After three days of competitive coursing at Limerick racecourse at Greenmount, Patrickswell, Brendan Matthews’ Needham Work ran out a comfortable winner in the final of the Centenary Irish Cup to bring the curtain down on the 2014-15 coursing season in Ireland.
Unraced in his puppy season, the home bred Needham Work had been successful earlier this season in the North Kerry Cup at Ballyduff and the Munster Cup at Newcastlewest.
The 6/1 favourite before coursing on Friday, he was a general 1/3 going to slips for the final in which he beat Derby semi-finalist Blades of Hope. In so doing he completed a double for the Newry maestro whose Townview kennels had earlier been successful in the Irish Plate with Needham Simple. The Irish Purse went to the James “Maxi” Collins owned Blueview Charlie, winner of the inaugural Kevin Smith Champion Stakes at Clonmel last month. If it wasn’t for bad luck Michael O’Donovan would have no luck at all in big stake finals. After a gruelling semi-final his charge Boshki was unable to take her place in the final of the Patsy Byrne All-Aged Bitch Stake leaving Mike Shine’s third-season campaigner Redhaired Mary to be declared the winner. There will not be a cow milked in Listowel tonight! Now what will we do at weekends until Liscannor beckons in Septembeer?
An Seanchaί
