Monarch books his Derby final place while Flare and Woltemade star at Dunstall

Photo from Shelbourne Park X feed

Five down, one to go for Monarch

The unbeaten run of Bouncing Monarch through the BOYLE Sports Irish Greyhound Derby continued at Shelbourne, though he had to work a little harder for the early lead. He was not quite a slick to stride as he has been but he showed his pace to the turn to just get around on the front end for Michael O'Donovan. 

He had to be strong late in the day to hold off the late charge from Sleight Of Hand who produced a superb effort to finish runner-up for Laurence Jones. Things didn't go right for Wi Can James from the innermost draw but he put in an awful lot of running to book his place in the decider by the narrowest of margins for Patrick Guilfoyle.

Graham Holland took the other semi-final courtesy of Bockos Gold. He has not managed to show the same sparkle as he did in a trial stake when clocking 29.27 but this was his best run of the competition so far. It should not be a surprise to see a Holland-trained dog peaking at the perfect time!

Hackney Dancer was on the speed the entire way for O'Donovan, doing more than enough to give the trainer his first finalist ahead of kennelmate Bouncing Monarch winning the second semi. The field for the final is rounded out by Im Here for Peter Cronin who is yet to get his head in front in the competition but has showed outstanding consistency to land his place in the decider.

Dunstall hosts St Leger and Birmingham Cup heats

The top action in England last night came at Dunstall Park where Droopys Flare was comfortably the quickest of the four heat winners of the Premier Greyhound Racing St Leger. Sean Parker's star is the top stayer in the country at present, clocking a time almost five and a half lengths quicker than any of the other heat winners, with Vhagar who led her up here getting as close as any rival got all night.

Zenith Pasha has been outstanding since stepped up in trip for Jimmy Fenwick, an impressive winner of his first start at this track after making the final of the Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic on his first Category One foray over six bends. He has now won five of his seven starts since stepped up in trip, beaten a length and a quarter combined in his other two.

Kevin Hutton got on the board with Venetian Mick, beating his kennelmate Tooreen Rose into second in the process. The winner has made a pair of Category Two finals in recent months, the Greyhoundtrader Stakes over 500m at Towcester on Derby final night and then the Arena Racing Company Stayers Cup final over the shorter six-bend trip at this track. 

The other heat went to Paul Young's Droopys Rhona. The kennel could do with a bit of good fortune with a stayer after Droopys Rated in the Select Stayers at Nottingham on Monday night and she came home well to grab the money, timing her challenge perfectly to get her head in front where it mattered.

Quickest in the heats of the Arena Racing Company Birmingham Cup was Fenwick's Woltemade. He has rapidly made up into an elite performer and a serious competition dog. A 2.90 split had his field chasing shadows before they hit the opening bend last night, giving him an eighth win in a row, and seven straight at Category One level. 

There was a double in the heats for Maxine Locke with Headford Dane just the quicker of her pair. He had been slow away from the red jacket in the final of the Ladbrokes Gold Cup at Monmore but it was away and gone from the innermost draw here to add another win to an already impressive cv. 

Headford Cian had kicked off the double in the previous contest. He was the final challenger in a race that saw a superb three-way battle from halfway with Betgoodwin Eddy and Skyfall Khan playing a major part in an excellent visual treat for the neutral viewer. 

It was a seriously good day for the Richie Taberner team (more on that later) picking up a Birmingham Cup heat with Holding Aero. He had got his head in front just once in 18 starts before a Sheffield victory two starts back, landing an A1 at his home track of Monmore before completing a hat-trick of successes here. He has found his groove again in no uncertain terms. 

Speaking of finding a groove, the John Campbell kennel continued their excellent recent form with a win from Venetian Nero. They were five for 71 with open race runners through the first seven months of the year and have gone 8/22 since August 1. The son of Ballymac Cashout is responsible for three of those wins, leading early and pulling out just enough to hold off the challengers.

Hutton added a Birmingham Cup heat to his St Leger heat win with Kranky Drake. On paper he had looked one of the best drawn dogs of the evening, cashing in as he swooped to the lead at the third bend. He was unlucky to only make the third round of the Derby, missing a quarter-final spot by a short head with the first two home in his third round heat both making the final itself. 

Scooby The Lady back in winning action

Central Park saw the return to race action of Richard Rees's Scooby the Lady. Three months off since Derby final night should have freshened her up perfectly for an autumn campaign where connections alluded to this track and the Kent Derby next month as being her main focal point. To beat a very smart yardstick like Brunch Pal on her first run back will have surely delighted the team.

The other 491m open contest on the card went the way of Barrie Backhurst's Poppadom Tom. He was just in front as they crossed the line the first time round but had to battle his way back to the lead late on having found himself passed by Ever So Thunder who had just shown a little more pace line to bend than the winner did.

Two sprints on the night saw Crossbar take the quicker of the pair for Kerry Schimmefennig. It was a decent contest where she showed the best pace up to grab the lead on the inside at the opening bend and that was enough for her to see off her rivals. 

