TWO COMPETITIVE SEMI FINALS OF THE TOM FLANAGAN & JOHN KEANE MEMORIAL

Peter Farrell

The two semi-finals of the Tom Flanagan and John Keane Memorial 525 serve as the headline act at Galway Greyhound Stadium tonight and the stake remains very much up for grabs, with several connections having reason for optimism.

Of the two semi-finals, the opener is extremely tough to call, with several greyhounds producing fine performances in round one. Lissatouk Robbie set the standard on night one as Seamus McMahon’s tracker posted 29.18 .20s and did so in trap-to-line fashion, sealing a fourth career victory in the process. Drawn in six, the son of Deerjet Sydney is likely to be disputing favouritism once again, however, he can ill-afford any slip-ups with Hollywell Eagle once again re-opposing. Alison Coxon’s runner has just seven starts under his belt, but the February 25’ whelp is improving with each outing, as evidenced by his latest effort when pushing Lissatouk Robbie very close. He will don the white jacket tonight and, should he continue on his upward trajectory, he has the tools to turn the tables on his rival. Of the others, Salsa Fire also notched victory in round one, clocking 29.40 .20s to seal back-to-back wins for Lexi and Owen McDonagh. He has strong claims as a result from trap five, while Norfolkandchance will look to get first run on his rivals from a favourable draw in trap two.

The second semi-final can see Glengar Sofia bounce back from defeat in round one. On that occasion, the Gerry Holian-trained lady was installed as the 4/5 favourite, however, she missed the kick before suffering crowding early on. Normally a quick starter, expect a sharper exit from the daughter of Glengar Bale and, should she get on the bunny, she will be very tough to peg back. Of her rivals, Heathlawn Ruby makes the most appeal for Martin and Rose Kelly. A model of consistency, she is very well drawn on the inside of Glengar Sofia in two and the break is sure to prove all-important in her bid to lead her rival on the run-up. Elsewhere, Pierview Bog Rob has a plum draw in red, while Hanover Grace rarely runs a bad race and should be thereabouts come the business end.