BEAUTY AND GWENNIE SHINE BRIGHTEST AT LIMERICK

Peter Farrell

Round two of the Con Murphy Bookmakers A1 525 took centre stage at Limerick Greyhound Stadium on Saturday night and it proved to be all about Scattery Beauty as she made it back-to-back wins in the stake.

Owned by The Scattery Syndicate, the talented lady had come from off the pace in the opening round to reel in Jim By Two and once again showcased her devastating finishing power to land a last-to-first victory in the second heat of the night.

Prior to the off, Glengar Blitz and Ballymac Riddick headed the market as joint 11/8 favourites and both were quickly involved on the run-up, sitting just behind Foxwood Macgowan in trap five. Scattery Beauty, meanwhile, was slow away from trap three but fortunes changed at the second bend when Glengar Blitz drifted alarmingly wide, allowing ‘Beauty’ to slip up the inside into third. Foxwood Macgowan was shuffled back into fourth with no racing room. With Glengar Blitz continuing to take a wide route down the back, Ballymac Riddick struck the front approaching the penultimate bend. However, Scattery Beauty was beginning to motor down the inside and announced herself as a major threat between the final two bends. Stamina was never in doubt and the daughter of Ballymac Cashout – Work Your Head stuck to the rails on the run for home to storm clear, scoring by one and a half lengths from Ballymac Riddick in second. The time was a smart 28.57.

CLISTE WEARS DOWN JIM

Heat two saw the Owen McKenna-trained Clonnloch Cliste wear down the early leader to double his career tally for The Green Brigade Syndicate.

Jim By Two and Clonnloch Cliste were inseparable in the betting beforehand, both going to traps as 6/4 joint favourites, and it was easy to see why. The Tipperary Cup winner broke well from the inside berth and Brendan Maunsell’s runner held a slender advantage into the back straight from Clonnloch Cliste in five. The latter showed fine determination to get across from his wide draw and, at the midway point, began to turn the screw. Having been caught late on in the opening round, Jim By Two was to suffer a similar fate once again as Clonnloch Cliste upped the tempo on the Limerick hill, edging out his rival by a neck. The time was 28.86.

IMPRESSIVE OTIS SHEDS MAIDEN TAG

The same clock followed in the third heat and this was arguably the performance of the round as Ballinabola Otis produced a powerful display to shed his maiden tag.

Trained by Pat Buckley for The Murphy Ballinaboola Syndicate, ‘Otis’ failed to break fluently from trap four and encountered traffic at the opener as Gortkelly John went clear in front. Turning third, the son of Glengar Bale – Dolls Lady began to close rapidly at halfway, quickly eating into the five-length advantage established by the leader. There was an air of inevitability between the final two bends as Ballinabola Otis ramped up the pressure and he finished with real purpose up the home straight to score by an ever-increasing five lengths. This was a telling display from Buckley’s charge and, while he still has time to find, he clearly has plenty in reserve given the trouble endured in round one.

GWENNIE GOES QUICK

Elsewhere on the card there were several strong performances, but there was no mistaking the standout as Ballymac Gwennie delivered a quite incredible display.

The latest off the Ballymac production line, Ballymac Gwennie had caught the eye in defeat on her previous start and it came as no surprise to see her installed as a 6/4 joint favourite alongside Southwood Stan, who had held her previously. Drawn in trap six, the daughter of Ballymac Finn – Ballymac Arminta was only moderately away but quickly improved early to sit second heading into the back straight. With Southwood Stan dictating matters at that point, the complexion of the contest quickly changed as ‘Gwennie’ powered alongside her rival passing the 750-box. From there, Liam Dowling’s charge showcased a devastating finishing kick, pulling clear to score by five and a half lengths from the dead-heating pair of Southwood Stan and Highview Ben. The time was an explosive 28.13.