Joe Carroll: Wide seed draw makes Ballinabola Ed a worthy favourite

Dundalk Stadium’s biggest day of the year is taking place today. The horses go to post first throughout the afternoon and later in the evening it’s the turn of the greyhounds.

All the action, however, won’t be on the tracks. Throughout the afternoon, ladies will be strutting their stuff, hoping their finery catches the judges’ attention. There’s a big prize for the winner, and competition will be keen. An enterprising layer could open a book on the outcome of this contest.

The biggest prizemoney of the day will go to the winner of the greyhound race. The International, this year being sponsored for the first time by, well, TIME, a new name in the animal feed production game, carries a prize of €20,000.

The race over the 550 has an international flavour to it. Joining four trained in this country are two from across the water, headed by recent English Derby third, Cochise.

The draw, made by well-known greyhound racing personality and one of the heads of the sponsoring firm, Willie Rigney, drew the leading cross-Channel contender in trap one, and that will be to his liking.

Limerick trainer, Pat Buckley, a brother of Irish entertainer and greyhound racing enthusiast, Jimmy – who is likely to be at the meeting and might even break into song if one of his sibling’s charges crosses the line in front – has a very strong hand, being responsible for two of the home team.

Buckley, who was successful in this race in the past, has Ballinabola Ed and Bobsleigh Dream running for him, and as the only wide seed, Ballinabola, winner of the Shelbourne Open 600 and the Race of Champions and unbeaten this year, was guaranteed the six box when the draw was made on Thursday last.

His kennelmate won the 2022 Irish Leger and Cesarewitch, and was nominated for that year’s bitch-of-the-year award. She goes from four and gives Buckley a very strong hand.

Last year’s Irish Oaks champion and the one that pipped Bobsleigh for the 2022 major accolade, Raha Mofo, is in five, while the all-powerful Liam Dowling kennel in Kerry has Ballymac Whispa as its representative.

Dowling has yet to win the Dundalk feature – first run in 1968 – and this could be his turn. Ballymac is an 10/1 chance, while Ballinabola Ed is the 10/11 fav.