A Star Pelaw treble for Glenn Foot with Beachgrove Lad the star
There were eight open races at Star Pelaw on Boxing Day and it was Glenn Foot who took the honours with three of the winners, including a top five sprint of the year.
Beachgrove Lad features in Foot's treble
2025 has been a year for some flying sprint times at Star Pelaw. In 2024, the 14.70 mark was not breached once, this year, 14.55 has been ducked under on more than 50 occasions!
Beachgrove Lad stopped the clock at 14.34 in the middle of November on going classed as +5, he produced 14.36 yesterday afternoon on a normal track to add a second time within the five fastest of the year. A smart type in Ireland, he sits 11th in the Drumbo Sprint times of 2025 as well.
Foot also had the fastest 435m winner of the day in Moanteen Pudding who broke the beam in 25.52. She went through the grades nicely at Yarmouth when with Craig Morris and has proven well suited to this sharper test over four bends. Yesterday's win was a career-best from her.
We mused on the tips yesterday whether No Brakes would pick up Nah Then Keefill in a a 435m contest for Foot. They were about 1/1 and 5/4 the pair at the time. The market told all as No Brakes was sent off the 2/5 market leader, turning second and then making short work of a smart rival as they turned for home.
The final open on the card saw a dead heat between David Wilkinson's Jaydee Baby and Dean Blackbird's Loxleys Rex. The former made all of the running until he was joined late on, the pair flashing past the post in 25.81, four lengths clear of their closest pursuer.
Two further sprint opens on the card went to Coolavannydelboy for Ken Kennedy and Meenagh Milan for John Watson. The first of those was the quicker, winning for the fifth time in his career. The latter made it 3/6 in his career, battling back in a great three-way go to the line.
A six bend contest went to Michelle Dobson's Winter King. Formerly with Stuart Tighe, he got off the mark at the first time of asking for his new kennel, trying 590m for the first time. Darraghs Flash caused a shock in the other open, landing a 20/1 winner for Graham Strike. He had only run in sprints at the track to this point, the step up to 435m clearly suiting him, making all the running.
