Ballymac Matt clocks fastest time of the year
Jaytee Spartacus, Face The Blade and Roxholme Barkley all exit
Run-off for dead-heat for last qualifying place with Jaytee Jet
Ballymac Matt put himself firmly on the map to emulate the great Toms The Best with a stunning 28.05 – fastest time of the year in the Derby second round on Saturday night.
The Kelly Macari trained Irish Derby winner is just four races away from becoming the second dog in history to complete the Irish/English Derby double following a stunning trap to line success. After clocking a brilliant 4.68 sectional, held off a game Droopys Latina by a length and a half.
The meeting also saw the elimination of fastest first round runner Jaytee Spartacus who went out by a neck in fourth place in heat 15.
Not for the first time in this year’s event, the night ended with drama as leading fancy Jaytee Jet was forced into a dead heat for third place after an astonishing performance. Wiped out at the first bend, Paul Hennessy’s dog found himself at least eight lengths off third spot by the second bend but caught Badmoonrising on the run-in to dead-heat for the final qualifying place. There will be a run-off between the pair on Wednesday with the third round draw delayed until that re-run has taken place.
