Braedon Too Hot To Handle

At Limerick we are down to the last twelve of the Con & Annie Kirby Memorial puppy stake.

Droopys Braedon(6/4) has dominated this event thus far, and with his fast starting and lightening early pace he is proving too hot to handle – he is so consistent at the boxes his two sectionals so far in this competition read 1.19 and 1.18 which are unbelievable.

He has made the red jacket his own and has drawn the fence again this week for the third week in a row. His 28.35 was the fastest of the quarter finals but there was an eye catching run from our very own Boylesports Jet(9/2) who ran on to finish second behind the ante post favourite.

Jet was caught a little off guard at trap rise but showed a nice turn of early pace once his paws hit the sand, he rode a little bump around the opening two corners and was all of five lengths behind Braedon when he straightened up down the back straight. Jet seemed to change gear halfway down the far side and roared into the third and fourth corner and overtook Beaming Boost(6/1) to take second place up the home straight. From here he rallied well but just failed to catch the leader and went down by three quarters of a length when they reached the judge.

Beaming Boost to his credit ran a brilliant race back in third. Jet and Braedon lock horns again this weekend with Braedon in one and Jet handed a tricky task in trap four. This second semi-final isn’t just going to be a match race between these two however as outside in trap six we have the Graham Holland trained Rural Hawaii(6/1), he hasn’t put a foot wrong in this competition so far and came out on top in a great battle with Cunning Barney(9/2) last week.

Hawaii really had to dig deep to hold on for the win as Barney threw everything he had in him up the home straight with only a short head separating them at the line in 28.45. Fastaway Jayfkay(50/1) hit the lids to lead around the opening turns to run on and win his heat in 28.73, this was a messy heat after two dogs were turned over at the first bend.

Patrick O’Connor took the opening quarter final with Pale Moon(33/1) who showed great guts to hold off the fast finishing Boherna Pedro(40/1) by a short head. There has been a lot of interest in this competition so far in the ante post market with Droopys Braedon and Rural Hawaii being the two biggest losers in the book. All of us up here will be on the Boylesports Jet team hoping he can overcome a tricky draw and make it to the final next Saturday week!

We are also down to the semi-final stage of the Cork Oaks in Curraheen Park, Drive On Royal(5/2) is the new market leader after a fabulous performance last week for owner/trainer Thomas O’Donavan. This daughter of Westmead Hawk already has a big win on her card in Cork after she won the Macroom Motor works 575 in a slick 30.88.

She won her quarter final in the fastest of the night 28.35 but faces a tricky draw in next week’s heat. Her class should pull her through. Rafas Wee Star(10/1) was another impressive winner last weekend in 28.65 where she put the race to sleep after a fast start from trap one.

Leeview Lady(11/2) kept her unbeaten record in the stake when she got the better of Sunrise Ice(7/1) near the line in 28.65. Lady can continue her winning streak for the man of the moment Graham Holland in next week’s semi-final.

Newbridge stages the final of the Red Mills unraced bitch stake this weekend. This looks a wide open affair after the shock elimination of the ante post favourite Droopys Streak last week. Badminton Girl(7/4) heads the market and she gets the nod to get back to winning ways after going down by a neck in last week’s semi-final to Local Dancer(3/1). It will be by no means an easy task.

Last week’s Easter Cup final without doubt lived up to its expectations and Sidarian Blaze ran out a well deserving winner after yet another epic battle with his old rival Slippery Fred. Fred took an absolute flyer from the lids and led Blaze down the back straight, but just like in the semi-final Blaze drove a lovely third and fourth corner and this proved the winning of the race. Fred tried as best he could but failed by a length as they crossed the line.

Sidarian Blaze looks tailor made for Wimbledon and his trainer has stated the English Derby is on the agenda so 33/1 looks very tasty at the moment! Blaze ran in it last year but was only a puppy so his experience of the track will stand to him.

Check out the betting for these competitions and a host of others in the UK which are going on at the moment on www.Boylesports.com. We have our very own Irish Derby priced up nice and early this year and there is plenty of value up there for the taking at this early stage!