BALLINAHINCH DECIDER WORTH THE TRIP TO CLONMEL

Peter Farrell

There is €1,200 on offer to the winner of the Ballinahinch Boarding Kennels Unraced ON2 525 at Clonmel tonight, and it appears a wide-open contest, with Jacktavern Cool narrowly preferred to come out on top.

Trained by David Byrne for The-Pillar-Syndicate, Jacktavern Cool made a striking impression on debut, posting a rapid 28.71, before producing a highly creditable effort in defeat last time after fluffing his lines at trap rise. The son of Jacktavern Gem looks a greyhound with a bright future and is suitably housed in trap two, although a sharper break will be required if he is to secure an ideal early position.

His chief threat may come from Scarsdale Emer, trained by Emer Dunne for J. Clorley. This lady had to settle for second on debut but responded in emphatic fashion in the semi-finals, storming to a nine-length success in 28.76. Drawn immediately inside Jacktavern Cool, her superior early sectionals suggest she could have the edge in the dash to the opening bend. However, Byrne’s runner boasts a notable twenty-pound weight advantage over the daughter of Dromana Bucko, and that could prove decisive at a crucial stage of the contest.

Another leading contender is Marlhill Queenie in trap five. She recorded a smart 28.87 last time and, significantly, showed tremendous strength up the Clonmel hill to pull three lengths clear of Jacktavern Cool. Trained by John and Elizabeth Hally, she remains unbeaten and is more than capable of mounting a serious challenge if reproducing that level of form.