BoyleSports Champions Stakes Semi-Finals 2019

ARMINTA BRILLIANT IN CHAMPION
Ian Fortune

Ballymac Arminta was simply awesome at Shelbourne Park on Saturday night as she, yet again, produced one of the greatest ever performances at the famous Ringsend venue when posting a sensational 29.12 in the semis of the Boylesports Champion Stakes. Run Happy and Wolfe also won their heats in style, but it was Arminta that stole the show.

Boylesports Xtra stood out as her main threat, but he was given little chance as he was hampered by both his kennel companions Jaytee Gerry and Jaytee Sienna in the early exchanges. In contrast, Ballymac Arminta was given loads of room to get into full stride and she took her opportunity with four paws.

Going to the front before the turn she opened up a four length lead by the second turn. Jaytee Sienna turned second, despite drifting off the opening turn, and ran incredible race to stay within touching distance of the leader down the far side, but Arminta maintained an incredible gallop to the line.

Extending her lead on the run in, Liam Dowling’s brilliant daughter of Ballymac Best and Coolavanny Angie hit the line seven lengths to the good in 29.12. Jaytee Sienna had a length and a half to spare over Clonbrien Swift in second. The winner’s time wasn’t just the fastest of the past five years, but it was also the second fastest in history.

A HAPPY DISPLAY

Run Happy emerged an impressive winner of the second heat for Pat Buckley, Tom Quinn and Ned Morrissey.

The two-time defending champion Jaytee Yankee shot from the inside box to set the pace in the early yards and continued to do so passing halfway but, in his first run in almost a year, a lack of match fitness was to prove his undoing.

Headed by Run Happy into the third turn, Jaytee Yankee started to show signs of fatigue. In contrast Run Happy was proving a most aptly named greyhound. Bounding up the straight, the son of Tullymurry Act and Marlfield Taylor saw off the staying on Totos Park in 29.53. Jaytee Yankee was a neck away in third. Unfortunately he won’t have the opportunity to defend the crown he has held for the past two years, but he ran his heart out and his connections can be proud.

WOLFE POUNCES

Wolfe had to be at his best in the opening semi final from a tough draw in the orange jacket, but once coming away on terms the Graham Holland trained star was always going to have too much ammunition for his rivals.

Despite edging inwards, bumping his kennel companion Nice Charmer in the process, Marian Maloney’s hugely fast son of Tyrur Big Mike and Jalingo cleared his rivals to the bend and shot clear as many of the remainder found traffic.

By the second turn the race was over as a contest with Wolfe holding a decisive lead over Ballymac Anton. The latter seemed certain to take second, but Droopys Neymar came with a withering run in the second half of the race to deny Anton. Wolfe was in a parish of his own, however, and he duly cruised home five lengths clear in 29.61. Droopys Neymar, in turn, had two and a half lengths in hand on Ballymac Anton.

DRAW FOR THE FINAL OF THE BOYLESPORTS CHAMPION STAKES:

1 Jaytee Sienna

2 Run Happy

3 Droopys Neymar

4 Wolfe

5 Ballymac Arminta

6 Totos Park (m)

Видео BoyleSports Champions Stakes Semi-Finals 2019 канала Greyhound Racing Ireland