Irish racegoers don’t get many chances to see marathon performers in action with the only exception being Shelbourne’s December feature that they inherited from Harolds Cross.
Friday’s semi finals will have reminded them what they are missing with two exciting semi finals being won in identical times by Sporting Pat and Riverside Honey. The Holland kennels were also in great form with a treble in the Slyne Memorial at Cork where Black Parachute was only five spots slower than Skywalker Logan’s fastest 575 of the year and 15 spots outside the track record.
Drumcrow Trump’s 17.72 for the Drumbow sprint was only the seventh fastest time of the year, Interestingly, he himself has twice gone faster though the quickest run of the year belongs to Drumcrow Rocco (17.61).
Others of note this week include June ’18 pup Galtee Extra who was just six spots off the fastest sprint of the year at Newbridge and July pup Waikiki Spy who recorded the fastest 525 of the week at Waterford. Finally Slaneyside Pongo with the fastest 525 at Youghal this week and one of five winners out of ‘Slaneyside’ dams at the same Monday meeting.
| CLONMEL | 29.18 | MOANTEEN LEXI | (Ballymac Matt-Hillcroft Lexie, Jul 18) |
| CURRAHEEN PARK | 30.77 | BLACK PARACHUTE | (Top Honcho-Ballydoyle Honey, Jan 18) |
| DERRY | 27.96 | CRYING CONOR | (Drumcrow Obama-Lisnakill Eileen, Jul 17) |
| DRUMBO PARK | 17.72 | DRUMCROW TRUMP | (Drumcrow Obama-Drumcrow Kylie, Oct 16) |
| DUNDALK PARK | 28.82 | SANTRO OLLIE | (Hooya Crater-Rushmoor Dolly, May 17) |
| 28.82 | CIARAS SWIFT | (Droopys Jet-Ballyrobin Sable, Sep 17) | |
| ENNISCORTHY | 29.11 | STRICTLY BLACK | (Borna Sounds-Borna Gem, Apr 18) |
| GALWAY | 28.97 | BUMBLEBEE COONEY | (Kinloch Brae-Bumblebee Rosie, Nov 17) |
| KILKENNY | 29.29 | KELLYMOUNT FIONN | (Scolari Me Daddy-Monroe Miss, Sep 17) |
| LIMERICK | 28.91 | BLACK KNIGHT | (Droopys Nidge-Black Hopit, Jul 18) |
| LONGFORD | 29.32 | BLIND SIDE | (Gizmo Classic-Bulmers Baby, Apr 18) |
| MULLINGAR | 29.68 | HOLD FIRE NOW | (Kisses For Cloda-Royal Diva, Jun 18) |
| NEWBRIDGE | 17.56 | GALTEE XTRA | (Droopys Jet-Ballymac Galtee, Jul 18) |
| SHELBOURNE PARK | 58.80 | SPORTING PAT | (Ballymac Eske-Any Kisses, Dec 17) |
| 58.80 | RIVERSIDE HONEY | (Kinloch Brae-Ballydoyle Honey, Mar 17) | |
| 28.15 | RIVERSIDE LEO | (Knockglass Billy-Adamant Gem, Jul 17) | |
| THURLES PARK | 29.15 | DOUBLE TIME | (Ballymac Vic-Kilgowan Honey, Feb 18) |
| TRALEE | 28.82 | SLIPALONG LEGEND | (Droopys Scolari-Slipalong Angel, Jul 17) |
| WATERFORD | 28.49 | WAIKIKI SPY | (Holdem Spy-Ballintee Annie, Jul 18) |
| YOUGHAL | 29.13 | SLANEYSIDE PONGO | (Piercestown Sand-Slaneyside Mandy, Nov 17) |
