Monarch is quickest Irish Derby quarter-finalist on Saturday night

Picture from Shelbourne Park X feed

Monarch ticks off another win at Shelbourne

It was quarter-final night of the BOYLE Sports Irish Greyhound Derby at Shelbourne and for the third time in the four rounds so far, it was Michael O'Donovan's Bouncing Monarch who set the standard on the clock. 29.08 was his quickest run so far, once more straight into the lead and never looking like being troubled. It also added to his remarkable consistency after 29.10, 29.11 and 29.13 runs. 

Second quickest winner was Graham Holland's Low Profile. He was also electric from the boxes to pick up his third win of the competition so far. He required that lead as Waitingforastar was looming large off the final bend having only gone around the opening bend in fifth.

The surprise on the night for punters was the 12/1 success of Croydon Avenger. Patrick Barrett's charge has been quietly going about his business through the opening rounds, getting on the bunny for the first time last night. He took a good step forward with his best effort of the competition on his final run as a puppy.

A month younger than Croydon Avenger is Sleight Of Hand. He had tied Bouncing Monarch with the best time of the opening round and he booked his place in the final 12 for Laurence Jones with a brave display, driving himself to the front around the third bend between a pair of dogs.

Dunstall doubles for Locke and Hutton

There were trial stakes at Dunstall Park for both the upcoming Arena Racing Company Birmingham Cup and the Premier Greyhound Racing St Leger. 

It was the Maxine Locke team who had the quickest of the winners over both distances with Headford Dane leading the charge over 480m. The recent Ladbrokes Gold Cup finalist got the jump on his rivals from the traps, and given his strength over four bends, it was all over as a contest within a few strides. 

Newinn Jolie took the quicker of the two St Leger trial stakes for Locke. She has been steadily finding her feet over six bends, making this four wins from her last seven starts. Those wins have come on four different tracks from 575m to last night's 715m, so she is nothing if not versatile. 

Kevin Hutton also picked up a win over each distance. Strideon Clara paced up well on the inside to poke her head in front from the innermost draw over 480m. She had to be brave to slip inside Ballymac Blanco who outweighs her by eight kilos, just getting enough clear of him by the time they got to the turn to take full advantage. 

Lets Go Girl was a decent type for Spencer Mavrias earlier on in the year, and she is now in the care of Kevin Hutton. She was a powerful type over Central Park's 491m, shaping as if she would get a little further but this was her first opportunity to prove that to be the case. She popped out in front and never saw another rival.

Ruth Lambe was the only other trainer to pick up an open race winner on the night, landing the first with Da Mighty Man. He has open wins on four different circuits, a semi-finalist in the East Anglian Derby last year, a contest which begins on Wednesday at Yarmouth. This was a seventh open race success for his career.

Griffiths takes a pair at Monmore

Nine opens on the Monmore card and it was Gary Griffiths who was the only trainer to pick up more than one winner. Ruinthelonggame  has been in rude health with himself for a couple of months now, adding his name for the fourth time in the top 15 clockings of the year over 264m. It was a sixth win in his last nine starts, showing up early on the outside to grab the money.

Magical Keith brought up the double in the very next race, electric from the traps to take control of things very early on. He has been an excellent pick up for the kennel, narrowly missing out on the final of the Ladbrokes Gold Cup. He is a very smart type who should have plenty of say at this level for the remainder of the year.

There has been plenty for David Page to get excited about with Wise Tournament, picking up another win last night to make it 10 for 16 so far for the kennel. She was a very short price to get the job done again, but the level of consistency to keep on producing performance after performance is hugely impressive. 

Over six bends, there was a smart win for Heather Dimmock's Chasing Rachel. She has a more than a fair turn of early for a stayer and the short run to the corner was not an issue, taking control very early on to set out her stall. With winning form over 712m at Towcester, the writing was on the wall for her rivals a long way from home. 

Paddy Curtin got on the board with Timmys Hunter. He has been producing a decent body of work this summer. making the Time 3 Steps to Victory final and then the semis of the Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic at this track. A 12.58 split got him to the front early on and that was all that was required. 

