Cork Draghunting: High Miss blazes to maiden win in Seanie Walsh Memorial
Sheila Cummins and Gerry Murphy of Shanakiel Harriers with Penny's Girl winner of the Seanie Walsh Senior Maiden Memorial Draghunt at Loughane.
HIGH Miss of Griffin United produced a season-best to win the Seanie Walsh Senior Memorial Draghunt at Loughane on Sunday.
Credit to organisers from the Muskerry Hunt club who held this draghunt in conjunction with their annual show it attracted a huge attendance at the mid-Cork venue.
The course was good open running and reports from all vantage points suggested hounds were driving the hunt at pace with surprisingly race favourite Authority out of the running at an early stage.
When the hounds came on the finish the winner looked to have a slight lead and she showed a great turn of foot to cross the tape ahead of Viper Whizz who also was figuring for the first time in the tickets since the Northern Hunt Draghunt on April 2.
The consistent Time Will Tell trained by Thomas and Chloe Murray filled third ticket with Little Miss, Blue Lad and Philly’s Star also among the ticketing hounds.
For the winning trainer Donie O’Donovan it was a day to savour after clinching his first win of the season.
O’Donovan said: “I am delighted that we have last broke our duck for many months and hopefully my hound can continue to show form for the remainder of the campaign.”
In the Senior Maiden Draghunt, there was also a first success of the season for the Gerry Murphy and Sheila Cummins-trained Penny’s Girl who hadn’t figured in the tickets since March 19 at Ballinadee.
In another good finish, the winner saw off the fast-finishing Magic’s Pride from Denise Rall’s Mayfield kennel with the winning kennel also having the third-placed hound in Tiger’s Boy.
The winning trainer was naturally elated.
Murphy said: “Nice to get a win after some close misses this season and hopefully we can build on this success.”
The Puppy draghunt was hosted at Timoleague on Saturday and there was a shock when the Ryan Duffy and William Freyne Clogheen trained Not Now Ike took the honours.
In dense evening fog at the west Cork venue, the hounds finished like pigeons with the winner having 10 lengths to spare at the tape.
The winner was trained up to recently by Joe and Gary Freyne but his change of kennel has certainly lit up this young hound.
In good open terrain, the winner crossed the tape ahead of the inform Knocks Boy from Michael Crowley’s Griffin United kennel with championship leader Ashcroft in third for Northern Hunt trainer John O’Callaghan.
Indeed the O’Callaghan kennel had a good evening as Authentic filled fourth ahead of Eden Star and Charlie Chaplin.
Speaking after the drag-hunt the winning trainer William Freyne was naturally delighted.
“We are delighted with the way Not Now Ike is presently running and with Charlie Chaplin filling sixth place it was a good evening for us.”
1. High Miss (Griffin United); 2. Viper Whizz (Clogheen); 3. Time Will Tell (Shanakiel Harriers); 4. Little Miss (Griffin United); 5. Blue Lad (Southern/Carrigaline Harriers); 6. Philly’s Star (Northern Hunt).
1. Penny’s Girl (Shanakiel Harriers); 2. Magic’s Pride (Mayfield); 3. Tiger’s Boy (Shanakiel Harriers); 4. Naoi (Shanakiel Harriers); 5. Kane (Griffin United); 6. Calvin’s Lad (Mayfield).
1. Not Now Ike (Clogheen); 2. Knocks Boy (Griffin United); 3. Ashcroft (Northern Hunt); 4. Authentic (Northern Hunt); 5. Eden Star (Kerry Pike/Fair Hill Harriers); 6. Charlie Chaplin (Clogheen).
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