Mag is Magical in the BOYLE Sports Lifford Oaks final
Magical Mag landed the final of the BOYLE Sports Lifford Oaks at the weekend for trainer Patrick Guilfoyle.
Patrick Guilfoyle wins the Lifford Oaks with Magical Mag
It has been quite an autumn for Magical Mag. Her flying early pace earned her a spot in the BOYLE Sports Irish Derby final, and while she was out of luck here, taking a tumble at the opening bend, she bounced back to take the €10,000 BOYLE Sports Lifford Oaks at the weekend.
Although the competition started with disappointment with the withdrawal of Droopys Kathleen, the action on the track more than made up for that. There was quality through the rounds, with the runner-up Hackney Tango producing the fastest 525y time at Dundalk in 2025 in her second to last race before heading to Lifford.
In the end she came up just half a length short against Magical Mag, with a length and a half back to Daleroad Mya in third. Westway Rossa, Ashmar Una and Magical Sapphire made up the rest of the field, with three of them representing Guilfoyle.
For those looking to the future, Magical Mag's dam Mystical Luna has an October '24 litter by Dromana Bucko which are going to be worth looking out for in 2026.
Many Thanks to Lynda Bonner for the footage from Lifford.
Bar One Racing Laurels semi-finals
The Bar One Laurels was the other major competition in Ireland over the weekend, reaching the semi-final stage at Curraheen Park.
Once again, it was Ballymac Setanta who went quickest for Liam Dowling, dipping under 28 seconds for the third time in four rounds. He equalled the track record in his quyarter-final romp. His semi-final success came off the slowest split that he has produced in the competition which makes it even more remarkable.
The other semi went to Lemon Joey who clocked 28.09. Murt Leahy's son of Ballymac Best has improved on his finish time in each round, being brought to the boil at the perfect time. The pair to chase him home both represent Liam Dowling to give him three finalists, drawn together in the inside three traps. One of those is Ballymac Brandan who is a litter brother to Ballymac Setanta.
Magical On Fire is the only bitch remaining in the competition, representing Patrick Guilfoyle. She is also the only other runner in the final who has dipped below 28 seconds during the Laurels.
