PICTURES: Excitement at Limerick for Irish St Leger heats

THE OPENING-round heats of the 1xBet Irish St. Leger 550 dominated proceedings at Limerick Greyhound Stadium on Halloween night and there were plenty of treats on offer, with leading trainers Liam Dowling and Paul Hennessy both recording doubles, while Graham Holland went one better with a treble across the eleven heats.

The eagerly anticipated clash between Ballymac Setanta and returning Derby champion Bockos Gold was the headline attraction in the concluding heat of the night and, while the former came out on top on this occasion, Bockos Gold lost little in defeat on his return.

Elsewhere, it was Swords Diamond who set the standard with a terrific display to announce himself as a major contender, while there were also hugely impressive performances from the likes of Wi Can James, Lennies Dynamic, Slippery Felix and Roaming Shelby.

All told, it was a superb opening to what promises to be a fiercely competitive Classic, with attention now turning to the second-round action this coming Saturday.