MADE TO MEASURE PROVES A CUT ABOVE IN LIMERICK BRAKES DECIDER

Peter Farrell

Aside from the TIME Club Graders Derby action at Limerick, there was also a valuable sweepstake final on offer in the shape of the Limerick Brakes A1 550.

In what appeared a wide-open contest beforehand, it was Made To Measure who made light work of his rivals as Mark Lowther’s charge produced a dominant front-running display to land the €3,000 winner’s prize.

Trained by Patrick Norris, Made To Measure had won his opening-round contest in 29.87 and, despite being forced to settle for second in the semi-finals, bounced back in emphatic fashion to score at odds of 4/1. Chasing a seventh career success, ‘Measure’ donned the black jacket in the decider and broke brilliantly from his middle berth to seize an early advantage.

A Charda challenged strongly on the run to the opening bend and asked plenty of questions of the leader, but the inside line proved crucial for Made To Measure, who rounded the turn with a length-and-a-half advantage. Setting a scorching gallop down the back straight, the son of Droopys Sydney and Singalong Sally quickly doubled that lead approaching the bottom two bends and, in truth, only strengthened his grip on proceedings as the race developed.

Although drifting slightly wide off the final bend, this never looked likely to affect the outcome as Norris’ charge powered up the home straight to score by four and a half lengths from A Charda in second. The winning time was a sensational 29.49 for the 550-yard trip and many thanks go to Limerick Brakes for their generous sponsorship of the event. It was a brilliant performance from Made To Measure and, on this evidence, he looks a greyhound capable of making an even bigger impact in the months ahead.