Derry Greyhounds: Eileen sets her Aidhm on Derby glory

The first round heats of the Len McKinney Memorial Derby got underway at Brandywell on Monday evening as part of a 7 race programme.

First up were a couple of sprint events and the Paul & Justin Hughes owned Dernmore Blue (Ballymac Best x Got The Charm, Jul ’23) made it back to back wins over course and distance in the opener.

The early pace was set by Hott Hunter from trap 1 with Blue only lying in mid division as the field approached the first bend. Blue kept a wide course on the bends and was at the tail of the pack as they turned for home but he flew up the outside to claim victory by 1.25 lengths in 17.54. He is a litter brother to Aidhm Eileen and the litter mates landed a double last Monday and this Monday.

Trewmunt Slippy (Dorotas Wildcat x Drumcove Rozy, Jun ’24) got his first career success in only his second start when he landed Race 2 for owner Mervyn Watson. Drawn in trap 3, he was moderately away from traps but made his winning move at the first bend when nipping inside the early leader Scroggy Ria. Slippy moved wide on the bends but he held a slim advantage turning for home over track veteran Beanos Snowflake and kept on well to win by 1 length in 17.14. It was a determined performance from this youngster who showed good track craft to deliver the result.

There was a deserving victory in Race 3 for the Kim McKinney and James Lafferty owned Tammy Kay (Broadstrand Bono x Believer, Aug ’22). Often having to settle for racing over distances short of her best, she showed she has the talent to deliver a smart performance over the 500 yards. Housed in trap 1, she came from last to first after a trouble free passage. Going into the third bend, the impressive early leader Pepsi Drop looked vulnerable as Tammy Kay ranged up beside her. The writing was on the wall and Tammy Kay ran on strongly to win by 1.75 lengths in 28.20.

Brandywell; Race 5. The Len McKinney Memorial 525. Rd 1 Ht.2 was won by SHE HAS RISEN in 29.43. Pictured with (from left) we have winning brothers Dean & Darren Toland & Martin Mc Laughlin.

The Berry Brothers from the Cheap As Chips Racing Syndicate won the 2019 Brandywell Derby with Abrakebabra Kizz and they have their sights set on claiming the Derby Crown for a second time this year.

In Race 4, they won the first heat of the Len McKinney Memorial Derby over the 525 yards trip in 29.78 with Lightfoot Tessie (Kilara Icon x Russandra Rhona, Mar ’23). She’s an experienced tracker with wins at Mullingar, Newbridge and Lifford to her credit, but was having her first race at Brandywell on Monday. Racing from trap 3, she moved slightly wide on the run to the first bend but turned a close second behind Ballyquin Tilly.

Tilly moved wide exiting the second bend which allowed Tessie to nip up her inside to take the lead. Once in front, Tessie set a strong gallop and held off the fast finishing Dreenan Willow by a head. Both Control Tower and Ballyquin Tilly qualified from this heat for the semi-finals.

Heat 2 was won by the Darren & Dean Toland owned She Has Risen (Ballymac Cashout x Early Rise, Dec ’23). With youth on her side, her only career success of 28.85 for Shelbourne’s 525 trip looked like good enough form to win this heat, but she had failed to convert her previous chances at Brandywell. Drawn in trap 3, she benefitted from the slow starts of the dogs drawn on her inside and arrived at the first bend in third place with a clear path to chase down the early leaders Shrewd Stories and Tralee Warrior.

She Has Risen turned into the home straight in second place and ran on well to win by 1.25 lengths from the valiant Shrewd Stories in second with Spritinthesky finishing like a train for third. Tralee Warrior took the remaining qualifying place from this heat.

Brandywell Race 7, was won by FREYAS ROBYN in 17.12. Pictured with (from left) Daisy Rouse, Dominic McGarrigle & John Joseph Porter.

Fastest of the three first round heats was clocked by Aidhm Eileen (Ballymac Best x Got The Charm, Jul ’23) in Heat 3. She followed up on her sprint success at Brandywell last week with an impressive trap to line victory in 29.31. Well away from trap 6, she turned this race into a procession after she took up the lead rounding the first bend and pulled an impressive 8.45 lengths ahead of her nearest rival Scally Annie. Burnpark Boris and early leader Sniper Sam Hall claimed the last qualifying places for next Monday’s semi-final.

The Len McKinney Memorial Brandywell Derby draws are;

1st Semi-Final; T1 She Has Risen, T2 Sniper Sam Hall, T3 Scally Annie, T4 Burnpark Boris, T5 Shrewd Stories, T6 Dreenan Willow.

2nd Semi-Final; T1 Control Tower, T2 Spiritinthesky, T3 Lightfoot Tessie, T4 Ballyquin Tilly, T5 Tralee Warrior, T6 Aidhm Eileen.

The Finale was over the 300 yards and it went to Dominic McGarrigle’s Freyas Robyn (Burgess Bucks x Blue Robyn, Jun ’22) after she showed a lovely burst of early pace from trap 1 to lead at the first turn. She held off the fast finishing Danubius by 1 length in 17.12.

Lifford Stadium played host to the opening-round heats of the NWGOBA ON2/ON3 525 on Saturday night and the standard was set early by Michael Corr’s La Bronce, an exceptionally impressive debut winner.

Drawn in trap four, Corr’s charge, owned by Roy Ball, was sent off the 4/5 favourite, and she fully justified that position. Exploding from traps, she quickly asserted control and held a two-length lead over Sniperslievnamon entering the back straight.

That advantage doubled by halfway as the daughter of Malachi stretched clear in near-solo fashion. Staying on powerfully, she crossed the line seven lengths in front of Drumdoit Clover, who stayed on well for second. Her winning time, recorded in testing conditions, was a smart 29.41.

Saturday @ Lifford: Race 9 - LIFFORD STADIUM S3/S4 325 Final was won by ENCHANTING REEL in 17.64. Pictured with (from left) Danny McCormack, Shane Brennan, Fiona Devlin and Riley McCormack.

In the opening heat, Kerrylane Coco, a recent acquisition from the Cork sales, struck for James Logue and Willie Mullan. Just a May pup, the daughter of Iconic Rory was briefly headed by Drumdoit Rex but used her inside draw to slip through with a narrow advantage. Although headed again entering the back straight, the 6/4 joint favourite rallied strongly at the three-quarter mark to outstay her rival and score by two and a half lengths in 29.63.

Heat two produced a 4/1 surprise as Nowomannocry landed the spoils for owner Jake McKenna. The February daughter of Ballymac Cashout broke sharply from trap four but was outpaced early by Drumdoit Ali on the inside. A three-way tussle developed down the back straight, with Meenagh Malmoe looking the likely winner after catching the eye throughout. However, Nowomannocry wasn’t finished as she swept around her rivals and stayed on resolutely up the hill to win by three lengths in 29.57.

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While the novice heats dominated the card, the highlight of the evening came in the final of the Lifford Stadium S3/S4 325, where Enchanting Reel completed back-to-back wins in superb style. Owned by Co. Tyrone’s Fiona Devlin, the daughter of Ballymac Cashout had dazzled in the semi-finals seven days earlier, but her final performance was even better as she justified 5/4 favouritism.

Drawn in trap three, she was headed early by That Man on the inside but produced a brilliant first bend to sweep around and seize control. From there, it was all one-way traffic as Devlin’s charge powered up the hill to win by three and a half lengths in a rapid 17.64.