GREYHOUND RACING: Gala Memorial Night of Racing at Brandywell

Brandywell Greyhound track will stage its annual Gala Memorial night of racing on Monday next and there is certain to be a very large crowd in attendance for this popular event.
The Brandywell Stadium will host the annual Gala Memorial Night of Racing next Monday night.The Brandywell Stadium will host the annual Gala Memorial Night of Racing next Monday night.
The Brandywell Stadium will host the annual Gala Memorial Night of Racing next Monday night.

There will be 10 races in total on the card and there will be finals of six competitions down for decision as well as four open races.

The main races on the card will be the final of the Benny Barrett Memorial Sprint over 300 yards; the final of the Bill McKinney Memorial over 500 yards and the final of the Billy and Sheila Quigley Memorial, over 525 yards.

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There were semi-finals of all the competitions last Monday night at the track and all three finals look very competitive on form.

The final of the Benny Barrett Memorial Sprint is likely to be between Monday night’s semi-final winners, ‘Camilo’, who was having only his second race, and the more experienced ‘Flomur Mikey’ who was having his 14th race. ‘Camilo’ showed great guts and determination in his ‘semi’ for a novice when he had to battle hard to hold his position on the run to the bend. However, when he straightened up for home he pulled away in impressive fashion to win by over a length in a time of 17.12.

‘Flomur Mikey’ had a much easier task in his semi-final. Fast away from trap six the April ‘13 dog surged clear on the run to the bend and ran on well to win by three lengths in a time of 17.09. ‘Camilo’ has drawn trap four in Monday night’s final while ‘Flomur Mikey’ has drawn trap five.

I think experience could be the deciding factor in this final so I’ll select ‘Flomur Mikey’ to win it for Coleraine owner, Michael Calvert.

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The Bill McKinney Memorial Final looks, on form, between ‘Edison’ from trap six and ‘Lisson Dawn’ in trap four. These two greyhounds met in Monday night’s semi-finals and what a race it was. ‘Edison’, running from trap four, showed brilliant early pace and went four lengths clear around the opening bends from the slow starting ‘Lisson Dawn’ and along the back straight ‘Edison’ maintained that lead going into the final bends and the race looked over. However, ‘Lisson Dawn’, who is a strong stayer, was now getting in to top gear and while he ran on very strongly in the home straight, the line came in time for ‘Edison’ who held on by a diminishing three quarters of a length in a fast time of 28.24 for the 500 yards.

It’s a difficult final to call but ‘Edison’ has a great trap draw in six while ‘Lisson Dawn’ has a tricky trap four to over come. Therefore I fancy ‘Edison’ to win this final for local owner, Charles Coyle.

The final of the Billy and Sheila Quigley Memorial over 525 yards looks very open on form. ‘Smurfing Tango’, owned by Eunan McBride was a trap-to-line winner of his semi-final in a time of 29.92 while the second semi-final was again won in trap-to-line fashion by Cathal O’Neill’s ‘Flaming Ember’ in a time of 30.15.

The 525 box at Brandywell is on the crown of the bend and trapping well and early pace is a big plus in races run over the distance. So I fancy ‘Smurfing Tango’ to lead from trap three. If doing so he looks the most likely winner of this final for Convoy based owner Eunan McBride. First race is due off at 8pm.

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Benny Barrett Memorial Sprint Final: In trap order - Horseleap Droopy; Smurfing Manx; Kinielty Scolari; Camilo; Flomur Mikey; Drumdoit Spirit.

Bill McKinney Memorial 500 Final: In trap order - Frostbit; Penny’s Ribot; Sober Subway; Lisson Dawn; Local Uno; Edison.

Billy and Sheila Quigley 525 Memorial Final: In trap order - Supabrights; Flaming Ember; Smurfing Tango; Triconnell Street; Rathrowan Stone; Breagagh Beauty.

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