Maginn's Rossa is best-of-year, Guilfoyle gets three into final

WESTWAY ROSSA was the standard-setter as both favourites were beaten in the semi-finals of BOYLE Sports Lifford Oaks over 525 yards at the County Donegal venue.

Trained by Damian Maginn, Westway Rossa reached her third major final after th 2024 Galway Oaks and this year's Shelley Fennelly Memorial at Curraheen Park as she comprehensively outstayed market leader Magical Mag who had raced clear in the second semi only to falter close home.

At the line, Westway Rossa was just over a length to the good in posting 28.54sec, two spots faster than the previous best-of-year recorded by Singalong Polly a week earlier.

That bitch was a shock elimination from the opening semi, Pat Buckley's charge leaving herself just too much to do after a modest start and then checking at the first bend, her late rally failing by a neck to claim a qualifying position.

Victory went to Pat Guilfoyle's Daleroad Mya in 28.94sec, gholding off strong-finishing Ashmar Una in a photo with Magical Sapphire qualifying in third to give Guilfoyle three finalists having subsequently seen Magical Mag progress.

Sponsor BOYLE Sports still have Magical Mag (6/4) as their favorite to land the €10,000 final on Saturday despite the fact that she is yet to score in the competition.

BOYLE Sports (Lifford Oaks): T1 Hackney Tango 5/2, T2 Magical Mag 6/4, T3 Daleroad Mya 12/1, T4 Ashmar Una 6/1, T5 Westway Rossa 5/2, T6 Magical Sapphire 16/1. 

The revival of the Lifford Oaks represents the most prestigious event to take place at the Donegal venue since its reopening in 2023 with the live-on-SIS final on Saturday 1st November.

Saturday's BOYLE Sports Lifford Oaks final - live on sisracing.tv