It’s The Final Countdown!

We are at the end of the road this week regards qualifying for the National Meeting. By three o’clock on Thursday afternoon all places shall be filled in each stake and then the fever will really start to set in.

Macroom is the last stop at the end of this roller coaster season and I’m sure there will be a few connections sweating over their places in each of the Champion Stakes, so there will be a lot of emphasis on the Cup in this County Cork meeting which is held in Blarney.

Glenlough Mick (5/2) is on eight points at the moment but has poor prize money, so he has one mission this week which is to reach the final and come away with two points to secure his position in the draw for the Champion Stakes next Sunday week.

He is in the top half of the draw here which looks on paper to be the easier looking half. He has the likes of last year’s Derby trial stake winner here Shanavulin Magic (6/1), Borrisoleigh Cup winner Boynepark Conor (6/1) and recent Jack Ryan Memorial winner Creamery Tower (8/1) to cross paths with if the time comes.

These by no means will be push overs but if Glenlough has a bit of luck on his side he should make the final and this field in Blarney is one you definitely need luck with. Looking at the bottom half of the draw the stand out dog looks to be Newinn Glory (3/1), who went even money favourite after two rounds in Templetouhy recently but was beat a length by the eventual winner, Inch Hothead in the quarter final. I think he should make the semi-final here, where he will meet either Smart Sadie (3/1) or Crahane View (5/1), both these ladies are on the hunt for their second win of the season and a win here could put them on the card for the Bitch stake at the end of the month.

Barney Mooney will be making the long journey from his base in Bessbrook and I doubt he’s coming down just to see the Blarney stone, he’s coming down to win with Smart Sadie. Newinn could just prove too strong for either of these two ladies if they happen to meet in the semi-final.

Looking down through the runners in the Oaks trial stake, runners to keep an eye out for are Brookview Glory (4/1) who ran very well in Mooncoin, Dublinfourdasher (4/1) who ran up in Abbeyfeale to a very decent bitch, Sheandroma Nova (6/1) who ran up in Galbally and My Electric Lady (5/1) who is running for the first time this season and is a member of the great litter by Kyle James x Coffee In Currow.

We enjoyed some superb coursing yet again in Sevenhouses where a big crowd turned up on Sunday. You really have to take your hat off to the performance of Brian Doyle in the slippers hut, he is really gifted when he has the leathers in his hands he was absolutely flawless over the two days. There was a great atmosphere in the stands for the finals where the biggest cheer of the day came when Tom Lawler pulled the red collar in favor of the Sean Leahy owned Sam Miguel in the final of the working member’s stake!

Liz and Paul O’Dwyer have a real Sevenhouses specialist in Hotspot after pulling off an historic double when winning the Seamus Hughes cup. Cracking Doll gained a lot of supporters with her performance through the Oaks trial stake, she loved every yard of this long stretch and will relish the hill in Clonmel. She has been added to the oaks market at 33/1.

In Clonakilty Skellig Sunlight booked his National meeting ticket after pocketing four points in the Cup, Arcade Amy (40/1) gave the jim-con-dan Syndicate their second runner in Clonmel when winning the Oaks trial stake and Crafty Resino(25/1) kept the winning streak going for the Divilly family in the Derby trial stake.

Up West of the country spectators were really spoiled because they saw no less than eight qualifiers in action. Six trial stake winners and both cup winner’s Tynwald Ash and City Beauty sealed the deal for themselves. Annual Assembly (33/1) won the Derby qualifier at the Ballymena meeting and Derramore Star (33/1) won the Oaks trial stake. In the Tubbercurry version Needham Crystal (20/1) was a runaway winner of the Derby trial stake and Crossbound (33/1) won the Oaks.

And in the Kilcreeven Ballymote renewal the winners were Call Here Alonso (20/1)in the Derby and Tuscan Flavor (33/1) in the Oaks. Ten out of ten for Luke Kilcoyne and his team for running yet another successful three days of coursing.