Causeway blows track record apart.

Byline: Jonathan Kay

COLLEGE CAUSEWAY shattered Bypass Byway's seven-year-old 550 yards track record as the Paddy Power Irish Derby got off to a sensational start at Shelbourne Park in Dublin, writes Jonathan Kay.

Pat Buckley's dog had not raced since suffering a surprise reverse in the final of the Ladbrokes 600 in May, but there was absolutely no ring-rustiness as he made an uncharacteristically fast start to quickly lead in heat seven and, having cut across to the inside at the first bend, proceeded to toy with his rivals.

Pulling further and further away, he scored by eight lengths from Challengingtimes in a scarcely believable 29.21sec, an improvement of 21 spots on the previous record set in the final seven years ago.

Buckley had initiated a double when his unexposed Cabra Minstral took heat five in 29.74sec, and there was also a double for trainer John McGee, whose 15.5-1 brace came courtesy of Frisky Fantasy and Oran Classic, who lowered the colours of defending champion Shelbourne Aston in heat four.

Only moderately away, Oran Classic showed fine pace to lead at the first bend and was always in control afterwards, coming home three and a half lengths to the good of Ballymac Bondi in 29.78sec with Shelbourne Aston surviving in third despite a troubled run following a slow start.

The Classic had opened with victory for Frisky Fantasy, with the October 2006 dog outstaying early leader Deanridge Ber, drawing clear on the run-in for a five-and-a-half-length victory in 29.83sec.

St Louis Spirit justified strong market support in the final heat with a fine all-round display. Trapping level with Blue Square Derby winner Kinda Ready, he showed the better early pace to take control and pulled away to beat Ardera Power in a fine 29.52sec with Kinda Ready disappointing in third.

Boylesports Champion Stakes winner Fatboyz Nodrog was soon in charge in the second heat, though he had to dig deep late on to hold off last year's short-head runner-up Slip The Lark by threeparts of a length in 29.78sec.

Fraser Black's Scottish Derby finalist Must Be Keano got first run on slow-starting Wise Thought to beat the odds-on British raider by three-quarters of a length in 29.83sec in heat three, while a scrappy sixth went to reserve Forest Ruler in 30.09sec. THERE was better fortune for Kinda Ready's trainer Mark Wallis in the semi-finals of the John Smith's Peterborough Derby when that dog's litter-brother Kinda Handy took the second in 25.50sec, comfortably beating slow-starting favourite Glenroe Ginger. The opener went to Julie Calvert's Salisman in a best-of-night 25.37sec.

Draw for Saturday's pounds 10,000 final 1 Farley Legend, 2 Kinda Handy, 3 Kengyelfuto Snow, 4 Salisman, 5 Spruce Storm (m), 6 Glenroe Ginger (m).