SEAN SCULLY SUCCESS FOR SKID ROAD JOE AT GALWAY

Peter Farrell

The Sean Scully Memorial 525 offered an attractive pot of €2,000 last night at Galway Greyhound Stadium and this went the way of Skid Road Joe as he pounced in the closing stages to secure a seventh career victory.

Owned and trained by Owen McDonagh, Skid Road Joe was installed as the 7/4 favourite in behind Bumblebee Sonny at 6/4 and he was to run the perfect race in stalking the leader throughout, before delivering a telling blow in the closing yards. Running from trap two, ‘Joe’ broke brilliantly from his inside berth but was slightly outpaced by Millroad Penny out wide in five. The latter took control into the back straight as Skid Road Joe gave chase in second and the final was still very much up in the air entering the penultimate turn as Bumblebee Sonny was showing plenty of interest also back in third. All to play for rounding the bottom two bends, Millroad Penny was to drift off the final bend and that was to ultimately prove decisive in the contest heading into the direction of Skid Road Joe. A son of Pat C Sabbath and Meenagh Midget, ‘Joe’ held his inside line expertly to power up the home straight and claim the handsome first prize on offer. Millroad Penny holding off the strong finish of Bumblebee Sonny in third, the time was 29.43 .10s.