NORTH KILKENNY

For anyone whos not been to Ballyragget.............its a lovely wide long field run by a super hard working club. Despite trying conditions, hard work and dedication kept the meeting on the road with little delay. The field was covered and salted both days.  It was a bitterly cold weekend and the club can feel proud of a well run meeting with good hares.

The Kilkenny Flag over the escape

WALSH MEMORIAL CUP
Winner: WALLACE ROCK
R Up: GINGERBREAD LAD

Two dogs stood out in this Cup and both were close in the betting. It was good to see both these dogs fight it out in the final , which was as close as the betting............a great buckle saw Wallace Rock getting his head in front at the turn .

Wallace Rock

Wallace Rock, a litter brother to Wallace Green is another fine winner for Carrick Sam who keeps notching up the winners as a brood and  could be a close runner again for Brood of the Year. He was bred by Pearse O`Hagan  and is owned by Brendon Matthews and Terry McCann

Rock .........a very handy dog in his own right won his Trial Stake at Enniscorthy after running up at Lochrea, he then won the Cup at Wexford as a pup, but missed out on running at Clonmel.  This year has seen the same consistancy. A finalist at New Ross and todays win sees him on 6 points

 

Adam and Neil

 

 

 

The Final

 

Winning Connections

 Gingerbread Lad with Clonsalee Boy

Runner up Gingerbread Lad

Runner up was Gingerbread Boy, who was bred by Dermot O`Sullivan out of his good brood Vacume Runaway, the dam of  Vacume Electric, Gingerbred Boy .....and from the same Mounteden Guest litter came Spur Majestic and Vacume Legacy.  Vacume Runaway herself was a top class bitch on the field being a Trial Stake and Multiple Cup winner as well as being a semi finalist in the Clomel Champion Bitch Stake.


Gingerbred Lad is on 10 points haviing already won Cups at  Regional and Trim before todays RU spot.  Hell be a worthy runner at Clonmel in the Champion Stakes and I hope we get to see him win a place .

DERBY TRIAL STAKE
Winner: FUNOTHEFORGE
R Up: DROOPYS RAMOS

The winner Funotheforge is another to gain a ticket for Fr Dan Dunne, home bred and trained. He is by Tynwald Smokey out of Tullamoy Lady, who is a sister to Castle Pines, Bar None and Droopys Caesar.

From the same litter you have the Co Carlow Trial Stake winner , Tullamoy King, who impressed many. and Tullamoy Queen......a super bitch who was beaten in the Oaks semi finals by the winner.

DTS winner Funotheforge

The Final

Droopys Ramos and Forge in the final

Fr Dan Dunne With Funotheforge

Eamon Nolan presents Fr Dunne with the cup

The Stradbally sydicate and Kilkenny president Ber Drennan

 

Droopys Ramos

From the same family as the winner,  Funotheforge,      Ramos is out of Fiery Maid, by Cillowen Return...........Maid is a daughter of Ebony Bride and is a half sister of Bar Time and many more top class runners and broods.

Jeffys Cracker and Minorcas Ando

Castlemartyr Lad

Wilton Herald

Wilton Herald is one for the notebook.............he looked smart enough and was firm fav to win the stake. He finnished cramped when running in a back to slips with Droopys Ramos so strike a line through that run.








OAKS TRIAL STAKE
Winner: CROSS KINGS
R Up: MISS KNOCKILLON (Res D)

Another home bred winner in the Oaks..........this time for Tom Beckett, and Joe Crosby (trainer) from Freshford.
Cross Kings is a Castle Pines out of Crosspatrick.....who is a litter sister of Eoin Rua...........her half sister Hissy Fit had ran up in the duffers earlier fot Tom Beckett.  Plenty of top class performers from this damline including top stud , Bexhill Eoin, as Crosspatrick is out of Eoin Og.

Cross Kings

Cross Kings

Martin Morrisey presents the trophy to Tom Beckett and Joe Crosbie

RU Miss Knockillion takes a tumble in the semis, Sadly this game bitch was injured in the final.

A nicely bred bitch owned by Don Moloney , being by Droopys Ceasar out of More Music she is a sister to Derby qualifier Ceasar Music....but all five of the litter have reached Stake Finals

Cools The Burn

Lively Gaga ran well and was unlucky to get sme work in the quarter finals

Judge Lawlor

HARECATCHERS STAKE

winner Annual Target  .....ru High St Issue

Hard fought Working Members ended up going to Eamon Nolans Annual Target who came with a late run to snatch victory from Conor Watters High St Issue

 Annual Target

 The Final

Martin Morrissey presents the Harecathers Trophy to Eamon Noland

High St Issue

Kiltown Maggie

DUFFERS

winner Coshair Wake Up............ru Hissy Fit

The two course Duffer was won by Frank Cross with Coshair Wake Up ..........Mounteden Guest out of Wake Up Time

 Coshair Wake Up

Hissy Fit owned by Tom Beckett ran with great credit to take RU spot (Multibet x Crosspatrick)

 Hissy Fit

 Eamon Nolan presenting the Moate St Trophy to Mary and Frank Cross

From the ICC Website

Christmas Greetings

I would like to extend season’s greetings to you all.
At Christmas our thoughts are of family and friends, those with whom we can share the festive celebrations and, more especially, those who are absent from the table. This year there are more empty seats than before as many of our friends are abroad in search of work. To all who have lost their jobs and income due to the recession, a special mention.
The economic climate has taken its toll on all walks of life and the greyhound industry is no exception, with the reduction of government funding and disposable income leading to the same uncertainty that other sectors are experiencing.
Greyhound people are a resilient lot and I am confident we can survive and prosper even more in the years ahead. The officers of the Irish Coursing Club are working continuously to minimise the effect of this downturn on the club and as long as we are united in purpose and action, the future is bright.
On the coursing front the season so far has been an outstanding success with the standard of sport reaching an all-time high. This can be attributed to the extra emphasis being placed on hare husbandry and the promotion of this by our new CEO/Secretary DJ Histon.
Clubs are almost competing for the honour of producing the best hares and it has given me a great sense of satisfaction to witness the exceptional results at all the meetings I have attended as ICC President. Even during the terrible conditions of the flood-inducing rain in November the standard was maintained. Congratulations to all concerned.
I believe the standard of qualifiers for the National Meeting to be above average with a number of talking dogs already qualified for both classics. This should generate great anticipation in the weeks leading up to our showpiece and it is hoped that you will attend in numbers to ensure its continued success.
I would like to wish one and all a Happy and Holy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year.
Brian Divilly, President, ICC

PICTURE REQUESTS

For Ann

Quarrymount Man

 

Nial & Adam with Wallace Rock

Razor Ashmore

Cross Country

Wallace Green

 

Magical Ava

Kicking Lad

Its a hard life

Champion brood Carrick Sam and Turlogh O`Hagen are keeping warm tonight