Home Darragh next just inches away.