There was a win for Pat Doocey's Longacres Danny in a sprint contest, He clocked a time just two spots slower than Ruinthelonggame which reads well as an effort on the year as a whole. He had enjoyed a smart spell in the spring when with Curtin, making it back-to-back wins for Doocey here. 

On a night when it was hard to make any progress from off the pace, Sugar King produced an all the way win for Chris Fereday. He progressed with great speed up the grades, going from A9 to A1 in the matter of six wins in seven starts but had just hit a little bit of a plateau since. This was his first success at open race level.

Richie Taberner got on the board in the final race of the night with Zenith Imminent. It was his debut for the kennel after leaving the care of Richard Rees, making his six-bend debut and looking well suited to the step up in trip to come home 10 lengths clear of his nearest rival. 

The other open race winner on the card was Kim Billingham-Hine's Cashin Nell who just came out the right side of a decent battle with Taberner's Moanteen Hatton. The winner led up, was briefly headed before getting herself back to the front on the run-in when it mattered.

Backhurst and Locke with Central Park braces

For the second week running there was a double at Central Park for Barrie Backhurst. He had only picked up two open race winners this year before last week from his first 75 runners, now the winner of four of his last seven.

Foxwood Christy added to a win from seven nights back to get things started, producing what was a very decent 29.39 on the night considering that the track was running very slow. He has really hit a nice groove for the kennel, making it three straight wins.

The second half of Backhurst's double came over six bends from Mongys Grace. She took a long time to get herself on top but once she did, she powered clear in impressive fashion. An S2 winner here earlier on in the year, she shapes as if the further she goes, the better she is going to be. 

It was Highview Lexi who got Locke's double started, getting off the mark at the second time of asking for the kennel. His form in Ireland was to a decent enough level that a maiden like this had looked a formality and he drew impressively clear having not picked up the lead until after halfway.  

There could be some more interesting battles down the line between Headford Lily and Dark Madam. The latter had just got up late on to win by a short head last week but the former really dug deep when it looked like a repeat was on the boards to fend off her old rival on the run-in on this occasion. 

David Lewis got on the scoresheet with Alright Bullet who added to his smart winning form. There have been some flashes of a very strong level from him so far in his career, taking his fifth open race win here on a third different track. A big gallop certainly suits him well and he is very hard to knock off the bunny when he turns in front.

Over two bends there was another win for Dan Brabon's Martindale Lad. He did have a win from the black jacket in the past but the pick of his form as a wide runner has naturally come from the stripes. He is just such a ping breaker though wherever he is berthed that he can be counted on to show up early.

Paul Donovan took the other open sprint race on the card with Emers Dex. He has made a bright start to life with the kennel, the winner of half of his eight starts to this point, adding his first open race success to a trio of D1 wins at Hove. 

Bowes Hill News took the other open on the card for Robert Emery. The pup was making his last start with that puppy tag on him, getting off the mark at the sixth time of asking for Emery courtesy of comfortably his best box exit.

Three at Doncaster for Parker

There was another demolition job at Doncaster from Magical Supreme who made it 3/3 over 661m for Sean Parker by nine lengths. He looks the type who can just keep on picking up these one-off races on a Saturday night for as long as connections wish him to. 

The same is true of Magical Harper who made it four straight successes with a strong-running effort over 483m. She has wins here from the front and from behind, and should have plenty more of them to come as she matures.

Keefill Sequoia had got the treble started for Parker, battling back to land the spoils after being tapped for a little bit of middle pace with wily veteran Trumpers Bobcat sneaking up his inside for Kevin Cobbold. The winner proved far too strong from the turn into the straight, however.

Cobbold did pick up a double on the card himself with Swift You taking the opening contest on the night at a bookmaker friendly 20/1. Her three wins prior to yesterday were graded contests at Yarmouth, arriving without a prior look here. That didn't matter at all as she pinged out in front and never saw another rival. 

