|
Post by BVADMIN on Mar 17, 2016 12:37:59 GMT
SATURDAY 19th MARCH 2016 at LIMERICK..
22:25 - 525y 2016 Con & Annie Kirby Memorial Stake Round 2 Heat 7
1.. Calzaghe Billy - Declan Byrne 2.. Sparta James - Philip Gough 3.. Airmount Tess - Gerald Kiely 4.. Tynwald Baz - Peter Cronin 5.. Witches Belle - Edel Twomey 6.. Riverside Chip - Graham Holland
|
|
|
Post by BVADMIN on Mar 21, 2016 8:51:37 GMT
SATURDAY 26th MARCH 2016 at LIMERICK...
20:25 - 525y 2016 Con & Annie Kirby Memorial Stake Round 3 Heat 1
1.. Calzaghe Billy - Declan Byrne 2.. Droopys Roddick - Pat Buckley 3.. Double Oh Seven - Paul Hennessy 4.. Rockburst Riva (w) - Graham Holland 5.. Coolavanny Wendy (w) - Fraser Black 6.. Silverhill Pat (w) - Graham Holland
|
|
|
Post by BVADMIN on Mar 27, 2016 0:38:11 GMT
* AT Limerick, Witches Belle (28.18sec) was fastest in the quarter-finals of the Kirby Memorial - the world's richest puppy race. Other winners were Clares Rocket (28.32sec), Riverside Chip (28.48sec) amd Droopys Roddick (28.50sec)
Ian Reilly's Quietly set a 350 yards track record with 18.38sec in a supporting Treaty Cup semi.
Saturday's Kirby semis at Limerick
1st semi 1 Witches Belle 2 Calzaghe Billy 3 Clares Rocket 4 Riverside Oscar 5 Droopys Awesome 6 Eigththreelarch (w)
2nd semi (all unseeded) 1 Droopys Roddick 2 Double Oh Seven 3 Ela Alecko 4 Tommys Lord 5 Riverside Chip 6 Maytown Eclipse
|
|
|
Post by BVADMIN on Mar 27, 2016 12:53:25 GMT
|
|
|
Post by BVADMIN on Apr 1, 2016 5:29:57 GMT
JP McManus, who with his wife Noreen, generously sponsor the annual Kirby Memorial at Limerick, the world's richest puppy competitionWill Flying Witch be the Belle of this Kirby ballOfficial Limerick racecard previewA THRILLING night of quarter-final action in the Con & Annie Kirby Memorial Puppy Stake has left us with 12 supremely talented young hopefuls in search of an €80,000 first prize for the richest puppy event in the world and few could argue that the class of 2016 are as affluent in talent as the sponsorship of the McManus family is in its generosity.
If the intention of Noreen & JP McManus was to attract the very best that the sport had to offer and present the highest standards possible on their local track, well they have certainly achieved that. Many of the times recorded by the competition’s leading fancies are simply phenomenal for greyhounds in the infancy of their racing careers. The sectional times from early pacers, coupled with the finishing figures from the events strong runners mean this year’s Kirby can with much credence lay claim to being the greatest puppy event ever staged and it must be remembered that these figures are being posted throughout a month of inconsistent and inclement weather, not in the height of summer!
Amidst all this wonderful talent and now entering the semi-finals as the sole remaining bitch, Edel Twomey’s Witches Belle has captured the imagination of an entire sport. Arriving at Limerick having claimed Joe Dunne Memorial success in the capital, she scorched to a fastest of the night 28.20sec in round one before battling like a champion for her 28.56sec success next time. However, the February ’14 blue sent pulses racing throughout the stadium last week when making light of what appeared a nightmare draw in a treacherous heat.
From trap 4 she made a fast start to lead Droopys Awesome and Eightythreelarch to the opening bend and, despite both these rivals possessing powerful pace beyond the second turn, the result was already beyond any reasonable doubt. Fraser Black’s less experienced Droopys Awesome, who is improving with each run, did however press the brilliant bitch all the way along the back-straight to race on her tail before ceding victory in the home-straight. Witches Belle stayed strongly for a three length verdict at the line in a sublime 28.18sec, again the fastest of the night. The round would inevitably see big outright fancies fall throughout the quarter-finals and the main casualties here were Jo Jo Fantasy and Lenson Rocky.
Trainer Graham Holland made a big assault on Kirby 2016 with a total of ten entries and began last Saturday night with seven still remaining! It was inevitable that number would reduce further in the quarter-finals but his claims of outright victory will not have lengthened following another slick performance by the powerful Clares Rocket. Long odds-on from an apparently ideal trap 1 draw, he took a little longer than expected to fully show his nose in front on the run to the turn and benefit of the rails pitch was fully appreciated as he again displayed an ability to gallop the bends while appearing to accelerate.
The true extent of his talents are seen once swinging off the second turn and his back-straight pace is as a thing of beauty, which must been witnessed first hand to truly appreciate. Stretching beyond a six length midway lead, he had victory secured in a race against the clock before recording a seven length success in a 28.32sec with the game Ela Alecko staying on for second ahead of Riverside Oscar who battled hard to overcome his unsuitable trap 6 draw.
Three remain unbeaten
Both these breathtaking performances had followed an opening heat where Pat Buckley’s Droopys Roddick kept his unbeaten Kirby record intact in a highly competitive affair. Breaking smartly from trap 2 he defended the inside line and turned the opening bend with Calzaghe Billy in hot pursuit having used his trap 1 draw for a run in behind the leader. The order remained the same on the back-straight where Double Oh Seven again displayed his top quality back-straight pace to claim third but the strong running pair up front appeared likely to battle out the victory.