George Andreas took the other sprint with Insane Mariela. A relative newcomer to the track, she had been successful in a D3 and D2 to kick off her Central Park career, winning an open at the third time of asking. 

There were also a pair of staying contests on the card with Andreas landing a double on the night courtesy of Im Afraid Not. Foxwood Christy was sent off the warm market leader and he looked to have run his field ragged after a circuit but the winner was closing in halfway around the final two bends and got her head in front in the final strides. 

Kevin Proctor's Front Polo took the quicker of the two staying races. This was a third open race success of the year over the 664m distance here which is a smart return from a dog who has only managed eight wins in 43 total starts for the kennel.

A Taberner trio at Monmore

Just five opens at Monmore but that was still plenty for the Richie Taberner team to pick up a trio of winners led by Moanteen Hatton. A winner at Cork and Clonmel in Ireland, he was getting off the mark at the third time of asking for his current handler, forcing his way up the inside at the opening bend. 

There was another win for Adelinesfirstdog who has now landed five of his last eight starts. This was his first run since losing his puppy status and to celebrate he picked up an Oaks finalist from last year. 28.41 was comfortably his best run so far at this track.

Aero Luther got the treble started for the kennel in a sprint contest. Sent off at 7/1 in a field containing Newinn Batchelor and Ruinthelonggame, he simply ran a perfect bend to get himself to the front. Taberner also picked up three graded winners on the card to make is 6/12 for the kennel at Monmore on the evening having won three at the morning fixture as well!

There was another win for Timmys Hunter, showing off his adaptability for Paddy Curtin, winning over four bends this week after an impressive success over six a week ago. It was the final of a dual distance comp, run in the opposite direction and ended up producing a decent race as well as a solid clocking. 

The other open on the card went to Ballymac Odin who is now in the care of Christopher Jones. The contest was marred by an injury to the red-hot favourite Wise Tournament in a race where the first four across the line were split by a trio of short heads. 

Draper double at Doncaster

At Doncaster it was Rose Draper on top as she produced a pair of winners. Rockmount Bob produced a superb 2.09 split on his way to victory two starts back here but went even better with a 2.07 run to the line over 450m this time around. His 27.27 is the second fastest of the year. 

Thurlesbeg Lexy had kicked off the double in the prior contest to make it five wins from her last six starts over the 483m distance. She was in control of things around the opening bend, opening up to a four-length lead by the time the line came. 

One who has been in excellent form at this track in recent week is Barry Denby's Aghaburren Luna. She took her record to 6/9 here with another fluent success from the front. Leading in the early strides, she pulled out enough of a lead to maintain her position. 

One of the surprises on the night was the defeat of Magical Harper who cost herself the chance of another win with a slow break. As it was, the Sean Parker team still came away with the winner of the contest thanks to Charming Delight who was much swifter into her stride. 

Parkview Tommy was an impressive winner of the first open on the card for David Fradgley. He got to the head of affairs down the back straight, opening up from there to run out a four and three-quarter lengths winner, picking up his first victory for the kennel on start number five.

Jimmy Gaskin got on the scoresheet courtesy of Redbrick Beckham. He showed the best pace to get himself to the front at the opening corner which proves to be the winning move as with trouble behind, he was able to go clear and run out a very comfortable eight-length winner. 

Nathan Hunt would not be a regular visitor to Doncaster, picking up his first winner of the year there from just six runners with Vixons Ricchezze, who took out a sprint contest. Given he got lost at the first bend and then got slightly trodden on at the second, the fact that he stopped the clock at 16.86 was impressive. 

Colin Handford was responsible for the other winner on the card with Allez Lula. She powered home late in the day to deny another football pun winner in Demba Bark who had made most of the running. 

Star Pelaw sprint clock falls again

The sprint clock at Star Pelaw has changed hands a few times this year with Kilshenane Diva the latest to lower the time. She has made an exceptional start to life with John Watson, with this her sixth success on just her ninth start. 14.07 is now the figure to beat, taking nine spots off the previous best. 

There were three winners on the night for Ricky Holloway, with Mickeys Tribute one of two over the sticks for the kennel. His perfect record at the track remains as the venue inches ever closer to the return of the Grand National.  

Razldazl Barkley took the other hurdles contest on the card, the veteran quickly in control of proceedings on the inside, comfortably stretching away from his field to score by six and three-quarter lengths. 

A six-bend contest went to Razldazl Royco to start the Holloway treble, showing the best pace to the opening bend to get himself away and gone in a race that he would eventually take by six lengths. 

There was another win for Pothole Bob who had ended the win streak of Sunnyside Gurkha a week ago, making it three successes from his last four starts for Colin Watson. He showed the best speed into the bend to have things quickly under control.

Glenn Foot took a winner over six bends with Antigua Kestrel. He had to dig deep on the run for home as he was being closed down but his early exertions had earned him enough of a lead to hold off those running on to make it three wins in four.

There was a win for Jean Liles and Trapstyle Spud as he contested a four-bend race for the first time since January. A sprint winner at this track a couple of starts back, the 435m distance is as far as he wants to go, but he was another to have the race won early on.