We are into the last few days before the start of the 2024 Boylesports Irish Derby. Shelbourne is the only place that we can start where Hawkfield Blue won for the second week in a row. His Friday night success was the 10th quickest time over 525y in 2024, three spots quicker than the 28.07 he produced last week.
Waterford saw another back-to-back winner in Kohinoor Spinner. That’s a good return for a dog with just four races under his belt. An April 22, he was a late starter, not having an official trial until he was 26 months old but he is paying back the patience of John O’Donnell now.
There was a quickest of the year over 500y at Derry courtesy of Drumcrow Fudge. Only Quill Minstrel who set the track record of 27.19 in October 2021 has gone quicker there. The prior record stood at 27.50, his is the fifth time this year that the 27.50 mark has been breached.
The 2023 Born Warrior winner Pavilion Fire was quickest in the quarter-finals at Mullingar. A week after a new track record was set over the 400y trip, he went just five spots slower in 21.08. The other three contests were won in 21.13, 21.24 and 21.34. The semi-final stage will be red-hot on Sunday.
Even with all the above, perhaps the standout performance from the week was from Bushpark Mel at Enniscorthy. The April 2023 whelp made her race debut and absolutely ran riot. She crossed the line just 10 spots off the track record, setting a new quickest of the year.
