CRAFTY AND SEAMUS IMPRESS AS FESTIVE STAKES CONTINUE AT GALWAY
Peter Farrell
Galway continued their festive sweepstakes last night and there were no shortage of quality performances with the Paul Burke Top Kennel 2022 A2 525 proving particularly competitive.
One of the runs of the night came in race ten, the first semi final of the Paul Burke stake, as Crafty Babalino maintained his incredible career start to win for the fifth straight time. Owned by the Divilly-Family-Syndicate, Crafty Babalino won her four prior starts with relative ease, producing big finishes to draw clear of her rivals. Last night’s performance followed suit as the talented February puppy came from the back of the field to justify her even money pricetag. It was Almost There who held a healthy advantage down the back as Crafty Babalino sat some six lengths adrift with plenty of work on her plate. However, the daughter of Ballymac Best and Crafty Perfecto sliced through runners to loom alongside the leader and from there, she stormed around the outside to win by two and a half lengths. A smashing performance once again from Crafty Babalino, the time was a slick 29.09 .30s.
In the second semi final, Joeys Champ ensured the decider won’t be all one-way traffic as John Moloney’s dog led from the outset to record a seventh career victory. Running from trap four, Joeys Champ flashed from boxes and he already held a three length advantage rounding the opening corner. Setting a scorching gallop thereafter, the son Kinloch Brae and Mt Heaton Daisy stuck to his task well in the closing stages to cross the line with three and a half lengths to spare over Abigails Power in second. The time was 29.20 .30s.
BURKE DOUBLE
Elsewhere on the card, there was a double for the Bumblebee kennels of Paul and Paddy Burke as Bumblebee Love scored first, before Bumblebee Seamus secured the double later on the card.
Running in the WGOBA Christmas Draw A6 525, Bumblebee Love was a 2/1 chance heading into the event and the daughter of Ballymac Vic and Bumblebee Rosie made no mistake, making every yard from trap five to run out a seven and a half length winner. The time was 29.89 .30s.
Later in the card, Bumblebee Seamus produced a very accomplished display to land the Open 550 and seal his third victory on the spin. Running from trap two, the talented son of Pat C Sabbath and Headford Sally came away well and he crucially defended the rail on the run to the opening corner to lead. Holding a two length advantage down the back, Bumblebee Seamus stretched clear in the closing stages to comfortably secure victory by just under four lengths. The time was a smart 30.41 .30s.
LOKI QUICKEST IN MCKENNA HEATS
The heats of the Paul McKenna Memorial A3/A4 575 were also down for decision on the night and the quickest of the winners was Annadown Loki in heat three.
Drombeg Khalesi was installed the 4/7 favourite in this contest but Annadown Loki failed to read the script as Geraldine Dillon’s bitch won at a canter to record her third career victory. Running from trap six, Annadown Loki broke best of all on the outside to lead Drombeg Khalesi into the opening corner. Holding a four length advantage down the back, the daughter of Pat C Sabbath and Rocken Pearly upped the ante around the bottom two corners as she drew clear to win by seven lengths, in a time of 31.96 .30s.