BoyleSports Irish Greyhound Derby Final 2015

We anticipated a thriller in the final of the BoyleSports Irish Derby and so it proved. In front of a massive crowd at Shelbourne Park on Saturday night, Ballymac Matt and Farloe Blitz had a virtual repeat of their great semi-final battle but this time it was the Liam Dowling trained Ballymac Matt which proved the three quarters of a length victory in 29.63.

Every vantage point was taken from an early stage and the noise for the running of the Derby final – and the aftermath – put even the famed Wimbledon roar to shame. It appeared as though half of County Kerry was present on the night and they invaded the presentation podium.
But they weren’t sure of that privilege until strides from the line after a fantastic battle between not two, but three magnificent greyhounds. Farloe Blitz again flew out from the inside and Ballymac Matt was also fast into stride from three. On the run up Farloe Blitz opened a length and a half lead over Ballymac with Peregrine Falcon third and Gaytime Hawk fourth.
But, as in the semi, Farloe Blitz accelerated on the opening bends and went three and a half lengths clear by the back straight while, though his adroit tracking, Farloe Rumble had moved into third and was suddenly a factor.
GREAT BATTLE
Down the far side Ballymac poured on the pressure and he reduced the gap to a length and a half at the third bend.
Ballymac was forced to check his stride here and somehow there was inevitability about the result at this stage as Ballymac is such a strong stayer. But Farloe Rumble threatened to upset things as he joined Matt just behind the Blitz.
Blitz battled on manfully but in the final yards the strength of Ballymac Matt proved decisive and he got up to win by three parts of a length from Farloe Blitz in 29.63 while Farloe Rumble was just another three parts of a length back in third. Peregrine Falcon finished fourth followed by Cable Bay and Gaytime Hawk.
Ballymac Matt, a son of Tyrur Big Mike and Ballymac Scarlet had earlier won the Gain 600 and was bred by Liam Dowling who also owns a half share with the Kelly and The Lads, a group made up of Kelly and Tony Macari, Alan Findlay and some of their greyhound pals.
A fantastic night for Dowling was crowned when Ballymac Bonnie gave a masterful performance when winning the BoyleSports Poker Open 850 by no less than nine lengths from Droopys Oddysey in a brilliant 47.29. Earlier Dowling had set up the first leg of a fabulous treble when his 2014 Derby finalist Vulturi gave a polished performance in winning over the 750 yards.