Sectionals

Semi-Final Sectional Times

Heat 1 28.76
Native Chimes            16.41 ck - 12.35
Rathnasnare Champ 16.19 - 12.60
Borsalino                    16.41 - 12.42 ck

Champ does the biz in the early stages again but if we're being critical, he is capable of going faster to the third bend and he was worryingly two and a half lengths slower over the closing 225 yards than he was a week prior. Is this an early pacer who is beginning to tire over the stamina sapping five rounds of Kirby competition?

Chimes again showed his brilliant back-straight pace here having had his early split affected by some crowding and it was almost a carbon copy of this duo's second round clash when he again reeled in Champ. However, the track was widely regarded as faster on Saturday than in the previous rounds and you would have hoped to see better than 28.76, and also that finishing split of 12.35 when compared with the opposing semi-final. What this suggests is that Chimes must lower his first split for victory and be in front of some stronger runners before reaching the third bend in the final.

Borsalino has hardly varied his time to the third bend throughout the competition and that means that he will have runners in front of him on the back-straight. His closing clock was affected when Chimes forced him to check at the third bend but he can finish strongly. His final task now is to be close enough off the second bend to strike a late blow but the concern is that too many runners will be in his eye-line.

Heat 2 28.37
Bentekes Bocko 16.07 - 12.30
Drive On Tipp    16.35 bmp  - 12.05
Coolavanny Pet  16.37 - 12.11 ck

Simply sublime from Bocko. His fastest run to the third bend and his fastest run in the latter stages. It is remarkable, and goes against the trend, to have an early pacer improve in each round but Bocko has lowered his finishing time in every Kirby heat. That is an ominous sign from a kennel who timed their 2016 challenge to a tee and appear to be doing the same again! He will be a worthy favourite for the final.

That same timely improvement can also be labelled at Graham Holland with Drive On Tipp because to only be beaten a half a length in this clock was a phenomenal performance. He has done 16.35 to the third bend in his only clear run but you have to suspect he can go faster than that round one effort and there is definitely a monster clock in him.

Pet was slowly to stride again here and final victory from Trap 6 will require a bang break but she was again flying from halfway with a brilliant closing split which was slightly affected with Drive On Tipp in her path at the closing bends.

Their best so far:- the following represents the best combined run of the competition for the six finalists. ie. their best early split added to their best finishing split!

Rathnasnare Champ - 28.51

Drive On Tipp - 28.40

Borsalino - 28.65

Bentekes Bocko - 28.37

Native Chimes - 28.63

Coolavanny Pet - 28.38






Quarter Final Sectional Times

The first split shown will be to the 300 yard mark while the second relates to the closing 225 yards.

Heat 1 28.40
Vancouver Shea 16.14 - 12-26
Native Chimes   16.37 bmp/crd - 12.38
Ivy Hill Blitz      16.53 bmp - 12.46
Back to his best, Shea produced brilliant splits once more. This was his best to the third bend and if he can produce this twice more, the Kirby is at his mercy! He can match the best early pacers in the stake and his finishing splits are that produced by strong runners, he's a proper classic dog. There can be no question that Native Chimes is still a player in the stake but he didn't come home as well as last week however his 300 yard split was greatly affected by an early bumping match on the run to the bend which he emerged from with great credit when displaying a defiant battling quality and that is the split time to concentrate on this week. To be a final contender, he must reduce that significantly if securing a clear run form his ideal draw in red on Saturday. A horror draw for Blitz meant that he could not show any early prowess when seeking to move inward on the run to the bend but would you have hoped to see him at least match his Round One finishing split of 12.32 here. Visually he appeared to be staying on well compared to Native but the truth is that Shea was pulling away from both up the straight and Blitz must lower his early split to be a player this week.


