In-form Blastoff Blitz shines at Lifford again

by Chris Ashmore

THE in-form favourite Blastoff Blitz (4/5) landed the spoils in the Fitzwilliam Sports S2/S3 325 Final, the feature race at Lifford Stadium on Sunday.

Owned and trained by Aiden Cullen from Dungannon, Blastoff Blitz, running out of trap five, beat Georgina Gibbons’ Kilbride Classic by a length in a time of 17.69, with a dead-heat for third between Starcash Barry and Cool Trend.

In the opening novice 325 race, Rough Rocko, the odds-on favourite, posted a fine 17.91 in his first competitive race to land the spoils for Ballymena owner/trainer John McQuillan.

The second race, an A1/A2 contest, saw Hawkfield Abbey (2/1) storming to victory with more than four lengths to spare over Wilms Blake in a fast 28.71 for owner Jerry Connors and trainer John ‘Ginger’ McGee.

Owner Charles Coyle - who has had more winners than anyone else at the venue since its reopening in the spring - was celebrating again following the third race, an S0 325, in which John Boy Pakie (3/1) clocked a decent 17.67 to hold on by just a neck ahead of Oakfront Herbie.

The two reserves in the fourth race, Corgrigg Tobben (5/2) and Glengar Wilder (2/1) battled it out for the honours in an A6/A7 525 with the former winning by a short head in 29.46 for Derry’s Kevin O’Kane.

Do It Nidge (4/6), for Lifford’s Ray White, impressed with a five length victory over Drowsy Sydney in the S4/S5 325, clocking 17.78 to make it seven wins in 13 races.

And Liberty Katy, for Derry’s Mairead Miller and trainer Stephen Radcliffe, notched up only her second win in 13 competitive starts as she won by a similar distance ahead of Diggy Liggy Lo in an A3/A4 525 contest, with the clock showing 29.03.

Shea Campbell’s Stefans Kid (11/10) surged to victory in the concluding A2/A3 525, with more than four lengths to spare over She Did It in 28.91, making it five wins in wins races.

Meanwhile, the winners from last Friday night’s meeting are listed below.

Race 1, S7/S8 325: Curlew Bubble (7/2), 17.91

Race 2, A5/A6 525, Fridays Acclaim (7/2), 29.65

Race 3, S5/S6 325: Journalist (3/1), 18.01

Race 4, A3/A4 525: Clonkeen Syd (evens). 28.96

Race 5, S3 325: Kyleview Blake (5/4), 17.77

Race 6, A5 525: Unreliable (4/1), 29.35

Race 7, S4/S5 325: Fire Magic, (3/1), 17.80

Race 8, A3/A4 550: Kooga King (4/1), 30.63