2024 BoyleSports Irish Greyhound Derby Final Tips, Predictions & Preview

In this post, you can find our 2024 BoyleSports Irish Greyhound Derby Final tips and predictions as we preview the big race at Shelbourne Park this Saturday.

2024 BoyleSports Irish Greyhound Derby Final Preview

Trap (1) Callaway Knegare – 10/1

Odds

Callaway Knegare is the outsider of the final at odds of 10/1, those odds imply the dog has a 9.1% chance of winning the BoyleSports Irish Greyhound Derby.

Pedigree

Sire: Droopys Sydney

Dam: Droopys Sweet

Career Record

Form

The November 2022 Black and White dog Callaway Knegare is trained by two-time Irish Greyhound Derby Derby-winning trainer Owen McKenna who won with Like A Shot in 2004 and with Susie Sapphire in 2021. Owen comes from a family steeped in Greyhound Racing with his first cousin once removed Gay McKenna a four-time winner and his father Ger a three-time winner.

Callaway is yet to win a single heat in the competition coming 3rd, 2nd, 3rd, 2nd and 2nd in the first four rounds and interestingly enough he has progressed in the clocks every round going from 29.87 to 29.73, 29.54, 29.50 and in the Semi-Final he clocked 29.32.

Verdict

While not the quickest on the clocks he has progressed through each round of the competition progressively and with his strong running style will certainly put himself in qualifying contention on Saturday Night.

He may have an each-way chance of coming second but I think a lot would need to go his way to win at the weekend.

Trap (2) Singalong Dolly - 25/1

Odds

Singalong Dolly can be gotten at 25/1 to land the BoyleSports Irish Greyhound Derby; she has a 3.8% chance of success in the race.

Pedigree

Sire: Droopys Sydney

Dam: Mydras Dawn

Career Record

Form

The November 2021 Black Bitch Singalong Dolly is trained by 2009-winning trainer Pat Buckley who won the race with the famous College Causeway who is widely considered as one of the greatest greyhounds of all time on the track.

She announced her strong Derby credentials in the first round winning her heat in 29.19 at a big price of 14/1 for punters. Since then she has failed to land another heat but due to her strong running has qualified 2nd in 29.63, 3rd in 29.63, 3rd in 29.39 and last weekend finishing 2nd in 29.41

Verdict

Singalong Dolly is no slouch, a 2023 Puppy Oaks Winner, the Cesarewitch Winner and a 600 Yard Track Record Holder

But at odds of 25/1, those are very reflective of her chances and a career-best effort will be needed to go even closer to figuring and becoming the longest price winner of the race of all time.

Trap (3) Cheap Sandwiches – 11/2

Odds

Cheap Sandwiches is an 11/2 shot for Saturday’s Final which implies the dog has a 15.4% chance of passing the winning line.

Pedigree

Sire: Burgess Bucks

Dam: Hearthill Josie

Career Record

Form

The Black September 2022 tracker Cheap Sandwiches is the first of two runners for Graham Holland who will be bidding to land his third Irish Greyhound Derby victory following Rural Hawaii in 2016, Lenson Bocko in 2019 and Newinn Taylor in 2020.

This dog can do it both ways as he can start and stay, in the opening round he overcame a troublesome race to qualify in second place behind Benalmadena Puma in 30.27. He got loose in the next two rounds though winning in 29.20 and 29.18 before finishing 2nd in the Quarter-Final clocking 29.34 behind A Lucky Julie. Last weekend he posted his fastest clock of the competition from a 3.36 sectional to land the spoils in an overall time of 29.13.

Verdict

Cheap Sandwiches was drawn in Trap 3 for the first time in the Irish Derby last weekend and it prompted his quickest sectional and run to date. If he replicates his Semi-Final form and gets a bit of luck he will be exceptional value at odds of 11/2.

Trap (4) A Lucky Julie - 25/1

Odds

A Lucky Julie is 25/1 to win the Irish Derby this implies the dog has a. 3.8% chance of success in this classic final.

Pedigree

Sire: Ballymac Bolger

Dam: Julie’s Paradise

Career Record

Form

A Lucky Julie, the November 2021 Black Bitch will be the only dog in Saturday’s Final with the chance of landing her trainer Jerry Melia his first Irish Greyhound Derby Final success on Saturday.

Arguably flying under the radar, but not to be underestimated another strong running greyhound who always puts herself in contention for qualification. Her clocks so far in the competition are 2nd in 29.51, 1st in 29.54, 3rd in 29.89, 1st in 29.31 and 3rd last weekend in 29.34.

Verdict

If there’s trouble on Saturday Night she could fly from in-behind but I think this race will be a little beyond the 2024 Irish Oaks Champion.

Trap (5) BoyleSports Bob - 14/1

Odds

BoyleSports Bob is 14/1 to land the spoils on Saturday, this implies the dog has a 6.7% chance of success in the race.

Pedigree

Sire: Good News

Dam: Roanna Bess

Career Record

Form

The October 2021 Black Dog is trained by Paul Hennessy who won this competition in 2007 with Tyrur Rhino. He will now be hoping he can repeat the same feat with BoyleSports Bob on Saturday Night.

BoyleSports Bob is the ultimate competition dog and this year has already finished 4th in the Easter Cup Final and was 2nd at Towcester in the English Greyhound Derby earlier this year. He opened this Derby campaign by winning in his first round in 29.25, what followed was a 3rd in 29.68, 2nd in 29.23, 2nd in 29.18 and a 3rd last weekend in 29.51.

Verdict

BoyleSports Bob is a dog with great ability and at odds of 14/1 he has serious each-way claims, if he found a few lengths at the beginning of his race he would be a far shorter price. A replication of his 29.18 or even a little quicker will see him thereabouts.

Trap (6) Bockos Diamond - 3/10

Odds

Bockos Diamond can be backed as a 3/10 favourite suggesting a 76.9% chance of Irish Derby success.

Pedigree

Sire: Dorotas Wildcat

Dam: Seaglass Shadow

Career Record

Form

Another Graham Holland-trained dog and the one who is the overwhelming favourite to win the BoyleSports Irish Greyhound Derby Final on Saturday Night is the September 2022 Black Dog Bockos Diamond who has already won the 2024 Champion Unraced in Kilkenny this year and smashed the 550 Track Record at Shelbourne Park clocking 28.94

Bockos Diamond has been the star of the competition so far winning every round in scintillating fashion winning his rounds in 29.23, 29.03, 28.94, 29.19 and last weekend in the Semi-Final replicating his earlier Track Record with another 28.94. This dog has already established himself as arguably the fastest dog ever seen on the racing scene and it’s scary to think he is at just the beginning of his career!

Verdict

This dog could potentially become the shortest-price final winner on Saturday Night rivalling the great Spanish Battleship who won the second of his three successive derbies in 1954 at odds of 4/11,

Buckos Diamond is a dog with a ferocious pace unlike I’ve ever seen and if he shows even a fraction of his ability on Saturday Night he should be far too good for his World Class opposition.

*Prices are subject to fluctuation.

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