Heat 2 28.65
Bentekes Bocko    16.28 bmp - 12.37
Jaytee Barracuda 16.42 bmp - 12.26 ck
Borsalino               16.46 crd - 12.29 crd
The same again from Bocko and it was just a minor brush which affected his early split and just took the wow of his 300 yard dash. The interesting thing is that he is reducing his finishing time each week and that could be ominous. Buckley claimed this last year with a runner who improved throughout the event so has previous in so far as timing it to perfection on this testing circuit.....is that what's happening here?! Almost drawing a line through Barracuda on his Round Two second, he reminded all that he still has designs on the big prize with a visually improved effort and the numbers back it up. A tasty bump at the bend barely bothered the strong runner and an already impressive 12.26 coming home which was affected when checked, can lower further if finding a clear run. The Hennessy charge is back in the picture! Borsalino was not so much crowded early on but forced to gallop with Bocko's tail in his face for a number of strides but we already knew he was a strong runner and it will be the same scenario for him again this week.....how close can he stay off the second bend?!


Heat 3 28.68
Coolavanny Pet          16.38 - 12.30 ck
Rathnasnare Champ 16.17 - 12.42
Shewhodareswins      16.60 - 12.12
What a gutsy bitch Coolavanny Pet is! Slow to stride here she railed well to chase the vicious early pace of Champ down the back. Her early split can be improved on and will need to be if she is to win outright but she again posted strong finishing numbers despite being forced to check briefly and in essence what the figures tell us, as they have done all along, is that there is a monster run in Pet if she hits the lid, and she has done in the past. Champ is adding greatly to this stake with his sprinting ability and what is most interesting is how he has improved his finishing each week. It's hard to see him being led to the bend and a 12.42 makes his Kirby dream a possibility, increasingly so with each passing round for now, any runner who wishes to pass him late on, is going to need a clear run. For the third place finisher here, the fancy prices all along must surely now disappear for while Shewhodareswins lacks the early pace of a classic winner, she certainly makes up for that coming home. To win major events you must be special at some point on the track and she is from halfway. 12.12 is awesome and given a clear run she will threaten a qualifying place again while always holding claims for victory if there is traffic for runners ahead of her.


Heat 4 28.75
Cometwopass 16.31 - 12.44
Higher Level 16.63 crd - 12.15
Drive On Tipp 16.68 crd - 12.21
Same again from the winner who is as consistent as your quartz wrist-watch. From a pleasing draw he showed quality early pace and his finishing figure was, as suggested, just enough to hold the strong runners at bay. He will need to prove that he can be just as effective from a wider draw this week but clearly merits much respect if posting the same figures from wider out. The third bitch to reach the semi-finals was Higher Level and she is cut from the same cloth as her rivals for the €5000 bonus prize. She's finding a run at the bends and that may not be all down to luck, she might possess some clever track craft at her tender age but again, her special talent over 525 yards is from halfway and 12.15 coming home is awesome. She was flying at the winner and is going to be difficult to eliminate from the semi's. Highly fancied at the outset, you could probably forgive some for thinking that Drive On Tipp's challenge is petering out but I still wouldn't agree with them. He had the real wrong rival on his outer here in Cometwopass (predicted in these pages to lead him) who swept across him entering the bend, forcing him to switch outside his backside in an attempt to sight his hare. We know he can go to the bend fast and is still a big player in the stake, especially when considering his finishing split of 12.21. If he shows up with his best early paced form, which he may need to this week, be assured that there is a big kick left in the fellow.








Round 2 Sectional Times

As with Round One, only the leader's time is precisely accurate at any point on the circuit so many split times will have been calculated but every effort is made to ensure their accuracy and they will not be far off the mark in any instance.

The first split shown will be to the 300 yard mark while the second relates to the closing 225 yards.

Heat 1 28.56
Lughill Robbie    16.13 - 12-43
Borsalino             16.46 crd - 12.24
Chawke It Down 16.30 - 12.43
We suspected Robbie had serious early pace and he confirmed that here with a brilliant 300 yard split, admittedly from an ideal draw on the fence and he has to be labelled an outright contender although you would like to see his finish time come down another touch even though it did improve from last week. The runner-up impressed here when affected by early crowding he powered from halfway and was certainly progressing from his round one win. He will be a formidable threat now back on the fence this week while Chawke It Down's figures were very even paced throughout.

