CLASSY CRAFTY SHIVOO THE LAURELS BANKER

Barry Drake

The Quarterfinals of the €30,000 to the winner Bar One Racing in association with the Friends & Supporters of Cork Greyhound Racing Laurels are the feature races in Curraheen Park tonight.

Also on the card, we have the second round of the €10,000 to the winner Bart Leahy A2 Memorial. It promises to be a night of top-class performances at the Curraheen Park venue.
Crafty Shivoo, in the care of Pat Norris, stands out as nap material in heat number three. The 2023 Irish Oaks Champion is in superb form, winning both her heats to date. Last week, she overcame trouble in running to land the spoils, in 28.53. It was an outstanding performance as she overcame the draw from the outside of the track as well. Owned by the M-W-D-Partnership, the nap selection is drawn well in trap four and she has the early speed to make every yard of the running. The classy performer has avoided some of the other leading fancies for outright glory and she should prove too strong in this.
The Graham Holland-trained pair of both Faypoint Harvey and Romeo Falco are others that should be in the mix.
In the opening heat of the Laurels, Hazelhill Bucko, trained by Lucy Roche for Michael T O'Connell, gets a narrow vote. He will need an explosive start, but he could get the run of the race out wide. Crafty Alejandro is another leading player for Shane Divilly. While the likes of Droopys Bookem, unbeaten in four career starts, for trainer Johnny Linehan and the Paul Hennessy-trained Seek The Kingdom, are others capable of big runs.
The Other Kobe will need to be at his brilliant best to win Heat Two. Trained by Graham Holland for B Clare and David L'estrange, the 2023 Irish Greyhound Derby Champion has brought his best form to Cork in recent weeks. He can't afford any mistakes in this, a paw-perfect display will be needed and he gets a narrow vote after his 28.28 winning run last week.
Grangeclare Lady, trained by Owen McKenna for Peter Comerford, is a real player along the rails. The September youngster displayed sensational early speed when winning in 28.31 last week and she should be in the mix again.
Road Exile, trained by Pat Buckley for R.A.Colwell, will be expected to go well in the closing heat. Impressive in the opening round, he was no match for Grangeclare Lady last week, but with one of his quickest starts in this, he should take plenty of stopping. Tinahue Pappone delivered a stunning 28.29 winning effort last week and the John Fox-owned and trained runner can go well again. If producing his best start from the inside of the track, he would then be hard to hold.
In the Bart Leahy Memorial, Dynamic Force stands out in race number five for trainer Paul Hennessy. In the previous heat, the Kieran Lynch-trained Parchments Shark gets a narrow vote. 

Curraheen Park selections for Saturday, September 21.

Race 1: Uncle Frankie (Ballybough Nutz)

Race 2: Brogan Hillbilly (Coonough Spice)

Race 3: Droopys Carbine (Rebel Ocean)

Race 4: Parchments Shark (Elite Kursk)

Race 5: Dynamic Force (Darraghs Syndey)

Race 6: Ballycowen Jay (Parkview Tan)

Race 7: Move To Soon (Smiling Jack)

Race 8: Hazelhill Bucko (Crafty Alejandro)

Race 9: The Other Kobe (Grangeclare Lady)

Race 10: Crafty Shivoo (Faypoint Harvey)

Race 11: Road Exile (Tinahue Pappone)