EXCITING TIMES AT KILKENNY AS WE LOOK AHEAD TO CHAMPION UNRACED

    EXCITING TIMES AT KILKENNY AS WE LOOK AHEAD TO CHAMPION UNRACED

    Ian Fortune

    In a week when two of the graduates of the 2024 Champion Open Unraced were named as award winners at the National Greyhound Racing Awards at Shelbourne Park on Sunday, it seems fitting to look forward to this year’s renewal.

    Those with a potential runner are reminded that the 2025 Kilkenny Track Champion Open Unraced gets underway on Friday, May 2nd. Now firmly established as the most lucrative unraced competition in the country, this year’s events is once again for 48 runners and boasts a fantastic €15,000 winner’s purse.

    Last year’s champion Bockos Diamond went on to become one of the greatest Derby winners of all time and he actually changed hands after the opening round of the Kilkenny event. The runner-up in last year’s stake was Broadstrand Syd, who also went on to be a star. He was named the Sprinter of the Year on Sunday after his stunning Irish Sprint Cup success at Dundalk.

    With that calibre of greyhound emerging from Kilkenny, it will be no surprise to see potential buyers flocking to the St James Park venue for this year’s competition.  

    THIS WEEKEND’S ACTION

    Racing this Friday, March 14th, features the semi-finals of both the Deadly Kennels McCalmont Cup and Ted Browne Memorial A3 525.

    The opening race is set for the earlier time of 6.35pm with weigh-in between 5.30 and 6pm. Official trials are at 4.30pm and must be pre booked. There will be no trials on St Patricks Day, Monday, March 17th.