TEDDY READY TO FIRE IN NEWBRIDGE DERBY DECIDER

Ian Fortune

Clonfert Teddy arrives into tonight’s €3,500 final of the Friends of Newbridge Derby in tremendous form and from an ideal draw on the fence will be very difficult to stop should he put his best foot forward.

John Young’s son of Grangeview Ten and Stellas Fruity posted a fastest of the competition 29.90 in the semis, powering clear from the second turn to win by an ever-widening seven and a half lengths.

The other semi-final went the way of Maireads Prince. An Easter Cup finalist in the past, he I also very well housed in the stripes and is greatly respected. He may be a near veteran with his fourth birthday less than a month away but he remains a talented tracker for Barry Clancy. If he were to get first run on the outside of the track, he would be a difficult nut to crack.

Breffni Paddy has also been running well but needs to be at his sharpest from a tricky draw in four. Turning close to the pace is his first major concern. If failing to do so, he may find himself with too much to do.

Dwell Smock is draw in three and will need to dictate the pace into and around the bend if he is to cause a small upset. Parkrun knows how to win races but he must step up on recent efforts to worry the likes of Clonfert Teddy and Maireads Prince.

That leaves Kerlogue Jet. He ran a big race behind Maireads Prince last week but I another that needs to do things right early to land a telling blow. Quite simply, Clonfert Teddy is the one to beat. If trapping on terms, he can race prominently into the bend before again asserting own the back straight. Maireads Prince can emerge as his main rival.

FLYER CAN LAND ON2 DECIDER

Elsewhere on the Newbridge card, Shebeen Flyer can get the better of Smarters Group to land the May Unraced ON2.

Both won their semi-finals in good style but Shebeen Flyer went almost three lengths faster. From a trap one draw again, the Mark Robinson trained son of Dromana Bucko can emerge on top.