There was one ‘head and shoulders’ – or perhaps ‘three length’ performance above all others in Ireland this week and that goes to Ballymac Ariel in the third round of the Irish Derby. To put the 29.07 run into perspective, she equaled her own FOY for course and distance, and it was the joint second fastest run behind Pestana’s 28.99 clock.
The second selection Susie Sapphire might have been three lengths slower but it was her ninth win in 16 races and she is still only 21 months old. The third choice is over the shorter trip, and young still, the Jamie McGee trained Swanlee Khaleesi.
Further south, there was a new 750 yard track record for Roaming Mystery at Limerick in the heats of the Cambridgeshire.
There was a flying run in the Waterford Oaks by the locally bred Skywalker Angie (formerly Droopys Joyful).
Last but not least, a split nomination for Tralee. Saleen Naomi clocked the fastest 570 in four years, while the fastest hound over the 525 yards this year, puppy Feora Chris, made it five in a row with a fractionally slower, 28.23.
Interestingly, there were seven Droopys Jets and five Droopys Sydney offspring on the list.
| CLONMEL | 28.74 | MINOR DROOPY | (Droopys Jet-Minor Racer, Aug 19) |
| CURRAHEEN PARK | 28.33 | JUMEIRAH BRIDGE | (Droopys Jet-Jumeirah Lolls, Sep 18) |
| DERRY | 27.82 | MOVE OVER DAITHI | (Droopys Buick-Fionas Star, Dec 18) |
| DRUMBO PARK | 31.93 | DA GENERAL | (Sparta Maestro-Gifted Girl, Aug 19) |
| DUNDALK | 28.85 | NINJA KERRY | (Droopys Jet-Ninja Penny, Nov 19) |
| ENNISCORTHY | 29.16 | TIP TOP RACHAEL | (Droopys Sydney-Droopys Missy, Apr 20) |
| GALWAY | 28.75 | ORBSEN ASH | (Droopys Jet-Scala Masie, Feb 19) |
| KILKENNY | 29.23 | GWAN PUDO | (Laughil Bolt-An Cailin Alainn, Aug 19) |
| LIMERICK | 41.40 | ROAMING MYSTERY | (Good News-Coolavanny Kelly, Feb 18) |
| MULLINGAR | 29.58 | MISS DIOR | (Droopys Sydney-Ruby Valley, Apr 20) |
| NEWBRIDGE | 28.84 | PENNYS HAWKWING | (Deanridge Viking-Pennys Saba, Mar 20) |
| SHELBOURNE PARK | 29.07 | BALLYMAC ARIEL | (Ballymac Bolger-Ballymac Cameo, Apr 19) |
| 29.31 | SUSIE SAPPHIRE | (Droopys Jet-Jetstream Lynx, Nov 19) | |
| 28.25 | SWANLEY KHALEESI | (Ballymac Bolger-Killinan Baby, Jan 20) | |
| THURLES | 28.85 | CHUBBYS JET | (Droopys Jet-Live Queen, Sep 19) |
| TRALEE | 30.74 | SALEEN NAOMI | (Droopys Sydney-Darrig Alainn, Nov 19) |
| 28.23 | FEORA CHRIS | (Droopys Sydney-Feora Inish, Dec 19) | |
| WATERFORD | 28.22 | SKYWALKER ANGIE | (Laughil Blake-Droopys Saga, Apr 19) |
| YOUGHAL | 29.03 | THUNDER BLUE | (Droopys Sydney-Eleanors Moment, Mar 18) |
Owen McKenna with Susie Sapphire – pic Imelda Grauer
