TOM FLANAGAN & JOHN KEANE MEMORIAL TO GO DOWN TO THE WIRE

Peter Farrell

A decent crowd is expected to descend on Galway Greyhound Stadium later tonight as two sweepstake finals go down for decision, spearheaded by the final of the Tom Flanagan & John Keane Memorial 525, which carries a handsome €1,500 winner’s prize.

Kindly sponsored by the Keating and McEnery Families, this stake has proved hugely competitive, and connections of all six finalists will be hopeful of big performances from their respective charges. That said, the selection is On The Wire, who has been handed a terrific draw in trap one for owner Gerry O’Donoghue. A winner of his semi-final contest in 29.21 .20s, the son of Good Cody drew clear from the halfway mark last weekend, and his early sectionals suggest he will be disputing matters from the outset. That should enable him to get loose thereafter, and while Norfolkandchance boasts plenty of early speed on his immediate outside in two, On The Wire can use his rival as a buffer before going on to land the spoils. Another blessed with strong early speed is Glengar Sofia, who rarely runs a poor race for Gerry Holian and the Two-Pints-Mary Syndicate. Drawn in three, she has two brilliant early speedsters on her immediate inside, but expect the daughter of Glengar Bale to be prominent on the run to the opening bend. One tracker who continues to catch the eye in recent weeks is Stephen Murray’s Long Walk Luke. Coming into the final as the most inexperienced runner, with just seven starts under his belt, the son of Orchestrate has shown superb pace in recent outings, and his 29.12 .20s effort last weekend set the standard in the semi-finals. While he is unlikely to be prominent early, few will be finishing faster than the October whelp, and any early traffic among the leading contenders will certainly play into his hands. Of the others, Springwell Eddy finds himself in yet another final as he lines out for an incredible 98th career start. Owned by Gerard O’Dowd, this seasoned campaigner owes absolutely nothing to connections, yet he retains plenty of ability and certainly cannot be dismissed as an also-ran heading into the decider. Meanwhile, both Salsa Fire and Norfolkandchance bring strong recent form to the table, and it would come as little surprise to see either enter the equation. Salsa Fire was an opening-round scorer in 29.20, a clock that would put him firmly in contention if reproduced, while Norfolkandchance has the early gears to ping the lids and make every yard of the running.

All told, this promises to be a fascinating decider, but the vote goes to On The Wire to make full use of his inside draw and stave off the late challenge of Long Walk Luke.

YUP CAN CLAIM SUPPORTING FINAL

In the supporting final, the Book Your Xmas Party A5/A6 525, which carries a €700 winner’s prize, Yup Isaid looks the one to beat. Owned by Marie McDonnell, the son of Ballymac Bolger posted a smart 29.50 .20s last weekend and continues to improve with just three career starts under his belt. With plenty of scope for further improvement, Yup Isaid looks a leading contender and, although faced with a tricky draw in four, he has the engine to overcome that obstacle and land the spoils.