Notwithstanding the lost meetings due to ‘Brian’ – no racing at all from Youghal – it was a very busy week in Ireland.
Only one place to start though and the brilliant Irish Oaks win for Forest Natalee from THE litter of the year with an Irish classic to go with Cat one successes for brother Dorotas Woo Hoo (Scottish Derby), Dorotas Wildcat (Select) and Forest Con (Midland Puppy Derby).
Just 24 hours earlier Michael ‘Curly’ O’Donovan caused a shock at the same track when taking the Juvenile Derby with outsider Skywalker Rafa.
The next classic up for decision is the Irish St.Leger at Limerick where Scottish Derby runner-up Coolavanny Mason eclipsed unbeaten Clonbrien Hero, on times, with a 29.88 victory in the quarter finals. Junior Jet caused a surprise at Mullingar by landing the Fair Warrior Sprint.
Elsewhere there is plenty of interest in the juveniles with the Munster Juvenile at Clonmel and Red Mills Champion Unraced at Enniscorthy.
However it is worth remembering in the nominations that some of the quicker heat winners are as much as seven months older than the youngest winners in the same events, hence the relatively merited selections of Burgess Brandy and Trade Fudge.
At the other end of the spectrum, it is good to see a number of veterans still winning races in decent company and Galway’s Bumblebee Kyne was only half a length off the fastest time of the week for the standard distance.
| CLONMEL | 28.79 | TRADE FUDGE | (Trade Freddie-Ardrahan Maid, Mar 16) |
| CURRAHEEN PARK | 28.48 | DROOPYS DARGLE | (Ballymac Eske-Droopys Hilda, Sep 15) |
| DRUMBO PARK | 28.54 | SCROGGY SANDY | (Wise Thought-Lemon Angie, Apr 15) |
| DUNDALK | 28.48 | PRINCE OF STEEL | (Tullymurry Act-Steely Passion, Jan 15) |
| ENNISCORTHY | 28.88 | BURGESS BRANDY | (Vans Escalade-Borna Helena, Feb 16) |
| GALWAY | 29.18 | BUMBLEBEE KYNE | (Head Bound-Menlo Polly, Oct 12) |
| KILKENNY | 29.03 | PING PUTTER | (Droopys Cain-Piercestown Ping, Sep 15) |
| LIFFORD | 18.85 | TITANIC STEVIE | (Kinloch Brae-Hather Heather, Jan 16) |
| LIMERICK | 29.88 | COOLAVANNY MASON | (Aero Majestic-Little Flutter, Jul 14) |
| LONGFORD | 29.15 | RACECOURSE GIRLS | (Tullymurry Act-Racecourse Wowie, May 16) |
| MULLINGAR | 21.43 | JUNIOR JET | (Vans Escalade-Lodgefield Snap, Jan 15) |
| NEWBRIDGE | 28.87 | PENNYS MONSTER | (Ballymac Vic-Pennys Lady, Oct 15) |
| SHELBOURNE PARK | 28.40 | SKYWALKER RAFA | (Laughil Blake-Coolavanny Royce, Dec 15) |
| 28.37 | FOREST NATALEE | (Ballymac Vic-Droopys Danneel, May 15) | |
| THURLES PARK | 29.15 | BAILEYS PRINCE | (Archaton Pine-Comforts Jet, Jun 15) |
| TRALEE | 28.72 | CROSSFIELD KATE | (Sparta Maestro-Crossfield Betty, May 15) |
| WATERFORD | 28.68 | INDIAN ATTACK | (Kinloch Brae-Kereight Girl, Sep 14) |
