Greyhound Derby preview: Third round tips and analysis

It’s battle stations on Saturday night as the Star Sports and TRC English Greyhound Derby reaches its third round and we’ll see all of the participants in action.

I’ve probably been one of the more vociferous critics of Towcester in recent years but I have to admit that the Northamptonshire track have pulled their socks up. As a result, we’ve had largely clean run races and the peripheral optics have been right – the handlers dressed smartly in their branded parade coats and the starter addressing the dogs with a hearty wave of a crisp clean flag.

The British haven’t quite waved the white flag but the Irish appear to hold overall supremacy with odds of just 1/5 are available about their success – such is the depth of the raiding party.

Followers of the column are still in the hunt with our ante-post wagers (though Ower Cracker has to go down as an unlucky elimination) and headline bet, Clonrien Treaty, will be seen in the first heat (18:35) of the evening.

He will face off against Irish Derby winner, The Other Kobe and while that kennelmate has been flawless on his return from stud duties, I can’t help but think the pair should be closer in the market than is the case.

Bruiser can make presence felt

Unreal Bruiser is still 100/1 in places to win the Derby and he’s the sort of dog that can continue to qualify. Landing some tidy bets in the opening round, he kept on stoically to secure his place in the drum on Saturday. He is drawn in heat eight (20:40) against his kennelmate Burj Khalifa though has managed to avoid the big guns.

Loyalties aside, the bookmakers are split between King Memphis and De Lahdedah as their outright favourite, and in terms of racing styles, the pair couldn’t be more different.

King Memphis is an outright rasper from the boxes that likes to snuff out his rivals at an early juncture while Liam Dowling’s dog is more forensic in picking his way through the pack. The former appears in heat seven (20:22) – a contest that left draw watchers with their jaws on the floor as the magnitude of the assignment began to emerge.

A draw of one hasn’t been ideal at Towcester for Liz McNair’s runner in the past, but it hasn’t been the death box that it has of recent Derbys. What will be more hazardous is the presence of last year’s finalist, Swords Rex, to his immediate outer and the ebullient Newinn Syd just a couple of centimetres further to the right. Throw into the mix a resurgent Ballinabola Ed and we have a race that would easily outweigh many finals that could have been permed from the entire entry.

De Lahdedah may have seen a promising 2023 reach a disappointing whimper but Liam Dowling’s ace has rediscovered his mojo in no uncertain terms and we’ll see him the preceding contest (20:05).

Qualification will be no laydown with reigning champion Gaytime Nemo in the white jacket and acknowledged track specialist and Irish Oaks winner, Crafty Shivoo, in opposition. Mark Wallis’ team are in rollicking form at present and their star bitch realised the fastest clock of round two off of a breakneck 3.98 sectional.

It’s often said that bitches don’t win the Derby and there are just six members of the fairer sex left. The layers now a general 5/4 about her lasting longest in the competition.

Punters pile into Bob

There was plenty of 50/1 in the village before Boylesports Bob got his campaign underway, and he’s been very much one that the ante-post backers have latched onto into recent days.

Paul Hennessy’s charge is likely to be odds-on for the second heat of the evening (18:51) having finished like the proverbial thunderbolt seven nights ago. Fourth in the Easter Cup at Shelbourne, he’s lightly raced for age and his trainer knows just how to win this pot.

Hennessy will also fancy his Jaytee Etienne to go well in heat four (19:29) and the Maiden Derby winner will attempt to reverse form with fellow raider, Superfast Gorden.

Pat Buckley’s lad had come on a bundle for that spin in the first round though the form book students will point out that Etienne has never been out of the frame at Towcester in five starts and the pair are now drawn the opposite way around.

Churchfield Syd struggles to see out the trip around here but Richard Rees’ runner is a proper firecracker when popping out on terms. His heat (19:10) doesn’t appeal to me as a betting medium yet odds of 6/1 to realise the fastest sectional of the round are fair for a speculative interest.

This year’s Derby will be streamed live by the majority of bookmakers and in the betting offices by SIS. Coverage is also available on Pay-Per-View with BetGoodwin TV (Sky Channel 186)

Preview posted 0945 BST on 4/6/2024

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