GRADED FINALS ON OFFER AT GALWAY

Peter Farrell

There are a couple of attractive graded sweepstake finals on offer at Galway Greyhound Stadium later tonight, with the €1,250-to-the-winner Greyhounds Make Great Pets A3/A4 525 complemented by the final of the Barking Buzz A5/A6 525.

There are a couple of notable absentees from the Greyhounds Make Great Pets A3/A4 525, with both semi-final winners Annadown Harvey and Five Alley Chief reported as non-runners in the decider. Instead, both traps will be occupied by reserves, with Drimeen Jetty and Banter Bonnie stepping in to take their chance.

As a result, the final now has a wide-open look to it, but Heathlawn Ruby gets the nod despite what appears a tricky draw in trap four. Rose and Martin Kelly’s runner has been a model of consistency and will bid to take her winning tally into double figures for connections. While the daughter of Grangeview Ten would undoubtedly have preferred a draw closer to the fence, she has the ability to ping the lids and that could prove crucial. If putting her best paw forward at traprise, she showed with her 29.18 opening-round victory that she is more than capable of stringing the field out. Her chief rival could emerge in the shape of Portumna Amber on her immediate inside. The December pup has shown plenty of promise in recent starts, powering home to secure qualification for Mary Muldoon and John Sloyan. Should traffic become a factor, expect the handy fawn to be right on the premises come the business end. Of the remaining finalists, all will need to up their game in order to land the spoils. However, Balure Diamond has a very nice make-up in six and he too will be revving his engine from the halfway mark.

Prior to that, the final of the Barking Buzz A5/A6 525 goes down for decision and Pierview Big Rob will bid to complete a clean sweep of the competition for Mairtin Seoighe.

The son of Slippery Robert comes into the decider fresh from back-to-back victories, with his most recent success coming in a career-best 29.15. Ideally housed in red, the strapping blue is clearly in peak form and, should he trap on terms, looks a huge player in the final. That said, Ballyea Marshall is likely to make a bold bid from trap five. Trained by Albert Mullins for Noel Gavin, ‘Marshall’ was just a length and a half adrift of ‘Big Rob’ in the semi-finals and there was plenty to suggest on that occasion that he is capable of reversing the form. Drawn in five, a better break will be required, but it would be foolish to rule out the son of Ballymac Best. Of the remaining finalists, Lakeside Tommy is trending in the right direction and remains open to plenty of improvement, while Jezebel Eyes is bred in the purple and ran a fine race when finishing third behind the favourite last time out.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK ADMISSION FOR RACING IN GALWAY GREYHOUND STADIUM