Ireland Mc Graths Win Third Master Mc Grath Challenge

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Paul Pringle wrote this little PR piece which I thought readers might find interesting.

 

McGraths are the ‘Masters’ at Lurcher Racing’s Blue Ribband Event

 

To win the blue ribband event of the lurcher world once is a stunning achievement, but to win it three times is the stuff of dreams.

But Carlow’s McGrath family showed that dreams really do come true, when they pulled off this top racing coup at the Irish Game Fair at Shanes Castle on 25th June 2016.

 

And just for good measure Nicky Smith from Carlow took a surging second to make it a clean sweep for the county.

 

The McGrath family from Carlow took 13 carloads of family members to the Irish Game Fair at Shanes Castle, Antrim, to try to win the UK and Ireland’s top race for lurchers — the Red Mills Master McGrath Challenge.

 

This race was for the creme of lurcher racing’s ultimate top dogs, with over 50 qualifying events held all over Ireland and the UK.

 

Recognised as the pinnacle of success for any lurcher owner, the race is a little bit extra special, as it was named in honour of the legendary Irish greyhound Master McGrath, the dog which won the UK’s top coursing event the Waterloo Cup three times and made his owner Lord Brownlow from Lurgan in Co Armagh a very wealthy man.

 

The Master McGrath lurcher challenge has been run five times and now the McGrath family have won it three times and all with different dogs. And interestingly there has even been a County Armagh connection involved!

 

In 2013, the McGrath’s won with their dog Joey in a photo-finish with Shogun, a dog owned and bred by Fiona Devlin from County Armagh. In 2015, the McGraths won again with their bitch Kelly (a sister to Shogun) and this year Shogun owned by Michael McGrath took the honours.

 

The family celebration was two fold as during the year Michael thought he was going to lose the use of an arm but his interest and dedication in getting Shogun ready for this big race helped him confound the medical staff and both he and Shogun were fully fit to take the big award.

 

Shogun, like Kelly, is bred by Fiona’s dog Maverick who himself is a legend amongst Irish lurchers for both his racing and show performances including being Five Nations Lurcher Champion two years in a row.

 

Maverick’s dam was a winning track greyhound, a daughter of the great Larkhill Jo. His father was a collie, greyhound / whippet cross owned by Conor Thomas of Armagh. He was a son of Turbo, who won the All Ireland Racing Championships at the Irish Game Fair at Shanes Castle.

 

The Red Mills Master McGrath Challenge was the blue riband event of the 29^th Annual All Ireland Terrier, Whippet and Lurcher Championships at the Irish Game Fair.

 

Photo of the very sporting Mc Grath family by Deirdre Mc Coy