Heat 2 28.68
Cometwopass     16.28 - 12.40
Coolavanny Pet 16.63 blk/crd - 12.15
Ivy Hill Blitz      16.56 crd - 12.47 bmp
Almost identical figures for the winner as last week and he is what he is, an early pacer who won't cede all that much late on. He's a player in the event if given draws to lead similar types to the first bend. However, the most significant figure here is that of the bitch in second. Pet was awesome after early traffic problems and showed an essential ability to qualify in the face of adversity when repeatedly bumped from a horror draw in Trap 6. This inside seed is a real Kirby player because if you add that 12.15 to her first round 300 split of 16.27, you get classic winning numbers! There isn't much to glean here about the third when denied clear passage but he is a pup with talent who can continue to figure although he needs better starts for outright contention.

Heat 3 28.63
Native Chimes            16.37 - 12.26
Rathnasnare Champ 16.09 - 12.56
Hazel Mixture            16.61 - 12.39
The Leger runner-up seems to be timing his challenge well and this represented improvement from an underwhelming round one showing. His early split is decent but made better by the fact that it was posted on the back of impressive back-straight pace, probably the fastest we saw in the round, having been all of seven lengths down at the second bend. 12.26 is good enough going forward if he can continue to negotiate a forward position in the early exchanges. Champ could easily have been dismissed as an outright contender last week having failed to stay on with any effect. However, he again showed truly magnificent early pace this week, the best we have seen and while I would still label him a sprinter in a four bend competition, he stayed on stronger this week. He will hold a leader's chance in any heat it appears and when in front, well.....there's always a chance!

Heat 4 28.75
Vancouver Shea   16.35 - 12.40
Toocoolforschool 16.28 - 12.50
Nitro Notorious   16.42 crd - 12.47 ck
The favourite remains unbeaten but the figures were not as good for either section as they were a week earlier. The track wasn't flying but it wasn't the week before either so it was a lesser performance. However, he got the job done and in battling fashion that must be respected as it came against a talented rival. Explaining the numbers, maybe there was a touch of the bounce factor having been away from racing for so long and if so then you have to say fair play to him. We'll just have to see if he can return with another sparking display this week. The runner-up wasn't too far off his round one figures and although disappointed to be passed in an average enough clock, he's still a factor in the event. Nitro Notorious remains an unexposed runner in the stake, a bit of a dark horse. The only unaffected sectional we have for him is a finishing split of 12.22 and held in high regard, this fellow could be a springer if popping out in front any time soon!

Heat 5 28.75
Benetekes Bocko 16.33 - 12.42
Clonbrien Hero  16.75 bmp - 12.31
Allen Tank          16.80 crd  - 16.80 - 12.40
Slower to the third bend this week, Bocko still displayed serious early pace and the finishing number is just about good enough for his style of racing. He will always need to be in front to win but his campaign is simple going forward, keep breaking and he has an outright chance! The runner-up is interesting here though because he posted a very decent finishing split after early bumps and when considered that he posted 16.25 for 300 in the first round, there is clearly better to come if he can break well again. The third clearly has big pace but is not breaking well enough to get into contention. You couldn't recommend him going forward, even though you know he's talented.

Heat 6 28.97
Magical Vinny      16.47 - 12.50 bmp
Jaytee Barracuda 16.46 - 12.61 bmp
Its Rockin Jim      16.86 crd/ck - 12.32
Greatly affected times here which can be taken with a pinch of salt but the winner especially may still be a bit green. Not fluently galloping the opening bends, he must have been moving off the rail at the bottom bends where he bumped with Jaytee, more than once. He had 12.27 in round one so is clearly a strong runner who can figure in any heat if turning close. With more runs under his belt, you might be a little disappointed that Jaytee didn't convert here having led and his outright aspirations took a dent.

