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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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“Anything can happen and anything will happen,” the bookie informed a punter as he accepted a bet for the first course of the 97th National Coursing Meeting.
A bumper crowd was bristling with anticipation for the start of the annual coursing festival at Powerstown Park, Clonmel on Sunday morning.
The opening course had to be put back for half an hour to allow the frost to clear and it also enabled the huge crowd time to find their place in the stands and get settled before the action began.
Powerstown Park, with Slievenamon the spectacular backdrop, looked majestic for the occasion.
One of the biggest opening day crowds for years was packed into the stands and there was an air of excitement building as the dogs doing battle for the Oaks were being lined up by their handlers to get the show on the road.
HORSE AND JOCKEY Hotel OAKS
Ballymac Wonder won the first course in the Oaks to get the 97th National Coursing Meeting started in perfect conditions for coursing.
It was a great start to the proceedings for Ballymacelligott handler Liam Dowling.
He had a huge interest in both classics and he arrived in Clonmel for the big meeting of the year with a total of eight qualifiers.
It was a great day for the Ballymac team. The Ballymac dogs lay down a marker with impressive showings recorded, while there was an opening day setback for the locals when Clerihan Jangles was beaten in the Oaks in one of the early courses.
BOYLESPORTS DERBY
In between the Oaks and the Derby, Clonmel man, Damien Lonergan, availed of the opportunity to take a well-earned break.
“It is going very well, as well as could be expected. You would have to be very happy with how it’s going and it is only going to get better on Monday because of the Bank Holiday and on Tuesday for the finals,” he said.
Damien works for Boyle Sports and returns to Clonmel every year to do coursing commentary for the ICC on the biggest day of the year for coursing enthusiasts.
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