A SNAZZY DISPLAY ROM BALLYMAC AT NEWBRIDGE

Ian Fortune

The strength of Liam Dowling’s Ballymac Kennels outfit can never be underestimated.

Year after year, the handler produces youngsters of the highest quality and Ballymac Snazzy is the latest to emerge from the Kerry operation.

The daughter of Ballymac Bolger and Ballymac Belle continued her rise up the ranks on Friday night when setting the standard in the semi-finals of the Brownstown Tango & NTSC Open Unraced Bitch 525. It ensured a good twenty four hours for Dowling, as he also sent out one of the fastest opening round heats winners in the Future Champion & Michael Fortune Memorial Unraced at Enniscorthy on Thursday.

Ballymac Snazzy really had to be at her best, as Forest Diamond came with a withering run to get within a length at the finish. Ballymac Snazzy broke fast to lead the field into the corner and seemed set to coast home a comfortable winner when four lengths clear on the third turn, although Forest Diamond had other ideas.

After a tardy exit, Forest Diamond sat off the pace in the early exchanges but flew down the back straight to move second on the third turn. She continued to close all the way home but Ballymac Snazzy was always gong to be a tough nut to crack and she went on to score by three parts of a length from Forest Diamond in 28.49. There was a further two length gap to Illkeepitdark in third.

JOSIE TAKES HER CHANCE  

After a superb second round success, Tullymurry Faith was favourite for the opening heat but, after failing to lead for the first time in her career, she had to settle for third spot behind good winner Burges Josie.

Luna Star and Tullymurry Faith both went up strongly but the pair bumped on the corner. Burgess Josie had started poorly but displayed fine early speed along the fence before running a tremendous bend. Slipping inside the front two on the corner, Sheila Spillane and J Fennelly’s daughter of Burgess Bucks and Burgess Helena shot to the front as they hit the second bend.

The order never really changed thereafter with Burgess Josie moving fluently out front to contain both Luna Star and Tullymurry Faith. Burgess Josie went on to see off Luna Star and Tullymurry Faith by a length and a half length in 28.82.

Brownstown Tango & NTSC Open Unraced Bitch 525

Final Draw

1 Luna Star

2 Forest Diamond

3 Burgess Josie

4 Illkeepitdark

5 Ballymac Snazzy

6 Tullymurry Faith (m)