Heat 7 28.81
Higher Level       16.63 bmp/crd - 12.18
Drive On Tipp    16.77 bmp/crd - 12.28 crd
Droopys Giroud 16.71 bmp/crd - 12.35 crd
A bumpy affair here where the draw had real influence and only the late splits can merit analysis and they reveal a very strong staying winner who must be given huge respect going forward for if able to negotiate a forward position on the back-straight, will have claims to qualify from any heat. The finishing splits are also encouraging for the placed runners, especially as we know that Drive On Tipp can go up fast. He ran extremely well here and remains a big outright contender.

Heat 8 28.83
Shewhodareswins 16.61 - 12.22
Society St Ridle    16.54 - 12.45
Frankies Lady      16.79 crd - 12.39
An interesting heat on numbers and mainly regarding the winner who stayed on very strongly and again, if finding a draw to stay in contention early on, she can qualify from even the most competitive heats, she must be respected. The runner-up got every chance here and you have to say that she needs more to survive while Frankies Lady has to get back to her best breaking form, immediately!






Round One Sectional Times
A trend with Limerick classics since moving to Greenpark has seen the major events claimed by strong runners. A fast circuit in relation to many, the closing bends at Limerick offer a greater opportunity to execute passing moves than most tracks in Ireland which naturally aids a staying type but it is also a more stamina sapping surface than is widely perceived and while early pace is a potent weapon in any 525 yard competition, you must fully see out the trip at pace, to claim a five round event at Limerick.

Having said all that it will now surely be won by an out and out early pacer to prove me wrong but with that assertion in mind, which is backed up when perusing the results of the Kirby and Leger over the past five years, the sectional times should be heeded throughout the stake and there are some early, interesting pointers from the first round on Saturday last.

Of course, only the leader's time is precisely accurate at any point on the circuit so many split times will have been calculated but every effort is made to ensure their accuracy and they will not be far off the mark in any instance.

The first split shown will be to the 300 yard mark while the second relates to the closing 225 yards.

Heat 1 - 28/61
This was quite straightforward in calculation terms with Benetekes Bocko leading throughout with a clean race behind.

Bocko 16.16 - 12.45
Killinan Rosie 16.30 - 12.38
Droopys Cabaye 16.30 - 12.40

A brilliant display of early pace by Bocko and he was the fastest to the third bend in the entire first round. 12.45 coming home is respectable for an early pacer and if he can lower that over the coming weeks, he could make them all go.

Heat 2 - 28/71
Rackethall Jess 16.37 - 12.34ck
Clonbrien Hero 16-25 - 12.49
Kerrydale Bertie 16.63 - 12.29

Solid from Jess and the strong stayer at 525 would have finished with a faster sectional if not checked at the bottom bends. Hero's early pace will clearly be a factor going forward but like last week, he will be vulnerable in the home-straight. Bertie is clearly a stout stayer at the trip but he will sweat an early run at the bends to be in a position to use that staying power from halfway.

Heat 3 - 28/92
Borsalino 16.47 - 12.45
Ivy Hill Blitz 16.81 - 12.32
Jaytee Warrior 16.41 - 12.82

Nothing spectacular in the heat and "solid" is probably the best description of the winner's performance. Jaytee led to the calculation mark but that 12.82 coming home is not inspiring and outside the winner, the one to take from the heat may be Ivy Hill. A poor break, which he can improve on, left him with plenty of tails in his way around the bends before impressing on the back-straight and the 12.32 wasn't simple to calculate; he may have been doing better.

Heat 4 - 28/71
Cometwopass 16.28 - 12.43

The rest were too far off to hazard a calculation here and the winner's smart 300 sectional came off only a moderate break so was quite impressive; 12.43 is respectable for an early pacer coming home.

Heat 5 - 28/80
Toocoolforschool 16.36 - 12.44
Allen Junior 16.46 - 12.48
Lughill Robbie 16.36 - 12.65

Like his kennelmate in Heat 3, the word "solid" is not meant to sound dismissive and if the winner keeps returning figures like this, he can go deep, but solid is what it was without being spectacular. The same comments apply to the second while Robbie will need to trap better and dictate things on the bunny to be seen at his best.

