SORLEY O’DORNAN MEMORIAL KICKS-OFF AT CLONMEL

Peter Farrell

The first round heats of the €2,500-to-the-winner Sorley O’Dornan A3/A4 Memorial 525 feature on a nine-race card at Clonmel tonight and this popular event is expected to attract a good crowd to the Suirside venue.

Kindly sponsored by the Family and friends of Sorley O’Dornan, this always proved a hotly contested event and the 2026 renewal looks no different. In heat one, He Ran Exile returns to four-bends fresh from back-to-back wins over the sprint trip at Cork. Andrew Lynch’s runner has a smart draw in two and he looks primed to continue his upward trajectory.

Heat two is sure to divide opinion with representation from a number of top kennels. Callaway Royal, owned by Denis Murphy, is a massive tracker but clearly has an engine and will look to make all from his wide berth in six. However, he can ill-afford any slip-ups with the likes of Vernon Mist on his inside. She has some decent Galway form and can certainly stake a claim, while Emers Cody has a plum draw in one and is taking a drop in class.

The choicely bred Petulance represents Adam Dunford in heat three and he gets the nod to double his career tally. A winner on debut in 28.90, the son of Tommy Shelby has been out of luck in his last two outings, however, he can get back to winning ways from trap six. The Paul Hennessy-trained Taylors Tipple must be respected on his immediate inside and looks a big threat.

Ballycahane Ace is rapidly improving and Liam Fogarty’s tracker can make it three wins from just six starts in heat four. Drawn in five, the daughter of Signet Ace arrived late in her last two victories and another late flurry can pay dividends here. Her chief rival looks to be Newinn Tweety in four, who is also coming off a good victory last time out.

Paraic Campion is always well represented in these sweepstakes and he can secure victory in heat five with Boozed Spark. Just a May whelp, she is two from three at Clonmel and is improving with each and every outing on the clock. She will don the red jacket in this contest and certainly looks capable of shaking the 29-second barrier. Rossa Shelby is on the downgrade and looks the main threat in five.

The concluding heat can see Born Sunny break her maiden tag for Jennifer O’Donnell and the Born-Wild-Syndicate. She was eye-catching in defeat last time out and can get the better of her rivals from her wide berth in six. Emers Ariel is another fast-finisher and can also get involved, while Madams Dream has been racing in A2 company of late and is still improving.