The Gain Select Stakes at Waterford tops this week’s events and another quality performance from Pat Guilfoyle’s Cabra Hurricane when adding to his Longford Derby from earlier in the year. Meanwhile the biggest event in the North, the Gold Cup at Drumbo Park, went the way of Bakery Lane.
The issue of ‘juvenile’ events once again rears its head at Clonmel where Bitcoin Cian produced an impressive run in the second round of the Munster Puppy Cup. However, once again, our POW nomination goes to a slightly slower hound on the night. Ballydoyle Grace might have only clocked 28.81 in an A3 event, compared to Cian’s 28.64, but she is six months younger!
For the first six months of 2018, we concentrated a lot on ‘fastest of the year’ performances. However, apart from the odd few rarely used trips, it is rare to see one set on a slow November track. Step forward Eager Lady with an impressive 17.47 for Newbridge’s 325 yards.
Another virtual guaranteed nomination goes to any pup clocking the fastest time of the week for the standard. When that youngster is only 20 months old, and the track is Shelbourne Park, step forward, Tullig Footpad. Patanjali might be 40 spots off the fastest ‘750’ of the year, but given her age, she definitely looks one for the notebook.
Finally at Thurles, three winners out of James Quinlan’s fine brood Tullowmac Java. The nomination goes to Bull Run Banter with a 31.46 run for the 570 yards. That is just 30 spots slower than the fastest clock of the year, run by half brother Bull Run Bullet
| CLONMEL | 28.81 | BALLYDOYLE GRACE | (Kinloch Brae-Fear Emoski, Mar 17) |
| CURRAHEEN PARK | 29.65 | BEEPERS PADDY | (Ballymac Vic-Leigh Fancy, Nov 14) |
| DERRY | 27.93 | BAY CITY BONNIE | (Droopys Jet-Arbitrage, May 16) |
| DRUMBO PARK | 28.43 | BAKERY LANE | (Hondo Black-Montblanc, Mar 15) |
| DUNDALK | 28.77 | VERRAZANO | (Swift Hoffman-Mark Street Lass, Aug 16) |
| ENNISCORTHY | 29.01 | MANUKA MAN | (Kinloch Brae-Ballydoyle Honey, Mar 17) |
| GALWAY | 28.88 | CONFUSED REILLY | (Scolari Me Daddy-Confused Breda, Feb 16) |
| KILKENNY | 28.92 | NUTTY BETH | (Laughil Blake-Express Micro, Jun 16) |
| LIFFORD | 28.95 | GABBYS MILA | (Head Bound-Brickhill Elsie, Sep 15) |
| LIMERICK | 18.76 | AIRFIELD BIDDY | (Tullymurry Act-Airfield Mistake, Oct 16) |
| LONGFORD | 28.89 | WERE OFF | (Droopys Cain-Ardera Diana, Sep 15) |
| MULLINGAR | 29.52 | EMZE DELL | (Kinloch Brae-Arsenal Lady, Jun 16) |
| NEWBRIDGE | 17.47 | EAGER LADY | (Ballymac Vic-Cat Girl, Aug 15) |
| SHELBOURNE PARK | 28.27 | TULLIG FOOTPAD | (Droopys Jet-Tullig Bonnie, Mar 17) |
| 41.66 | PATANJALI | (Droopys Sydney-Ballymac Razl, May 17) | |
| THURLES PARK | 31.46 | BULL RUN BANTER | (Romeo Recruit-Tullowmac Java, Nov 16) |
| TRALEE | 28.50 | HEADLEYS NANCY | (Laughil Blake-Minor Winner, Nov 16) |
| WATERFORD | 28.29 | CABRA HURRICANE | (Kinloch Brae-Cabra Ebony, Sep 16) |
| YOUGHAL | 29.05 | SLANEYSIDE MISTY | (Over Limit-Slaneyside Selma, Dec 16) |
