SPOTLIGHT ON DENIRO IN 1XBET IRISH ST. LEGER SEMIS
Peter Farrell
The semi-finals of the 1XBet Irish St. Leger 550 are sure to attract a bumper crowd to Limerick Greyhound Stadium tonight, with little margin for error as just two qualify from each of the three contests.
The star of the competition thus far has undoubtedly been Ballymac Deniro, who posted a sensational 29.14 for Liam Dowling last Saturday night. Shaving a full length off Jaytee Taylor’s previous track record, he has surged to the head of the outright betting and has been handed a favourable draw in tonight’s opening semi-final.
The son of Ballymac Finn - Ballymac Arminta is without doubt one of the best in training and, should he maintain his current vein of form, looks firmly on course to challenge for the €30,000-to-the-winner Classic next weekend. A wide seed, ‘Deniro’ will once again don the striped jacket and, crucially, has Solo And Go on his immediate inside, a rival likely to edge inwards at traprise. This should give Ballymac Deniro room to hit full stride on the run-up, and he looks a strong favourite to book his place in the decider. Behind him, every connection will harbour realistic hopes of securing one of those coveted qualifying positions. Solo And Go faces a difficult draw in five, but his recent starts from the inside have been far from fluent. Should the son of Ballymac Best produce a slick exit from his new berth, he could certainly set the cat amongst the pigeons. On the inside, both Singalong Magic and Roaming Shelby arrive in excellent form after winning their second-round assignments. Trained by Pat Buckley for Gilbert Anderson, Singalong Magic is one of the best ladies in training and looks well housed in red. Roaming Shelby, meanwhile, puts his unbeaten record in this year’s Classic on the line. Graham Holland’s charge is also favourably drawn in two and will be a serious player if breaking on terms. Add Slippery Felix, who finished just six and a half lengths behind Ballymac Deniro’s record-breaking effort, and the ever-present Ballyhooly Bruno, and this is a semi-final worthy of any decider. ‘Felix’ is already a top-class performer with a potentially huge 2027 ahead, while ‘Bruno’ has been a credit to Tom O’Neill and the Ashgrove-Trio-Syndicate throughout his appearances in major competitions.
GOLD BUILDING MOMENTUM
In the second semi-final, Bockos Gold will bid to continue his progress for Graham Holland as he builds momentum following his Irish Derby success in mid-September.
The powerful son of Coolavanny Hoffa needed every yard to reel in Bills Harbour last weekend, and his stamina is fast becoming his trademark. A performance in the region of 29.20 looks well within reach for the strapping black and, from trap three tonight, he has strong claims of dictating from the outset. Should he establish an early advantage, his rivals could find themselves battling for the remaining qualifying position. Kennel companion Swords Diamond looks the principal threat. Barbara Lowndes’ runner has been terrific throughout the competition and, while Ballymac Deniro claimed the headlines last weekend, ‘Diamond’ posted a rapid 29.35 in defeat. That was a huge run over Limerick’s 550-yard trip, although a tricky draw in five means one of his trademark flying starts would be particularly welcome tonight. Highbury Days could prove the dark horse from trap two. He came from off the pace to draw clear in 29.70 last time out and looks capable of better with an uninterrupted passage. Skywalker Bruno, Hackney Plan and Drombeg King are all hugely talented individuals, and none would be a surprise qualifier. Of that trio, Skywalker Bruno makes particular appeal from a plum draw in red.
THE BOY GETS THE VOTE
The third semi-final looks the toughest to call, but Getup The Boy gets the narrow vote from a potentially favourable draw in six.
Although not generally associated with the striped jacket, Mark Robinson’s runner has been breaking well from the outside. With rivals on his inner likely to head towards the rails, he could find himself with valuable room to manoeuvre on the run-up. Picked up late in both rounds thus far, the son of Ballymac Cashout remains one of the best in the land and could take some catching if getting on the bunny early. Lennies Eddie makes most appeal among his rivals from trap one. The Paul Hennessy-trained star has yet to break as sharply as he can, but his pace between the second and third bends has been exceptional. The English Derby winner is due a fluent start, and tonight could be the night he puts it all together. Ballyea Warrior also holds strong claims for Pat Buckley. Like Bockos Gold, he is building back towards his best following his Derby campaign and should be getting fitter and sharper with each outing. He too has been pegged back late, but a return to his Derby form would make him a potential all-the-way winner from trap two. Bills Harbour made quite an impression when pushing Bockos Gold all the way in a terrific battle last weekend. He has clear claims on that evidence, although negotiating Droopys Winsome, who looks likely to dart inwards from trap four, will be crucial. Grangeview Rocko completes a formidable line-up and is another more than capable of making the frame. Michael Hogan’s runner has slipped somewhat under the radar during this Classic, but a big performance from trap five would come as no surprise.
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LIMERICK & CLARE GOBA SEMIS
On the undercard, the semi-finals of the Limerick & Clare GOBA A2 525 take centre stage, with both contests looking highly competitive on paper.
The standard was set last week by Snuggie Battie, as the Breda Casey and Myles Cummins-owned runner clocked a brisk 28.62 from the front. If reproducing that level of performance from a plum draw in trap one, the experienced son of Jacob Tashadelek won’t be far away. That said, he faces formidable opposition in Honeypound Glory and Lucky Darragh, both impressive winners last time out, while Corona Ryan’s Zenith Bossman also warrants plenty of respect.
In the opening semi-final, the selection is Casino Dan, who continues to improve for Molly Finn. The January pup has just four starts under his belt and is clearly learning with each outing. Drawn in five, the son of Dorotas Wildcat looks capable of a big performance if granted a clear passage. Hollyhill Stacey is the likely favourite from trap six for Gerard Gubbins and Paraic Campion, and she will be bidding to seize control from the outset and make every yard.