NOON BALLAD CAN BE THE PUNTERS FRIEND ONCE MORE
Barry Drake
Just like last week, NOON BALLAD rates nap material in Curraheen Park tonight, and the Kieran Lynch-trained runner should prove a class apart in the Laurels Restaurant A1 525.
Owned by Eoin Ivers and Fintan Lawlor, the classy performer made no mistakes last week, winning in great style, clocking a career best of 28.37.
This is another great opportunity, and with the advantage of the inside, it really should be all one-way traffic up front. If producing a similar 3.30 sectional, she will have little trouble in leading up, and if that's the case, she should win with plenty to spare. No doubt connections will be gearing up for the upcoming Irish Greyhound Laurels.
Danzig Rebel is one for forecast punters. Trained by James Kelleher for the Castlegrounds Syndicate, he has been a fabulous servant for connections. A 28.80 winner last week, that was his 15th career success, and the pacey all-round performer can chase the nap selection home in this.
Trainer Colm Fitzgerald has enjoyed a wonderful year, winning the Treaty Cup and the Irish Sprint Cup, and he can strike in race number three, this time with Flyers Penney.
She has some smart form in the book, and if ready for her comeback outing, she will take plenty of stopping. Seefin Dot, trained by Patrick Barrett for owner Breda Barrett, is another with claims. He comes here in good form after a recent 16.28 winning performance around Clonmel, and on that run, he should be involved.
Tiermana Dream, a winner on Laurels final night last week for Colm Fitzgerald, is a very interesting runner in the Open Sprint, which comes in race five. So impressive this year, winning the Treaty Cup and the Irish Sprint Cup, he has massive claims in this; however, he will need to bounce back after finishing fifth on Irish Greyhound Derby final night.
There's no doubt he can, and he's a huge player; however, a slight preference is for The Other Aari. The Jennifer O'Donnell-trained runner finished second in that sprint on Derby Final night, and he was a real eye-catcher in defeat.
He has the best of the draw in trap three, and with one of his better starts, he will be hard to beat. It's the race of the night for me, with the likes of Portrush Ben and Lennies Jack also capable of putting in big performances in this.
The €1,500 to the winner Dan & Sheila Buckley Memorial A2 final is another cracking contest on the card. Super Sydney, drawn well in trap two, fresh from his recent 28.63 winning performance, has the best of the draw and he's the one to beat.
That was his comeback run last time out, and with further improvement expected, it will take a big performance to turn him over. The selection has loads of pace, and he should turn very handy to the early lead. In doing so, he will go very close.
Aghadown Delek set the standard in the opening round, clocking a top-class 28.50. He has bundles of speed and is a big stayer; however, from trap five, he will need a little luck in running. In the care of Niall Collins, he is one to watch in the coming weeks and months.
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