Rosshill Storm made it two on the night for Cobbold in a very messy contest which saw four of the six runners in front at one stage. The winner was the last to challenge, getting to the head of affairs off the final turn before turning on the jets to fly almost six lengths clear late on. 

Doncaster is a very happy hunting ground for Barry Denby's Aghaburren Luna who has now won five of her eight starts at Meadow Court. An A4 win is the best that she has accomplished at her home track of Nottingham so it is no surprise that Denby keeps her heading to Doncaster each weekend. 

Rose Draper picked up a winner with Thurlesbeg Lexy who got first run on her rivals. She is another who enjoys her visits here, winning on four of her last five. A 4.05 sectional over 483m is going to lead up most races over the trip, and although she was being closed down late, she had put some decent rivals to bed early on. 

The best sprint effort on the card came from Drumdoit Fern for Joy Andrews. She is still a pup and although she won over four bends at Sheffield, she has taken that level up a notch since sprinting. It was a rough ride for her a week ago in her first Doncaster race but that clearly hadn't any adverse effect on her. 

Another messy affair saw Abigails Cian beat reigning Oaks winner Butlers Lane in a 450m contest. The winner came up from Maxine Locke's kennel as part of the Gavin O'Mahoney move. A smart type at Central Park, he should take plenty of beating in similar contests. The runner-up was having her first race action since March and should come on for the run.

David Fradgley will have enjoyed his Irish Derby quarter-final winner last night but he was also successful closer to home with Senahel Scorpion. He was the outsider of his four runner field having only won once in his previous 15 starts but with fewer runners around him he was able to turn closer to the pace than is often the case, and that made a big difference. 

Old Fort Lakota showed the best early pace to lead up in a 450m contest for Darren Ellerker, requiring all of that lead to cling on when challenged late in the day. It was a fourth straight success for her after a hat-trick of wins at Harlow.

A second sprint on the night went to Jays Pippin, another to scramble home by a short head, finding the line coming just in time. She had found life tough when competing for Jason Heath but this was a second success in six starts since joining Robert Fletcher.

Holloway and Foot with a Star Pelaw treble 

Ricky Holloway continued to pile up the winners at Star Pelaw, including a pair over six bends, led by Razldazl Paloma. Both of her career wins for Holloway have come over this track and trip, so expect to see plenty more of her in the north east. 

One who would have been a massive price to ever appear at this track even just a couple of months ago is Droopys Graph. Well touted up ahead of the Derby when with Patrick Janssens, he unsurprisingly proved to be a class apart from his 590m rivals here.

Holloway's third winner came from Imonlytwink in a hurdle contest. She was always in control of proceedings to pick up her first win at this venue, having finished second on four prior occasions. 

Glenn Foot also picked up a treble, with Witton Gucci the star of the show. She was trying the 780m distance for the first time and against this level of opposition, she had no issues keeping them at bay. 

Over four bends there was a win for Mossend Colton. He was a little slower than some of his rivals to exit the traps but he turned on the jets to the bend to make it there in front. 450m at Sunderland had just stretched him but this was more suitable, getting off the mark at the seventh time of asking for Foot. 

There was also a sprint win for the kennel, courtesy of Clonlost Dexter. He has looked a nice type when winning on his debut, picking up a second success on start number five, showing plenty of speed to the turn. He stays a bit further as well which will open up options. 

The winning run of Sunnyside Gurkha was halted at eight by Colin Watson's Pothole Bob. The winner is a decent type in his own right, picking up open race win number six, getting the jump on the favourite on the way to the opening bend. 

Neil Chapman took another win with Ballymac Kind who added another open race success to his most recent victory which came in A1 grade at this venue. This is now the fourth open that he has won and the first time he has worn anything other than the red jacket to victory here. 

The other open on the card went to Ross Miller's Fruity Aye Aye.  The market struggled to split Foot's Mossend Tom and Miller's Fruity Minty but it was the bigger priced kennelmate of the latter who got to the front in the opening strides and never came back.