Bobsleigh's early Christmas joy in Irish St Leger at Limerick Stadium

THE 2022 Matchbook Betting Exchange Irish St. Leger may have been deferred by one week due to weather, but it was certainly worth waiting for Sunday night’s €30,000 decider was landed in exceptional fashion by the favourite, Bobsleigh Dream. 

After five weeks of thrilling action at Limerick Greyhound Stadium, the final Classic of the year came to a close and it was fitting that Bobsleigh Dream, who landed the very first heat of round one, brought down the curtain on this year’s Irish St. Leger with a breath-taking display. 

Race to the Bend 

In what was a wide-open final, Bobsleigh Dream was installed as the 11/8 favourite with Romeo Magico next best at 11/4. Mustang Jet and Wi Can Dream were two of the likely leaders and both went off as 6/1 shots, while Annagh Bailey and Trinity Junior were sent to traps as the outsiders of the pack at 8/1 and 11/1 respectively.

From a level break, it was Romeo Magico and Annagh Bailey who emerged first from the pack but it was nip and tuck on the run to the opening corner with Trinity Junior showing big early gears to dispute, with Mustang Jet also displaying his customary acceleration to pace up on the outer.

With space very much at a premium approaching the opener, Annagh Bailey held the slender advantage but as Trinity Junior got squeezed out on the immediate inside, Rachel Wheeler’s charge was on the receiving end of a huge bump from Trinity Junior, which also hampered Romeo Magico and resulted in the English Derby winner being shuffled to the back of the field.

In contrast, Mustang Jet was to swoop around the outside to lead from Trinity Junior, while Bobsleigh Dream, who could only manage fifth place on the run to the bend, benefited from the traffic to slip into a nice posse around the opener, just three lengths off the leader. 

Jet Storms Clear 

Jointly owned by Paul Horig and Sean Bourke and trained by Dolores Ruth, Mustang Jet was now in full control entering the back straight and his chances increased passing the pick-up as Trinity Junior checked off the back of Mustang Jet, which in turn hampered the improving Bobsleigh Dream.

Now some eight lengths clear of both Wi Can Dream and Bobsleigh Dream, even the most loyal of followers of Pat Buckley’s star would have questioned her ability to bridge such a gap, given the talent that Mustang Jet possessed out in front. However, approaching the penultimate bend and it was clear that patrons were in for a power-pack finish. 

Incredible Finish

Halving an eight-length deficit to four around the bottom bend, Bobsleigh Dream was now in overdrive and despite Mustang Jet continuing to go about his business in front, there was a certain inevitability about the result, given what we had seen from the daughter of Droopys Sydney and Bobsleigh Jet up to this point.

The winning line now well within sight, Mustang Jet was certainly not fading in front, however, Bobsleigh Dream was flashing home and Willie Joe Murphy’s bitch stormed up the inside of Dolores Ruth’s brindle to land the spoils.

An incredible finish to the contest, there were three parts of a length separating Bobsleigh Dream and Mustang Jet, while it was seven and a half lengths further back to the luckless Romeo Magico in third. The time was 29.84 and many congratulations are extended to the winning connections. 

Consolation for Whispa

Bobsleigh Dream performed heroics to land the showpiece event but the same could be said of Ballymac Whispa who produced her trademark big finish to land the consolation Leger. 

Owned by Liam Dowling, Ballymac Whispa (Ballymac Anton - Ballymac Minton) came away well from trap four but was immediately outpaced on the run to the opening turn by both Kilcolgan Zeus and Drombeg Ten.

Settling for fifth place around the opening bend, Ballymac Whispa began to rev her engine from the halfway point and she produced another incredible finish to flash past the long-time leader, Kilcolgan Zeus, and win by three parts of a length. The time for the even money favourite was 29.85. 

Noah Lands Sheehan Memorial 

There was a nice €2,100 up for grabs in the final of the Stevie Sheehan Memorial A3 525 and there was to be an upset on the cards as Home Noah (Jaytee Jet - Home Julie) landed the spoils for Susan and Paul Hennessy. 

Going to traps as a 7/1 shot, Home Noah broke well from trap four and crucially, headed The Other Rudolf into the opener as the latter forced his way to the inside of the track. Trouble ensued in behind at this point and this allowed Home Noah to narrowly lead from Ballymac Neil in second, with the favourite Burgess Cutie a close third.

It was nip and tuck down the back, but it was the Hennessy runner who narrowly shaded it rounding the bottom two bends and despite the best intentions of Burgess Cutie, who was flying up the inside, Home Noah stayed on best of all to seal victory. Just one length in it at the winning line, the time was a good 28.71.