Foot The Solution In Sevenhouses

It’s the last throw of the dice for any connections with runners in trial stakes this weekend.

This has been the fastest season I can remember! It’s like only the other day we were waiting for the draw for Kilflynn at the start of the season. This week we are putting the spotlight on Sevenhouses. In my opinion this is as good a field as there is in the country. It is over 400 yards of a stretch, making it the closest we are going to get to Powerstown Park. There are no hiding places here, if you don’t come away from slips there is plenty of ground in front of you to pass out your opponent. So no excuses!

The Seamus Hughes Memorial Cup is the main event as always. There is no runner in the field looking for Champion Stakes points this year but that does not take the shine off it. Fingal Master is an interesting runner at the top of the draw. This fellow is now a third season runner making his belated debut this season. In his first season Master was a derby semi-finalist, while last year he claimed victory in both Johnstown and Mooncoin.

Pat Savage knows the time of day and the fact he has kept this dog in training all year for the last weekend of the season is a tip in itself. If he is any way near his old form he could take a fair bit of stopping. He looks the pick in the first quarter.

There could be a great buckle between De Great White and Sexy Rexy in the second quarter. De Great White has never been beaten in the first course anywhere he has ran, clocking up fast too. Sexy Rexy is also making his debut this year, he reached the third round of the T.A Morris Stakes in Clonmel on his last public appearance.

I’d fancy De Great White to have the upper hand. Foot Solution can easily dispose of Annabels Houdini in the next buckle. Solution has only appeared twice this season, making the semi-final in New Ross and winning in Dungannon.

This lad is my idea of the winner. He is on the top of his game at the moment.

Whatdoyoufancy turned a few heads with his display recently in Dundalk. The big wide open field could suit this Brendan Matthews trained runner here. There could be a real battle in the quarter final between himself and Game Mikey. Mikey has had only one outing this year in Edenderry where he reached the semi-final giving away to eventual winner and Champion Stakes contender Judiligence. This form is not bad, seeing as he ran well In Clonmel he should love it here. He is your likely favourite. Sevenhouses has been a happy hunting ground for Mikey’s trainer Dan Brassil, who won this Cup back in 2012 with Lawlee!

Rocks Of Bawn showed signs of his old self last time out in Mooncoin, reaching the semi-final losing out to one of the dogs of the year so far, At All Times. He faces Ballyverry River first pop and the winner of this buckle will be in the semi-final. River reached the semi-final of the Kitty Butler at the National Meeting last year, but has yet to recapture that form. River could just shade it.

Overall I think Foot Solution is the dog to beat. He has recent form which should stand to him while Fingal Master will be his main opposition in the top half. Game Mikey can make his way to the final, he looks to be in the easier half on paper. If these two meet it could be a thrilling final.

Tubbercurry
If you are anywhere around the west this weekend make sure you call over to Tubbercurry for three fantastic days of coursing. On Sunday you will see at least six Clonmel qualifiers in action. Three clubs come together to finish off the season.

Tubbercurry, Kilcreevin-Ballymote and Ballymena all unite to run this meeting. The Ulster Cup has attracted a star studded field this year with the likes of Needham Simple, Power Game, City Jet, Roquefort Barney and Defacto all fighting it out for outright honours.

If Roquefort could make the final it would put him straight into the Champion Stakes, it will be far from easy for him though. He will have to pass the likes of Needham Simple and Power Game. Power Game has been frustrating to follow this season so far. He has bundles of ability but has yet to put it all together. He looked to be running well last week in Templetuohy but went unsighted and will have a huge say in the outcome of this cup.

A win for Needham Simple will put him into the Champion Stakes shake up also, the prize money should be enough to put him into a safe position. Whatever comes out of this red hot bottom half will go on and win it, I’m going to be loyal and go with Power Game. He has let me down a few times over the season but as my mother always told me ‘Damo never lose faith’.

Defacto can have things his own way up the top of the draw, he showed sparks of last year’s form in North Kilkenny and can go well for his connections.

All Age Bitch Stake
In the All Age Bitch Stake there are three ladies looking for points. Ougham Ellen sits in sixth position at the moment but her place looks vulnerable if things go the way of some other ladies. Isnt She Magic lies in tenth place on eight points but with poor prize money, while Two Steps Closer will be looking for two insurance points to hold her position on the table.

I am a huge Ougham Ellen fan and I think she will take a lot of beating here; she could cross paths with Isnt She Magic in the semi-final. Ellen should have the upper hand. The bottom half will be a battle between Brookview Glory and Two Steps Closer, with the outcome too close to call. Ellen gets my vote here, if she reaches Clonmel sound and fit she will have a serious chance in the Bitch Stake itself.

Christmas Period
Looking back on the results over the Christmas and New Year period you would have to stand back and applaud the performance of Patrick O’Connor and his team at the Saleen kennels. They won no less than three All Age Stakes in six days. At All Times and Cloudy Dawn both booked their places in the Champion Stakes with wins in Mooncoin and Galbally respectively, while Chubbys Charmer came out on top in Templetuohy.

Charmer’s win really stood out due to the fact that the dog has had a stop start season so far. Head kennel hand Stephen Carroll is reported to have cleaned up and his tank now is full to kick on for both Clonmel and Cheltenham, fair play Stephen!

On the track Ballydoyle Honey stole the show with her performance in the rerun of the final of the Christmas Oaks. Looking at what she did from the third corner would make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. You could watch that race all day, in other years Yahoo Perlena would of been home and hosed; she did 28.04 and finished second!

It just shows the class of Honey to pick up a lady like Yahoo and run away from her.

We look forward to seeing these two female superstars in action in the coming year.

Derby & Oaks
The outright market for both the Derby and Oaks markets are starting to take shape with support coming in for a number of runners. Parlour Game came in for support after his win in the Corn Na Feile, while Westport qualifer Im Wide Awake has shortened into 20/1.

We have also seen significant support for recent North Kilkenny qualifier Moat Matilda in the Oaks, she is now best priced 14/1. Keep an eye out for all market movers online at www.BoyleSports.com where we have prices available for both Sevenhouses and Tubbercurry or why not pop into one of our 200 shops nationwide?

Keep up to date with all action and results on our twitter page @Boylesportsdamo, and on that note I’d like to thank everyone for posting results as they happen; it’s an invaluable asset to those of us who can’t attend the meetings weekly! #BetOnBoyle