FAVOURITES LAND VALUABLE THURLES SWEEPSTAKES

Peter Farrell

Two valuable sweepstake finals dominated last night’s card at Thurles Greyhound Stadium and they went the way of the favourite on both counts as Bull Run Buggy and Carneys Goldmine duly obliged.

The feature on the night was the final of the Dinny Mackey Memorial A3 525 and the €2,000 decider was landed in expert style by the James Quinlan-owned Bull Run Buggy, who completed a clean sweep in the stake. 5/4 at the off, the son of Magical Bale and Bull Run Ballad has made a habit of pinging out to make-all and he implemented similar tactics in the decider to win with ease. Bolting from trap four, ‘Buggy’ posted a slick 1.70 early sectional and he paced up in exceptional style to take a three length lead into the back from Foulkscourtblake in second. Holding a healthy lead down the back, it was always going to take a monumental effort to reel in the jolly thereafter and he duly maintained a powerful gallop all the way home. Crossing the line two and a half lengths clear of the staying-on Folkscourtblake in second, the time was a rapid 29.06 .20s.

GOLDMINE LANDS THE PAS BAR POT

Prior to that, the final of the €1,600 to the winner Pas Bar, Upperchurch, A5 525 went down for decision and Carneys Goldmine also sealed an unbeaten passage through the stake with a brilliant display.

Jointly owned by Dick Purcell and Francis Tobin, and trained by Richard Purcell, Carneys Goldmine had already shown his superiority in this stake, highlighted by an eight length demolition of his semi final assignment, and although facing his toughest test to date, came through with flying colours. Running from trap four, the son of Cabra Firmino and Goldmine Lily was forced to play second fiddle to the fast-starting Carba Keiser, however, there was a certain inevitability as the jolly loomed large on ‘Cabra’ approaching the penultimate turn. Stepping it up a notch off the final turn, the 5/4 chance powered up the Thurles straight to cross the line one and a half lengths clear of the gallant Cabra Keiser in second. The time was a fast 29.02 .20s.