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06 Sept 2025

Derry Greyhounds: Sniper Roro is the 2025 Lornie McMonagle Memorial Sprint Champion

Lornie was a much loved and respected regular at the circuit for almost 70 years

Derry Greyhounds: Sniper Roro is the 2025 Lornie McMonagle Memorial Sprint Champion

Brandywell: Eva (left) & Cara (right) Doherty were first to welcome the Easter Bunny at Brandywell on Monday

Many family and friends of the late Lornie McMonagle gathered at the Brandywell on Monday to commemorate his memory.

Lornie was a much loved and respected regular at the circuit for almost 70 years and he played an influential role in the establishment of the new era of racing at Brandywell in 2018. The final of this inaugural 3 round sprint competition, sponsored in Lornie’s honour, was timed to mark his first anniversary on 12th April and when a rainbow appeared over the track just before racing commenced, many believed that Lornie’s spirit was close by.

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This Final was part of an all sponsored 8 race programme that was organised and co-sponsored by Thomas Hasson and the Track Lotto Team who do Trojan work each week behind the scenes to support racing at Brandywell.

Racing got underway with the Patsy Doyle sponsored PD Petfoods Sprint and David Edgar’s Edgarstown Boy (Black Parachute x Pink Turkey, Jul ’23) followed up on last week’s victory with another great win this week. Only moderately away from trap 1, Boy was only lying in third place at the first turn with about 5 lengths to find on the leaders.

However, he tracked the bends well to narrow the deficit thereby giving himself a glimmer of home entering the home straight. With the leaders crowding slightly, Boy took full advantage and flew home to win by 1 length in 17.44.

Brandywell on Monday: Race 5, The Teddy 500 was won by DIEGOS MANNA in 27.92. Pictured with owner Leigh Thompson (right) & her son Mason & Millie Grant (left).

Patsy Doyle won Race 2, the Just Vape Omagh/Strabane Sprint sponsored by Paul Ryan, with his home bred Brandywell Queen (King Sheeran x Velvet Holly, Sep ’23). Queen was well away from trap 5 but had a couple of rivals on her inner as they turned the first bend. There was some slight crowding on her inside which allowed Queen to steal a couple of lengths advantage and she made good use of those. She stretched her lead to 3 lengths crossing the line, clocking 17.36 on her maiden victory.

The Sniper Kennels of father and son team, Kevin and Kealan O’Kane, had a great night to remember with a quick fire double in Races 3 and 4 from their home bred litter out of their Brandywell sprint track record holder Sniper Ria. First up was Sniper Big Joe (x Broadstrand Bono, Aug ’22) in the Finn Dancer Sprint, sponsored by Dessie Tighe.

Big Joe showed good back straight pace to take up the lead from Emily Amore at the first turn. Steering a wide course, he gave Emily a chance to keep tabs on him and only a neck separated the pair on the line as Emily’s stamina had started to kick in. But it was too little too late and Sniper Big Joe made it an 11th career win clocking 16.99.

With the photo finish verdict going their way in Race 3, it must have boosted the O’Kane’s confidence ahead of the Lornie McMonagle Memorial and Track Lotto Sprint Final. Sniper Roro, (Broadstrand Bono x Sniper Ria, Aug ’22) lined up in trap 2 but as the lids lifted he was flanked on either side by the fast-starting Meet More Often and Generous Who.

Brandywell on Monday: Race 3 The Finn Dancer Sprint was won by SNIPER BIG JOE in 16.99. Kealan O’ Kane (centre) is standing alongside his son Ronan Wray, with Leon Farrell (on right).

The field were almost at the first turn before Roro’s early pace enabled him to drive through the gap between the pair.

Once in front, Roro was not going to be caught and he held off the valiant Generous Who by 1.75 lengths in a time of 16.75 to complete Kevin O’Kane’s double on the night. It was a 10th career success for Roro who is out of this fantastic home bred litter from Sniper Kennels. Roro is a dog for the big occasion and he adds this prestigious competition title to his open sprint successes at Lifford in 2024.

Switching to 500 yard action for the next 3 races, it was Leigh Thompson’s well-bred Diegos Manna (Premier Fantasy x Sidarian Fern, Jul ’22) that made it back to back wins when once again his early pace from trap 3 was the key to success. He added Race 5 the Teddy 500 sponsored by Dan McGilloway, to his Micky Concannon Memorial 500 victory last week. Manna lead from traprise and despite being under pressure from Brassneck Max throughout, he went faster than his 28.15 clock last week to record 27.92 this week. It was a fantastic effort from the super consistent Diegos Manna who now has 10 wins and 5 second place finishes out of only 18 starts.

