REX CAN PUT THEM TO THE SWORD IN LEGER SEMIS AT LIMERICK

Peter Farrell

All eyes will be on Limerick Greyhound Stadium later tonight as the final twelve do battle for a place in the 2023 final of the Willwego.com Irish St. Leger.

Two of the many standout trackers in this year’s renewal have been Swords Rex and Clonbrien Treaty, both of which have already tasted Classic success at Limerick after landing the 2022 and 2023 runnings of the Con & Annie Kirby Memorial. Indeed, the two kennel companions will lock horns in a red-hot opening semi final, which would put any decider to shame, however, this is far from a two-dog affair with the likes of reigning champion Bobsleigh Dream, Ballinabola Una and Gaytime Hugo also involved.

SIDE WITH REX

Swords Rex tightened his grip on the final Classic of 2023 last time out as he built on a spectacular 29.27 with another polished 29.35 performance. Barbara Lowndes’ charge is running out of his skin at present and given he has been drawn favourably in trap one, the son of Droopys Sydney is the one to beat given the likelihood of leading on the rails. Graham Holland’s star posted an unrivaled 2.74 sectional last time out and, as a result, all else have all got a bit to find in that respect. In terms of his nearest rival on the clock, Clonbrien Treaty fits the bill. The son of Pestana remains unbeaten in the Leger and brushed up brilliantly on his trapping to win out of the park last time out. James and Muireann Murphy’s blue has sensational early gears but he will need to repeat his start from seven days prior in order to turn handily. This, ultimately, is the key to the progression of Clonbrien Treaty. If he breaks from six, he will qualify, however, if returns to his 2.92 sectional from the second round, he will find himself in more than a spot of bother given the calibre of rival.

TARGET FOR BOBSLEIGH

The third unbeaten runner in the opening semi is the phenomenal Bobsleigh Dream. Trained by Pat Buckley, the daughter of Droopys Sydney has once again proved sensational in the 2023 renewal and she is running as well, if not better, than twelve months prior when triumphing in the decider. Drawn in three, she is likely to trail the field in the opening yards, however, on this occasion this could prove favourable. There is no doubt that ‘Dream’ only runs as hard as she needs to, so given the early pace on offer, she is likely to receive even more racing room than usual. As a result, it would take a brave individual to rule this incredible talent out of making the first three and progressing into another Classic decider. Indeed, Pat Buckley is double-handed with another impressive female in trap four, Ballinabola Una. Still only a puppy, she will without doubt be one of the leading trackers heading into 2024 and she has no forlorn hope of making the frame on this occasion. Boasting brilliant gears from the second turn, she will have to negotiate a tricky draw in four but if doing so, it is a case of ruling her out at your peril.

That brings us to the final runner in the opening semi, Gaytime Hugo. The third leg of the Graham Holland trio, ‘Hugo’ is hardly seen as an ‘also ran’ given what he has produced in his short career thus far. A finalist in the Kirby back in April, he clearly adores his surroundings at Limerick and will benefit from a fine draw in two, where he is likely to receive plenty of racing room to enable him to nestle into a good position. Very powerfully from the second bend on, I see the son of Gaytime Hawk qualifying based on the make-up of the race and he will be a danger to all in the decider if doing so. Selection – 1-3-2

JUNIOR TO LEAD HOME

The second semi final is certainly a more favourable one for connections and it is the reigning Champion Stakes winner, Trinity Junior, who gets the nod to make every post a winner.

After a trap-to-line 29.55 performance in round two, Trinity Junior was brought crashing down to earth last weekend as he saw Bobsleigh Dream whistle by him with minimal fuss. However, the Peter Cronin-trained charge remains a leading player in the Leger and will benefit from a middle berth in four this time around. Despite winning the Champion Stakes from the red jacket, Tim Slevin’s charge seems to trap better from the middle and as a result, he could build a healthy advantage early on. Should this be the case, it is fair to say that there are no Bobsleigh Dream’s in this contest and he will have his rivals scrambling in behind. Of said rivals, Mr Chelm is a huge threat. A kennel companion of ‘Junior’ and has handed him a defeat in recent months. This greyhound continues to flourish in this year’s Leger and he comes into this semi as the only unbeaten runner in the field. Drawn in two, he would probably have preferred a draw a little further out, however, there is no doubt that if he traps level, he should have too much for the likes of Trinity Junior.

MUSIC BEGINNING TO SOUND

A greyhound that has gone under the radar somewhat in this Classic is the recent Derby finalist, Music Glideaway. The son of Newinn Taylor, trained by Pat Guilfoyle, has shown steady improvement throughout the rounds and will carry plenty of support as a result. He has shown his abilities to ping the lids on occasion and his performances are far superior to what his clocks suggest in recent weeks. Drawn brilliantly in six, he could make a bold bid and looks a safe bet to advance into the decider in seven days’ time. The opposite could be suggested of Sober Glory. Karol Ramsbottom’s incredible black came into the event as a leading player and although this status remains, he hasn’t shown his true form at the Munster venue. Without a win thus far, the son of Droopys Sydney needs to reproduce one of his better starts in this contest, however, make no mistake he certainly has the talent to show all of his rivals a clean set of paws. He will have to overcome a horrible draw in three, sandwiched between both Mr Chelm and Trinity Junior, however.

LARIAT A DARK HORSE

A dark horse in this contest is without doubt the Jack Kennelly-trained Beepers Lariat. The son of Droopys Sydney produced arguably his best ever display when chasing home Swords Rex last time out and he has a lovely make-up in trap one to build on that display. Owned by Leonard O’Hanlon, ‘Lariat’ is a very consistent tracker and his 2.79 sectional cannot be ignored. As a result, he could make life very difficult for the likes of Mr Chelm early on. The remaining runner is Churchtown Syd in five. Trained by Denis Fitzgerald for Michael Crotty in Cloyne, this very experienced runner has performed admirably in the Classic and ran a credible race in behind Clonbrien Treaty last time out. That said, he will probably need to step it up another notch if he is to claim one of the all-important qualifying positions. Selection – 4-1-6