RAVEN FLIES TO GO FASTEST AT ENNISCORTHY

Ian Fortune

Coolavanny Raven set a strong standard in the second round of the Public House ON2 525 at Enniscorthy on Monday evening.

The opening round had seen a number of the field show promise and it was very much the case again as the likes of Coonough Cregg, Swift Halo and Roanna Broc won the remaining heats in style.

RAVEN TOO HOT TO HANDLE

Noel Browne’s Coolavanny Raven was fastest, however.

The well bred son of Ballymac Best and Coolavanny Royce, who is a half-brother to the likes of Skywalker Rafa, Coolavanny Pet, Coolavanny Duke and Coolavanny Calvn, was ideally housed on the fence and he shot up the fence to lead on the bend.  

One going to the front, he found himself further in front as his rivals clashed but it scarcely mattered as he was always going to win. The Garry Dempsey trained tracker displayed big back straight pace and coasted home to emerge a facile eleven length scorer over Walk On Gaffer in a rapid 28.90.

CREGG IMPRESSES AGAIN

Coonough Cregg was the only other heat winner to dip under 29 seconds as he emerged a comfortable winner of the final heat for Mark Sullivan.

An impressive winner in 29.04 seven days earlier, the son of Eden The Kid and Coonough Dolly displayed fine early dash to lead from the early yards.

Despite cutting inwards from trap six, he cleared the corner with a bit in hand and really turned the screw from the third turn. At the line, Coonough Cregg was seven lengths clear od Dysert Sherlock in 28.99.

HALO STAYS UNBEATEN

Swift Halo also made it two from two in the opening heat.

Trained by Cora Doyle for Peter Nolan, the son of Droopy Sydney and Swift Raven broke fastest to dominate and he proceeded to score by three and a half lengths from Rushmoor Queen in 29.01.

BROC IMPRESSES

Roanna Broc went somewhat slower than the other heat winners in Heat 2 but he was no less impressive, showing fine pace and determination to recover from a slow start.

Only fourth to the turn, he forced his way into second before the second turn.

He was length behind his litter sister Roanna Sadie at halfway but closed the gap to the third turn before pouncing on the run in. Owned by Robbie O’Neill and Adrian Maher, the son of Ballymac Best and Roanna Bess got up to score by three parts of a length in 29.35.