The evergreen Beanos Snowflake (Dorotas Wildcat x Droopys Lagoon, Jun ’20) showed she still has a zest for competitive racing when she won Race 6 the Stoneybatter Boy 500 sponsored by Daniel White. As she approaches her fifth birthday, Colm Sweeny’s veteran last recorded a win in December 2023 when landing the Daniel Canning Memorial 500 Race.

Snowflake was fast away from trap 2 but moved off the rail at the first turn allowing Comer Canal up her inside to lead. Snowflake keep up a good gallop on his heels and her efforts paid off when her stamina delivered her right on the line to win by a neck in 28.64.

Brandywell; Brandon McLaughin had his first runner at Brandywell on Monday. Brandon’s Rocket ran very well to take the runner up spot in Race 1.

Race 7, The Lizzie O’Farrell Bar 500 sponsored by Marty Healy was won in almost similar time as the previous race, when Jonathon Patton’s Bonnet Lily (Ballymac Cashout x Clondoty Amy, Jun ’23) landed her second career victory, clocking 28.63. Lily was moderately away from trap 3 and had to settle for lying in third place at the first turn.

The leaders moved off at the bend which opened up a lovely gap for Lily on their inside. She took her opportunity and emerged into the back straight with a couple of lengths lead. Tammy Kay was closing fast as the finish line approached but Lily was game up front and held her advantage by half a length.

A great night’s racing was brought to a close with a professional display of sprinting by Colm McRory’s Run On Now (Broadstrand Bono x Borna Blossom, Apr ’22) in Race 8, the Brassneck Bar Sprint sponsored by Marty Healy. Run On Now flew the lids and despite the field closing on her at the first turn, she battled on gamely to win by 2.75 lengths in 16.87 which brought her career tally of wins to 6.

Lifford on Saturday Race 9 - The JIMMY BREEN S2/S3 325 was won by HI RICKI in 17.59. Pictured with Daniel White (left) who presented the trophy to Kathleen Grieve. She is the mother of the winning owner Richard Grieve who is holding the dog. Family members & friends of Bookmaker Jimmy Breen are all assembled around.

Mechanical issues saw just one full Lifford meeting take place over the weekend and the highlight on what was a ‘Memorial’ Gala night was a late double for the kennel of Conor Crossan.

The litter of Broadstrand Bono and Venice has proven to be red-hot and the Ardagh duo of ‘Vis’ and ‘Beijing’ enhanced their smart reputations with two comfortable victories over both two and four bends. The first to prevail was Ardagh Vis in what was a top-class open sprint in memory of the late Gerry Whyte. Drawn in trap one, ‘Vis’ was returning from a luckless passage at Shelbourne Park last time out and he used his plumb draw in red to full advantage in taking ownership of the rails early to hold off the advancing Armagh Buckfast early on. Thereafter, the favourite powered up the Lifford hill to extend his lead to four lengths crossing the line. The time was a speedy 17.45.

Some fifteen minutes later, Ardagh Beijing secured the double as he justified his 4/7 billing. Having came into the event fresh from a superb 17.50 over the sprint trip, the white jacketed runner showed all of his early speed to recover from a tardy start. In doing so, he set a smart gallop and although he came under late pressure from the fast-finishing Rockpit Lenny, he had plenty in hand to cross the line two and a quarter lengths too strong. The time was 29.25.

Prior to those victories, there was a lovely performance from Hi Ricki (Burgess Bucks – Duggies Elle) in the Jimmy Breen S2/S3 325. Owned by Richard Grieve, the April whelp has some huge trials to his name, however, he was tasting success for just the first time in coming from off-the-pace to win by three parts of a length over Rackethall Nando. The time was 17.59.

Staying with the sprinters, Dragon Lord (Ballyhimikin Jet – Beaming Rosie) was another blistering winner in the John Kelly S4 325. Owned and trained by Michael Taggart, he made short work of his rivals as the 5/2 chance excelled early doors from trap two, before comfortably seeing off Brasidas by three and a quarter lengths. The time was 17.51.

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