Ballymac beaten again but could still produce Derby goods

Events / Jonathan Hobbs / 17 April 2008 / Leave a Comment

Jonathan Hobbs on the latest Sky action where Dartnall's dog tasted defeat once more

You do wonder whether if Tyrur Rhino had produced such a turn of foot to pass Kilkenny Lonjack, as Romeo Maldini did on Tuesday's Grand National card at Wimbledon, that the Irish Derby winner would be a 6-1 favourite to land the double in the English Greyhound Derby!

It was a great effort and capped a quite amazing night for Dave Firmager, whose three winners on the card from the same British-bred litter, his litter, was up there with some of the great achievements of Nick Savva's bluebloods.

The Firmager treble shared centre-stage with Kildare Lark's Grand National victory, and it's there we start a look back at the TV races on the night, in the hope of picking out a few winners for the coming weeks.

Kildare Lark has proved a real winner and added to his Racing Post Festival Hurdle victory by always holding the edge in the main event. If was far from a vintage effort from the winner, but he took his chance well. Morrell Warrior showed the best pace, mind.

Fabulous Azure showed the benefit of a number of trials over course and distance to win the bitches' stake, but Dilemmas Flight will have also benefited for it. A Henlow no-race left her short of work, but she showed the old pace, if now a touch more canny.

The six-bend hurdles race was definitely one to consign to the 'just a bit of fun' bin, and it was great for connections, while both first and second Ballymac Ruso and Westmead Diver look the real deal in what was a very hot puppy race.

Ruso is a brother of Ballymac Under and, more strong-running, took a rare flyer to notch his first win, impressively. He will go well in the Derby, while the runner-up showed great ability, although lacks experience but at November 2006 is forgiven that!

Vatican Iona was the real eye-catcher in the marathon. In was only her second start in this country and trainer Pat Rosney clearly has a good team of stayers at present, with his Rough Rose (to be renamed Vatican Fyne) a real player.

Romeo Maldini looked top-notch in the 480m event, a Derby trial stakes if ever there was one. Kilkenny Lonjack ran great and moved not too wide in the dash to the bend. The middle seed could be his making, but the winner flew up the home-straight.

Primitive Way was desperate in the six-bend event, as Black On Air landed an opportunist victory. The winner was soon clear and taking advantage of trouble behind to win as she liked, but Primitive Way caught the eye late on. He really is a Leger dog.

Ballymac Under lost no caste in defeat, although proving costly to those who had backed the Dartnall double. He ran a great bend, very brave for not a particularly big dog, and only lack of a recent run saw him denied late by Romeo Turbo.

He must still have a great chance in the Derby.