GREYHOUNDS | Lawrence well in contention for Barber Kennels glory

The Barber Kennels A4/A5 has reached the quarter-finals stage, and Blackrock owner/trainer Colm Lawrence has a strong hand to play after sending out a double during last Friday’s second round.

He struck early with Dannys Prince, who provided a 6/1 surprise in beating another outsider, Calzaghe Prost by four lengths in 29.03.

This marked a return to form by the fawn tracker. Going back, he has a couple of sub-29.00 runs to his credit in higher grade. The brace was completed by Out The Rock, also successful in the opening round.

On this occasion, the son of Superior Product and Woe Girl came from behind to edge Brannock Shelly by a half-length in 29.30.

Colm was in good company on the training front, as professional handlers, Paul Hennessy, Francie Murray and John ‘Ginger’ McGee matched his feat.

McGee, based in Oldcastle, took the Dundalk Stadium Open 550 final with Ballymac Galway, and he has a good chance of adding next Friday’s Open Bitch 525 decider with Canyar.

She will start from trap one, after taking her semi in 28.86. The other eliminator fell to Hennessy’s Olympic Gorgeous (28.89).

Final draw: 1 Canyar, 2 Doubly Clever, 3 Santas Diamond, 4 Olympic Gorgeous, 5 Foxy Diva (m), 6. Martinstown Hawk (w).

Meanwhile, the Barber Kennels A4/A5 quarter-final line-up for Friday is as follows:

Heat One: 1 Lissan Georgia, 2 Freddies Girl, 3 Take Note, 4 Lolos Framptons, 5 Airport Power (m), 6 Calzaghe Prost (w).

Heat Two: 1 Kilara Elvira, 2 Sir Boley, 3 Swift Boreas, 4 Madabout Bella, 5 Dram, 6 Ice Boy (w).

Heat Three: 1 Strafield Madam, 2 Brannock Shelly, 3 Tontos Choice, 4 Priceless Dancer, 5 Abbylea Mary Ann, 6 Dannys Prince (m).

Heat Four: 1 Sin Away, 2 Out The Rock, 3 Crickleowl Sally, 4 Brides Honey, 5 Muckno Pop, 6 Black Jack Davy (w).

On Saturday, Dundalk’s Danny Kerr and Patrick McKenna each had winners, Braexit Attack and Oneco Yank respectively, both trained in Newry by Vincent Toner.

Braexit Attack went around in 21.75, while Oneco Yank was a runaway 12-and-a-half length scorer in a weekend’s best 28.59.

The card also included the final of an A3 525 stake, which went the way of Quandrum, owned by brothers, Laurence and local vet, Brian Jones.

It was his second win in a final this year, as back in February the son of Premier Fantasy and Speed Dial collected in the Sherry Property A4.

For this latest success, Quandrum finished fastest to get the better of Fridays Malteser by one-and-a-half lengths in 28.77.