Cork and Mayo Rose Head To Head For Rose Of Tralee Crown

The Roses have touched down in Tralee in preparation for the race for the crown, as the festival gets underway.

It is currently a very close two horse race for the crown, out of the 65 hopefuls, between Cork Rose Denise Collins and Mayo Rose Fionna McDarby. The Rebels’ representative, Denise, who lives on the Cork/Kerry border, is edging favouritism ever so slightly at 11/2.

However a minor slip and the Mayo Rose, who is a Ballinrobe native, is ready to take over at the head of the betting. She is currently priced at 6/1. Punters took a liking to the Mayo Rose quick off the bat and backed her in from 18/1 to her current 6/1, making her one of the top bets in the betting.

This is the first year all 65 roses from the regional finals are in Tralee and as qualifying sections loom the competition is stiff. Both Leitrim Rose, Annmarie Keegan , and Galway Rose, Rosie Burke, are priced at 10/1 with Kilkenny Rose, Sarah Kearns, Tyrone Rose, Genevieve Scullion, and Melbourne Rose, Meghan Griffin, all 12/1 shots.

The capital to take the crown under their representative Lorna White is not a massive outside shot with Dublin priced at 14/1. The crown to stay in Kerry, who are represented by Danielle O’Sullivan, however is the bigger price of 18/1.

As always with the Rose of Tralee betting we see a lot of patriotic support from counties…

but this is the first year we have seen such a head to head battle for favouritism this early on.

Cork is hanging onto the top spot in the betting by a thread and holds the biggest liability at present. The Mayo Rose was quickly backed into 6/1 from 18/1 with bets coming in from all areas of the country and is breathing down Cork’s neck. With the final Roses announced to appear on the televised show on Sunday evening, the excitement is certainly building for the finals next Monday and Tuesday night.

*Prices correct at time of publication.