A RED HOT SUMMER AT KILKENNY

Ian Fortune

Black Summer again set a strong standard in the Boylesports A3 Bitch 525 at Kilkenny on Friday night as she ran out a ready two and a half length winner.

Racing rom trap five in the opening heat, Sean Leahy and Thomas Norton’s daughter of Laughil Bolt and An Cailin Alainn didn’t break as fast as seven days earlier but displayed fine acceleration to lead a long way before the bend.

Kilgraney Cookie went up strongly to sit second into the back straight and she pressed hard but Black Summer maintained a strong gallop to the line to stop the clock in 28.90. Kilgraney Cookie was second with Sunshine Jewel was three and a half lengths further adrift in third.

BALLYMAC DANCES IN

Ballymac Dance improved on previous form to emerge a good winner of Heat 2.

There was a line of greyhounds challenging into the turn but Ballymac Dance drove the bend to assert. Over three lengths clear entering the back, she went on to hold the saying on Beautyquickstep by a length in 29.09. Liberty Miss was another three lengths adrift.

MAY EMERGES IN A TIGHT FINISH

The closest finish of the night came in Heat 3 where Kerryroad May just got the better of Avongate Coco.

The latter moved to the front on the run to the bend and she was a length to the good at halfway, although Kerryroad May came with a strong challenge into the third turn to take over.

Avongate Coco wasn’t finished with, however. Rallying on the run in, she pressed Kerryroad May but couldn’t quite get back on terms. In a desperate finish, Kevin McLean’s Kerryroad May held on by the minimum margin in 29.36. Third went to the staying on Me Vicky.

GLORY FOR LORRAINE

There was another tight finish to the final heat with Glory Lorraine and Effernogue Cloe going head to head from the second turn.

The pair emerged from an opening bend scrimmage to sit first and second and they could scarcely be separated from halfway.

In fact, it was only in the final twenty yards that Glory Lorraine started to get on top. Sheila Duncan’s daughter of Definate Opinion hit the line a half length to the good in 29.48. There was a further four and a half length gap to Avongate Enya in third.