Ireland Weekend Review - 28 April 2025
Shelbourne was the place to be on Saturday night with an excellent card that included the final of the €10,000 Suncroft Festival Puppy Oaks
The final of the Suncroft Puppy Oaks on Saturday night at Shelbourne could have seen a star crowned while the Shelbourne 600 semis were also run on the card with the final for that coming up next week.
Shebetheone lives up to her name in the Puppy Oaks
From the heats, Shebetheone has looked the one to beat in the Suncroft Puppy Oaks. Unbeaten through the competition for Kate and Leo Dunphy, she proved to be a consistent type on the clock with her three calculated runs all within 11 spots of one another.
She had a perfect second hare to chase in Meenagh Minsk (as in their semi) who continued to impress with her pace to the bend. The door opened at the final turn and that was all that Shebetheone needed to pounce and claim the win. The front pair pulled miles clear of Ballymac Mint who finished third.
Shelbourne 600 semis sees Callaway Knegare fastest
There are few more consistent performers than Callaway Knegare and that has helped him into another major final. Third in the Irish Derby last year, his semi-final performance in the Shelbourne 600 at the weekend put him 31 spots clear of the closest pursuer to him in his own semi and a massive 45 spots quicker than Ballyhooly Bruno who claimed the other semi-final.
Owen McKenna's dog took control of the opening semi from an early stage, never looking in danger of not scoring. It was harder work for the Tom O'Neill-trained son of Jacob Tashadelek who had to check his momentum a couple of times before exploiting a seam up the inside turning into the straight.
Timmys Bucks and Glendora Blue were the pair who chased home Callaway Knegare while singalong Molly and Ballinabola Jim were the two to qualify behind Ballyhooly Bruno.
