The classics are coming thick and fast with the Produce Stakes at Clonmel and the early rounds of the Oaks at Shelbourne Park.
In the capital, the Saturday night card was dedicated to the bitch’s classic where Ballydoyle Rossa set the standard in 28.17. For those struggling to keep an inventory of the Ballymac winner factory – Rossa is a litter sister to Bockos Melody and Ballymac Cashout – a full younger sister to Ballymac Syd, Ballymac Tas, Pentajali and Kingsbrook Glyn, and therefore a half sister to Smallmead, Ballymac Inspeed, Banabane and about a dozen and half more top class hounds.
On Friday a selection of the best sprinters in Ireland lined up for a show-down call the Islandbridge Open Sprint Final where Deadly Big Show won for the fourth time in a career of six races.
At Clonmel, Good Cody was quite outstanding in the quarter finals of the Produce Stakes with a 28.20 run – a time only bettered once in 2020 – Newinn Session (28.15).
We make no apologies for a certain level of repetition this week with Grangeview Mac once again featuring at Kilkenny where he remains unbeaten going into the final of a very decent unraced stakes.
Meanwhile nobody has still told Ballymac Rule that coursing dogs don’t succeed on the track as the 87 pounder made it 9-in-a-row in the Lee Strand semi finals at Tralee. (On current form you’d want short odds on a Ballymac winning this year’s Crufts).
The week kicked off last Sunday with Amazing Alice landing the Irish Cesarewitch. Regularly mentioned in this feature, the 2020 runner-up is a sister to Newbridge record breaker Droopys Curio.
| CLONMEL | 28.20 | GOOD CODY | (Definate Opinion-Soho Ark, Oct 19) |
| CURRAHEEN PARK | 31.18 | ROCKYBAY RUSTY | (Rockybay Foley-Lemon Jane, Jan 19) |
| DUNDALK | 21.18 | TWO AMIGOS | (Droopys Jet-Down The Green, Nov 18) |
| ENNISCORTHY | 28.96 | LUNA BABYLON | (Droopys Sydney-Ballymac Fifi, Sep 19) |
| GALWAY | 19.07 | LONG SANTIAGO | (Droopys Sydney-Bangla Road, Sep 19) |
| KILKENNY | 28.89 | GRANGEVIEW MAC | (Ballymac Best-Portumna West, Oct 19) |
| LIMERICK | 29.69 | MEDUZA | (Good News-Jaytee Osprey, Feb 19) |
| MULLINGAR | 33.20 | AMAZING ALICE | (Aero Majestic-Droopys Coast, Sep 18) |
| NEWBRIDGE | 28.89 | MUCH TOO SOON | (Laughil Blake-Tobar Na Maithir, Jan 18) |
| SHELBOURNE PARK | 18.62 | DEADLY BIG SHOW | (Droopys Jet-Humble Star, Sep 18) |
| 28.17 | BALLYDOYLE ROSSA | (Droopys Sydney-Ballymac Razl, Apr 19) | |
| THURLES | 28.92 | LUMINOUS SOCKS | (Droopys Sydney-Luminous Fancy, Sep 19) |
| TRALEE | 30.22 | BALLYMAC RULE | (Newinn Wonder-Ballymac Town, Jun 19) |
| WATERFORD | 28.54 | CHASHERS TOBY | (Droopys Jet-Dee Dee You, Jun 18) |
| YOUGHAL | 29.10 | SLANEYSIDE SHEP | (Pat C Sabbath-Slaneyside Trixi, Jun 19) |
