Inside Track: Southwind blows rivals away en route to shock 10/1 Sprint Cup final win

Inside Track got it spot-on last week, saying the runner that led the field at the first bend would go on to win the Bar One Racing Irish Sprint Cup final.

Only problem was, the one that fitted the bill last Friday night at Dundalk Stadium wasn’t even been given a mention in the write-up, never mind tipped.

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That was because, having lost his two most recent races in the competition, twice to Droopy’s Patriot – who emerged as one of the strong fancies for the final – Southwind Wild was a rank outsider to take the €20,000 first prize.

Mickey Rooney went 10/1 about the English-owned black, while Broadstand Syd was even favourite to retain the trophy he won last year in impressive fashion.

Droopy’s Patriot was second choice, and there was some good money, as they say, for Stonepark Browne.

But as you’ll hear quite often – well, only if you go to the dogs or horses – none of those who go to traps or the post know what price they are. On the same theme, you’ll hear about the “glorious uncertainty of racing”.

There wasn’t much difference between the sextet at the break, but Southwind Wild showed the superior early pace to push into the lead going to the bend, where, as we said last week, dreams can be demolished or enhanced.

Southwind had a clear advantage at the start of the run to the line, but the first two in the betting, neither of which got a clear run at the bend, closed fast. Less than a length covered the first three as they crossed the line.

Race commentator, Colm Corrigan, immediately called Southwind the winner from his perch high in the stand. And he was right.

However, the photo showed there was only a short-head between the winner and Droopy’s, with the title-holder a half-length further back in third.

Limerick-based Pat Buckley, who trained the winner, wasn’t winning the Classic out of turn. The brother of Country & West singer Jimmy has fielded many runners in the competition’s 26-year history, and had, prior to this renewal, five beaten finalists, including last year’s third, Road Exile, and Monto’s Mark, placed behind Johnny Gatillo in 2007.

The winner, the biggest priced winner of the Bar One, was formerly owned by Co Tyrone’s Michael Corr, and did some of his early racing at Dundalk before a change of ownership.

The supporting card had a number of finals and also some valuable one-offs, one of which, Exclusion Order, trained in Clogherhead by Graham Kelly and part-owned by Dromiskin’s Tommy McKevitt, was cheered home to the echo.

Indeed, the reception he got matched, if not bettered, Southwind Wild’s in the big race. Also among the winners was Lockstep, owned and trained by Laurence Jones in Corduff.