Calzaghe Billy never allowed Droopys Roddick a comfortable lead and was a threatening presence on the leader’s tail before running into his back end at the third bend when reluctant to switch wide for a challenge. Hampered, he presented the race to Roddick who prevailed by one and a half lengths from Double Oh Seven who claimed second at the closing bends. Staying well, he led Calzaghe Billy by a further two lengths in 28.50sec.
The closing heat appeared to be a very competitive race before Graham Holland claimed his second quarter-final as Riverside Chip blasted from trap 5 to effectively seal his semi-final place even before reaching the first bend. He was followed throughout the journey by fellow early pacer Maytown Eclipse with Tommys Lord in third and the order would remain the same to the line with Riverside Chip scoring by a length and a half in his fastest career time to date of 28.48sec.
Your guess is as good as mine!
It would take a brave pundit to draw a line through any of our remaining 12 aspiring champions and fascinating draws have made our semi-finals extremely difficult puzzles to decipher. The two fastest runners of the competition have been drawn in the opening heat and, as impressive as they have been in the event thus far, nothing will come easy for either.
Witches Belle is an inside seed now, having abandoned her previous middle tag before the commencement of the Joe Dunne Memorial, but the opening semi-final on Saturday will be her first time donning the red jacket and this has to be a big concern for her, and for the prospects of a cleanly run race from traps. A review of her recent races will see her moving towards the hare rail in the early exchanges, even when quick to exit trap 4 last week, so it is highly conceivable that she will make a similar move now. She would need to gain over a length in the opening strides to clear her opposition and avoid causing a collision, but with the quality of runner on her immediate outside, that is unlikely.
That prospect makes this heat a more complicated. Clares Rocket(3) could well be inconvenienced by any outward move from the bitch, especially as he is, despite his third bend sectionals, not so electric in the opening 50 yards as it would seem from his times. He needed all the run-up and the benefit of the inside rail to take control at the first bend last week and a similar effort could bring his first real scare of the competition now if, as is likely, Calzaghe Billy takes an early shunt from Witches Belle and the Declan Byrne runner truly does look to have a nightmare draw here, despite being well suited by the blue jacket.
A further complication for Clares Rocket is the presence of kennelmate Riverside Oscar in trap 4. While not the fastest trapper in the event, he will seek to move towards the rail at the soonest available opportunity. Droopys Awesome has matured throughout this event and ran a blinder behind Witches Belle last week when not inconvenienced by his same trap 5 draw and he can elevate himself to real outright contention with a clear run again here.
The one runner in the heat that can honestly be labelled “well drawn” is the sole remaining wide seed, Eightythreelarch. Jacquie McCann’s powerful runner lost his unbeaten tag behind the latterly mentioned pair in the fastest quarter-final but has real claims of progressing to the final now at the very minimum as the most likely of the field to gain a clear run. The heat is as treacherous as any Kirby semi-final should be and qualification will be at a premium. Investment should carefully considered, but if pushed, I would probably back Clares Rocket to hold strong and reach the bend in front for victory thereafter.
The second semi-final has a familiar look about it, on the outside at least and as the fastest of these thus far in the event, Riverside Chip looks nailed on to lead again from trap 5. He might not have been the main fancy of the original ten Graham Holland entries but the smart trapper is warming to his task, improving all the while and merits huge respect. He can again lead Maytown Eclipse(6) to the bend who followed him round a week ago and is likely to lie second on the back-straight as the runners on the inside do not possess the same early prowess.
Another likely scenario is that Droopys Roddick will have the freedom of Limerick on the inside from trap 1 and this spells trouble for the remaining strong runners. In fact the early part of this heat looks highly likely to be cleanly run and if so, the three previously named runners have huge claims to fill the trio places as neither Tommys Lord(4), Ela Alecko(3) or Double Oh Seven(2), whose finishing power gives him claims of qualification if the principals fail to race cleanly around the home bends, have matched them on the clock so far in the event. For victory, well Droopys Roddick has been an enigmatic sort in the Kirby thus far, but he does “get the job done” and he may again now!
|
|
|
Post by BVADMIN on Apr 5, 2016 14:03:01 GMT
I'm told CALZAGHE BILLY has now been sold and could be on his way back to Belle Vue?
***** UPDATES TO FOLLOW *****
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2016 14:41:45 GMT
I'm told CALZAGHE BILLY has now been sold and could be on his way back to Belle Vue?
***** UPDATES TO FOLLOW *****
wonder where he's going looks a nice dog best off luck to new connections
|
|
Craig Morris
TOP CLASS
Enter your message here...
Posts: 417
|
Post by Craig Morris on Apr 5, 2016 15:21:50 GMT
I can confirm he is coming to us and will Hopefuly take his chance in this years Derby if all goes to plan , good luck to his new owner
|
|
|
Post by BVADMIN on Apr 5, 2016 15:34:26 GMT
GREAT NEWS....
THE VERY BEST OF LUCK IN THE COMING WEEKS AHEAD WITH
CALZAGHE BILLY TEAM 'THOMPSON'
|
|
|
Post by benny on Apr 5, 2016 18:30:33 GMT
quality dog .good luck.
|
|