26 spots separated all eight winners on Saturday’s night’s Boylesports Irish Derby second round, second session.

There was a fine double for the Dowling kennel though the performance of the night, if not the year, surely belonged to Killmacdonagh who extended her unbeaten run  to seven top class races when giving last year’s Magical Bale a start and a beating. It was a superb run, though it will be interesting to see whether last year’s Derby runner-up has any issues, given he is surely capable of matching the winner’s clock.

Look out too for another exceptional run from the females with Droopys Hunch extending her winning sequence to four in fine style in the final heat.

With six of the eight heats going to favourites, the shortest priced eliminated runner was Worseforwear in heat 10.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 24

Heat 9                                      550 Yards

  1. MUCKY BRAE 6/4 (3) 29.62 (Kinloch Brae-Carmac Cyrus) bk D Mar 17. Mr. M. A. Bandurak
  2. Winetavern Don (5) 1L
  3. Murts Boher (4) 2L
  4. Vaguely Noble (6) sh
  5. Jaytee Storm (2) 1.5L
  6. Jirano Max (1) 5L

Heat 10                                    550 Yards

  1. TOTOS PARK 6/1 (5) 29.67 (Slippery Robert-Chivers Mentor) bk D Aug 15. Mr. Denis Fogarty
  2. Ballydoyle Valor (4) 5L
  3. Sophies Man (2) sh
  4. Worseforwear (6) 2.5L
  5. Newinn Hero (3) 10.5L
  6. Braveheart Bobby (1) 0.75L

Heat 11                                    550 Yards

  1. KILLMACDONAGH 7/4 (2) 29.45 (Zero Ten-Deercrest Lady) f B Apr 16. Mr. William Hennessy
  1. Magical Bale (4) 4L
  2. Lenson Bocko (6) 0.5L
  3. Droopys Neymar (1) 1L
  4. Vic Vega (5) 2.5L
  5. Manuka Man (3) hd

Heat 12                                    550 Yards

  1. GRANGEVIEW TEN 4/9 (4) 29.41 (Zero Ten-Portumna West) f D Apr 17. Mr. Michael Hogan
  2. Monbeg Bakayoko (2) 4.5L
  3. Scooby Doo It (5) hd

Heat 13                                    550 Yards

  1. JAYTEE TORNADO 5/1 (4) 29.59 (Laughil Duke-Jaytee China) bk D Aug 16. Mr. John Turner
  2. Run Happy (1) hd
  3. Sign On Aki (3) 4L
  4. Ripley Lad (5) 4.5L
  5. Droopys Legend (6) 0.5L
  6. Lebudgiesmuggler (2) 2L

Heat 14                                    550 Yards

  1. BALLYMAC ANTON 1/1 (1) 29.57 (Ballymac Best-Coolavanny Angie) f D Nov 16. Mr. Liam Dowling
  2. Jaytee Taylor (6) 3L
  3. Laughil Josh (3) 1.5L
  4. Courthouse King (2) 8L
  5. Fainne Chiarrai (5) sh
  6. Pudgie Budgie (4) 1L

Heat 15                                    550 Yards

  1. BALLYMAC COOPER 4/9 (5) 29.49 (Ballymac Matt-Ballymac Scala) bkw D Sep 17. Mr. Liam Dowling
  2. Music Toour Ears (1) 0.5L
  3. Dromrich Altair (6) 3L
  4. Jirano Classic (2) hd
  5. Swanley Flight (4) 2L

Heat 16                                    550 Yards

  1. DROOPYS HUNCH 3/1 (6) 29.43 (Droopys Sydney-Droopys Blossom) bk B Sep 17. Mr. John Coleman
  2. Ballyhimikin Jet (5) 2.5L
  3. Deadly Expert (4) 4L
  4. Blue East (3) 4.5L
  5. Trickys Dumbo (2) 2L
  6. Manaslu Camolin (1) 2L

Sarah Kinsella Presents a Trophy to Shane Dowling after Ballymac Anton had won Heat 14 – photo Imelda Grauer