IT’S THE LEAHY SHOW AT KILKENNY

Ian Fortune

The Kilkenny Track A3 continued on Friday evening with six greyhounds progressing to next weekend’s €5,000 to the winner decider.

Both heats went to Leahy clan with Murt winning the opening heat with Ballintee Noshow, while his more handsome brother Thomas won the second heat with Vicarshill Boy.

NOSHOW GETS LOOSE EARLY

Ballintee Noshow put the foot down in the opening semi-final to record a standard setting 29.15 for Murt Leahy and the Noshow Syndicate.

The son of Burgess Bucks and Ballintee Flare broke smartly from the outside box, edging inwards before showing tremendous acceleration.

It proved to be decisive. Clear on the opening bend, the December whelp maintained a strong gallop throughout to run out a comfortable scorer. Burgess Bolger turned third but stayed on strongly to come through or second, while Short Notice finishing a neck away in third after racing in second for much of the journey.

BOY SEIZES HIS OPPORTUNITY

The second heat was a more eventful affair.

After a brilliant second round effort Master Kindling was a warm favourite from trap four and things seemed to be going to plan when he built a comfortable lead into the bend.

Sadly, he lost his action as they entered the back straight. It allowed Vicarshill Boy to take control from a perfect pitch on the fence. Damien O’Connell’s son of Dorotas Wildcat and Birchfield Act was never going to throw away his chance.

The Thomas Leahy trained black galloped on strongly to cross the line with two and a half lengths in hand on the staying on Graigues Bubbly in 29.23. Droopys Analise was a further length adrift in third.