Patriot and Dolly the Irish stars before Champagne TV moment
A monthly video record of the major SIS UK and Irish races run during 2024 with accompanying reporting.
08/03 - Tralee: 2024 Juvenile Classic - Ballymac Patriot
BALLYMAC PATRIOT provided owner and trainer Liam Dowling with a second successive, and third overall, victory in the Juvenile Classic by taking the €11,000 final over 525 yards at Tralee's Kingdom Stadium.
He drove the opening corner to slip around in front whereas favourite Coolavanny Otto found trouble and lost an excellent pitch.
Ballymac Patriot then saw off the challenge of eventual third Baby Bocko and powered on to beat a rallying, and arguably unlucky, Coolavanny Otto by two and a half lengths in 28.44sec.
17/03 - Mullingar: Time Irish Cesarewitch - Singalong Dolly
SINGALONG DOLLY, sent off 4-11 favourite in the absence of reigning champion and kennelmate Bobsleigh Dream, duly claimed the €10,000 Time Irish Cesarewitch final over 600 yards at Mullingar.
However, it was no routine odds-on win as the Pat Buckley-trained, Gilbert Anderson-trained bitch hit the front before the first turn and proceeded to inflict a record-breaking demolition job on her rivals.
Pulling clear with every stride, she credited Buckley with a fifth success in the Classic as she came home fully 12 and a half lengths clear of Faypoint Angry in clocking 32.74sec, one spot quicker than the previous record mark of Meenagh Miracle.
23/03 - Oxford: Stadium Bookmakers TV Trophy - Bubbly Inferno
BUBBLY INFERNO credited trainer Paul Young with a record-equalling fourth victory in the event when upsetting odds-on favourite Ballymac Taylor to claim the Stadium Bookmakers TV Trophy over 847m at Oxford.
Although sent off 16-1 for the £15,000 decider, there was no fluke about the success of the Champagne Club-owned winner who came from a long way back in a contest where high-class six-bend performer Garfiney Blaze set a strong pace.
His kennelmate Ballymac Taylor, trained by Mark Wallis who was bidding for a record fifth TV Trophy win, looked in a great pitch but Bubbly Inferno had other ideas and rounded the field from the penultimate turn.
In charge off the last, she went on to beat Ballymac Taylor by almost two lengths in 52.37sec, rubbing salt into the wound by breaking the runner-up's heat track record in the process.