Young hounds feature strongly in this section but the ageing dogs are still holding their own.
A good example is Twilight Tear, two months short of her fourth birthday but quickest over the 525 yard at Cork so far this year. Shirley Ruth’s Daryanoor Jewel is just a couple of months younger but ran the race of her life to clock the year’s best 525 at Thurles on Saturday.
At the other extreme, look out for for young Genuine Honey, a half sister to Jaytee Dutch and Jaytee Jet, and enhancing the family name at Waterford.
On the subject of breeding, there was very little between the two Peggy Kelly Islandbridge Sprint semi final winners at Harolds Cross on Friday, Ballymac Bigmike and Hee Haws Sheriff. Both are sons of highly rated young sire, Tyrur Big Mike.
CLONMEL | 28.00 | CLARES ROCKET | (Confident Rankin-Lemon Madrid, Jun 14) |
CURRAHEEN PARK | 28.18 | TWILIGHT TEAR | (Droopys Scolari-Glenadda Beauty, Jul 12) |
DERRY | 29.10 | BALTOVIN MAXI | (Head Bound-Baltovin Tracy, May 14) |
DRUMBO PARK | 28.77 | DRUMCROW CHRISSY | (Drumcrow Obama-Drumcrow Kylie, Nov 13) |
DUNDALK | 21.37 | HILLCROFT HERO | (Razldazl Billy-Hillcroft Josie, Apr 13) |
ENNISCORTHY | 29.04 | MASTER CONOR | (Archaton Pine-Frosty Citrate, Jun 14) |
GALWAY | 28.91 | SPARTACUS JAXX | (Sparta Maestro-Natalie Jacs On, Feb 14) |
HAROLDS CROSS | 17.23 | BALLYMAC BIGMIKE | (Tyrur Big Mike-Ballymac Scarlet, Jul 13) |
KILKENNY | 28.74 | BALLYMAC TOMASSO | (Burnpark Champ-Lefanta Toss, Sep 14) |
LIFFORD | 31.84 | MAYS TUBBY | (Tubbertelly Dubh-Suirside Molly, Nov 12) |
LIMERICK | 29.64 | NOTORIOUS BEN | (Royal Impact-Vickis Dream, Sep 13) |
LONGFORD | 17.65 | RAPPERS LINE | (Archaton Pine-Shifting Women, Jan 14) |
MULLINGAR | 30.80 | MONEYHILL JOE | (Melodys Royal-Moneyhill Magic, May 14) |
NEWBRIDGE | 29.21 | CHRISTINES BINK | (Paradise Madison-Opera Time, Jul 14) |
SHELBOURNE PARK | 28.63 | SIDARIAN PEARL | (Vans Escalade-Rockburst Pearl, Jun 14) |
THURLES PARK | 28.73 | DARYANOOR JEWEL | (Head Bound-Superstar Pearl, Sep 12) |
TRALEE | 29.57 | FARLOE JOEY | (Top Honcho-Air Force Ellie, Dec 13) |
WATERFORD | 28.82 | GENUINE HONEY | (Tullymurry Act-Chin Gach Gook, Oct 14) |
YOUGHAL | 28.84 | BURGESS POPEYE | (Sparta Maestro-Popular Speed, Jun 14) |