Heat 6 - 28/35
Vanouver Shea 16.19 - 12.16
Jaytee President 16.26 - 12.33
Thor Tagg 16.64 - 12.16

Much more interesting figures here and in the fastest heat, everything about the winner's performance screams classic material. Rarely do we see both splits in the teens at Limerick and OK, he got a lovely tow into the back-straight form Jaytee but when capable of that kind of early split, few come home as strong as 12.16. Given clear runs, this is a Kirby winner waiting to happen? Premature I know but that's how impressive the figures are and even more so because in any other heat, you could be singing the praises of the second. Jaytee is certainly a Kirby player on this evidence and will win heats if reproducing this form. Thor also must be respected for having switched wide immediately after a poor start, that finish will aid his cause when turning closer to the pace. A classy heat!

Heat 7 - 28/51
Coolavanny Pet 16.27 - 12.24
Jaytee Barracuda 16.39 - 12.36
Droopys Dresden 16.37 - 12.42ck

More interesting numbers and the winner could hardly have been more impressive albeit from an ideal draw. Both figures are impressive and good enough in any classic context to label her an outright contender, especially if drawing the red jacket at a crucial stage later on. It was a decent opening effort from the second also and from Dresden. Checked late on, he could significantly lower that finishing split and looks to have the same running style as his half-brother Roddick.

Heat 8 - 28/67
Droopys Pogba 16.17 - 12.50
Crossfield Jock 16.41 - 12.36
Droopys Giroud 16.48 - 12.36ck

Plenty to like about this from Pogba as he showed himself to be one of the most impressive early paced runners in the event. 12.50 will need to be lowered to entertain outright claims as no dog is ever guaranteed to lead up but a deep run is possible if he continues to trap well. A pair of strong runners in behind ran with credit also and Giroud especially may have more to give as he was slightly inconvenienced from midway.

Heat 9 - 28/76
Ballymac Laughil 16.38 - 12.40
Native Chimes 16.45ck - 12.41
Knockfinisk Glen 16.61ck - 12.60

A smart effort from the winner who was quite even paced throughout after a good start but being just a July pup, remains open to as much improvement as any in the event. Knowing Native Chimes as we do, his supporters will label this little more than adequate with more spark hopefully imminent. He was posting better figures in the Leger so we'll wait and see if he can regain top form.

Heat 10 - 28/64
Drive On Tipp 16.35 - 12.29
Nitro Notorious 16.77bmp - 12.22
Magical Vinny 17.00blk - 12.27

It was a little bit of a stretch to garner figures for the places here but I did it anyway on the suspicion that this was better than first glance. The winner's figures are completely accurate however and reveal a runner who is good to halfway and strong coming home.....a real Kirby type! The finishing figure is interesting for the runner-up and even if kind, won't be too far out. He looked to have good early pace at Tralee so this is encouraging. The same applies to the third who got no run early but caught the eye off the second bend and both these should be watched keenly in Round Two.

Heat 11 - 28/53
Crossfield Kate - 16.22 - 12.31
Burgess Dubh 16.77 - 12.00
Hovex Mick 16.84 - 12.18 ck/crd

Possibly the most interesting figures of all. The winner is not just chasing the €5000 bitches prize after this showing and those numbers can only be posted by a serious outright contender, hugely impressive! It's no shock that Burgess was the fastest dog of the round in the later part of the race and he is set to be the big finisher of the stake. 12.00 is there with the most powerful hounds to ever run on the track and if he can somehow negotiate his way to a challenging position on the back-straight in upcoming rounds, he can be a player. Also very significant here is the powerful finish of Hovex as we have seen him trap much better at Limerick, he could yet be a serious outright player.

Heat 12 - 28/76
Jaytee Samurai 16.53 - 12.25 blk
Higher Level 16.70 - 12.27 blk
Cu Ui Neill 16.80 - 12.27 blk

The early splits were all affected by bumps here but the most information gleaned was that the first three home are all strong runners. Jaytee had not led around in his previous races at Limerick so we're in the dark as to his full potential if dominating from the off but for all three, the late numbers are encouraging.