Joe Carroll: Louth's greyhound racing fraternity fast out of traps with support

The local greyhound fraternity is good at commemorating former practitioners. A year doesn’t go by at Dundalk Stadium that there’s not a competition run in memory of at least one deceased owner, breeder or maybe a racegoer.

In recent months events have been run in the name of Ned Lawrence, Paddy and Eamon Carroll, and only last week, Peter Burke. This weekend, the Arthur Boyle Memorial gets underway. Solid prizemoney has been attached to all of them, and they’ve proven themselves very popular with owners and trainers.

The Peter Burke Memorial was run over the 525 and was won by the Co Fermanagh challenger, Tahina Blue, who came with a tremendous late run to pip Marina’s Joker, earning his owner the handsome prize of €2,250.

Peter Burke had over 50 years in the greyhound game prior to his death three years ago, running a hugely successful kennel in Clogherhead. Many of his charges ran with the ‘Mulla’ prefix, but it was a pair by the name of Mam’s Bank and Dad’s Bank that won him most acclaim.

The former was in the field for the 1983 renewal of the Dundalk International which produced a finish which is still recalled whenever the track’s most prestigious race comes up for discussion.

Five of the six runners crossed the line together, and it was only after a lengthy deliberation over the photo that Quick Suzy was declared the short-head winner from dead-heaters Yankee Express and the Burke runner.
English Derby winner, Whisper Wishes, was a further neck back in fourth, and it was then another neck back to Irish Derby runner-up, Brideview Sailor. Game Ball was the only one not to feature in the photo.

Peter Burke’s widow, Doreen, who shared in all of her late husband’s successes, regularly attending whenever the kennel had a runner, was there on Saturday night last to present the trophy and was accompanied by family members.

Arthur Boyle ran a very successful kennel in Dowdallshill for a number of years, and prior to his death formed a partnership with Channonrock owner/trainer, Seamus Casey. The competition in his name begins on Saturday night next and is being run over the 550.

On the same night, the dogs go to traps for the semi-finals of the Irish Derby at Shelbourne Park. There was a time early on when it seemed a runner with strong local connections would make it to the business end of the €125,000-to-the-winner competition.

Sentimental Lad, owned and trained by Michael Heeney – formerly of Newtownbalregan and Castletown, but now living in Co Waterford – broke the 580 record at Shelbourne prior to winning his Derby opening round heat.

But sadly, when odds-on to score next time out, he was slow away from the traps before meeting with trouble at the second corner and was eliminated. It is possible the well-made black will be seen out next in the St Leger at Limerick.

Cooavanney Hoffa was a very fast quarter-final winner, and in the opinion of many shrewd judges can go the whole way.