HANOVER MELLIE CLAIMS NANCY TYNAN MEMORIAL AT GALWAY

Peter Farrell

There was another final decided at Galway Greyhound Stadium on Saturday night as the €1,000-to-the-winner Nancy Tynan Memorial A4/A5 550 took centre stage on an eight-race card.

A close betting heat preceded the final, with Hanover Mellie sent off the 6/4 favourite, narrowly ahead of Droopys Glamour at 7/4. However, it was the 2/1 chance Stonepark Sam who made the sharper exit from three, disputing the early lead with Springwell Eddy from trap five. Hanover Mellie, housed in trap four, found herself sandwiched between the pair before tucking in behind Stonepark Sam as the field moved into the back straight, the leader holding a slender advantage at halfway.

With the strong-running Hanover Mellie now on the leader’s shoulder, the outcome began to look increasingly inevitable given her powerful finishing kick. Sweeping around the outside at the penultimate bend, Leeanne Fleming’s daughter of Slippery Robert – Ballyhale Chloe hit full stride and quickly asserted. She powered clear in the closing stages to score by two-and-a-half lengths from Stonepark Sam, stopping the clock at a smart 30.50 .10s for the 550-yard trip.