GLENGAR SETS THE BAR IN CON MURPHY BOOKMAKERS OPENER

Peter Farrell

There were five opening-round heats of the Con Murphy Bookmakers A1 525 on offer at Limerick Greyhound Stadium on Saturday night and the standard was narrowly set by Glengar Blitz.

The opening round proved fiercely competitive, with fine performances across all five heats. Of those, it was Glengar Blitz (5/4) that impressed most as the Pat Buckley-trained lady came from off the pace to record a very convincing victory.

Owned by Bradley Canty, the May pup boasts an incredible record to date and last night sealed a fifth success from just nine starts. Running in the concluding heat, it was Foxwood Macgowan that held all the aces early on as he led comfortably from trap one. At this point, Glengar Blitz recovered from a sluggish break in three to motor into second. One-and-a-half lengths adrift down the back, the daughter of Glengar Bale – Stream Of Sydney put on the afterburners at halfway and quickly breezed past her rival around the third bend. Thereafter, it was a formality for ‘Blitz’ as she raced to a five-and-a-half-length success in an impressive 28.54.

HEAT WATCH

Next best in terms of the clock was Bad Dreams, as Declan Beary’s tracker posted a career-best performance on her return to competitive action.A slick 17.94 trial around Thurles suggested she was cherry-ripe coming into the contest and the 5/1 chance bolted from traps to clock an exceptional 1.19 sectional. In doing so, the daughter of Ballymac Cashout – Beamingboomerang took a two-length advantage into the back from Rockstar Willie and, while the latter applied plenty of pressure late on, Bad Dreams kept enough in reserve to run out a half-length winner in 28.56.

Scattery Beauty (3/1) got back to winning ways for the first time since August as the classy black also came from a hopeless position to score.Owned by The-Scattery-Syndicate, ‘Beauty’ was very sluggish at traprise and, as a result, occupied the rear on the run-up. In contrast, Jim By Two, the reigning Tipperary Cup winner, broke with intent and built a five-length advantage at halfway. However, the remaining runners parted like the Red Sea passing the sprint boxes, allowing Scattery Beauty to shoot up the inside and give chase. Making rapid inroads around the final two bends, the daughter of Ballymac Cashout – Work Your Head soon wore down Jim By Two to cross the line with a length to spare in 28.81.

Another upset was on the cards in heat two as Valleymount Lia landed the spoils at 4/1 for owner Ted Curtin.A consistent performer with four wins from just seven starts, Valleymount Lia donned the striped jacket but had no answer to the early speed of both Gortkelly John and Beaming Ruby. It was ‘Ruby’ who surged up the inside to take control and Corona Ryan’s lady looked the most likely winner at the halfway mark. However, traffic approaching the penultimate bend allowed Valleymount Lia to close on her rivals. Steering a wide course around the final two bends, the daughter of Ballymac Cashout – Ardfert Josie turned the screw on the run for home to storm clear and prevail by three-parts of a length over Beaming Ruby in 29.20.

While Beaming Ruby had to settle for second in the previous heat, Corona Ryan got back on track in heat three as Sheezatwister made every yard of the running.

You could set your watch by this lady at traprise and the John Edwards-owned charge was again smartly into stride from trap two to assert early. Holding a narrow advantage on the run-up, the daughter of Magical Bale – Swanley Chick showed real grit to open a one-and-a-half-length lead into the back, where she was chased by Clonnloch Cliste. While the petrol gauge flickered late on, Sheezatwister dug deep to cross the line with a head to spare over the advancing Kevinsford Spice. The time was 28.95.