Ahead of the BoyleSports Irish Greyhound Derby Final at the weekend, we’ve looked at our previous favourite winners of Ireland’s Premiere Greyhound Event.
Here are five favourite winners….
(1) 2009 - College Causeway
Here Comes The Causeway
This arguably the most iconic line to ever be uttered in Shelbourne Park when College Causeway the son of Go Wild Teddy and College Tina won the €175,000 winners-prize and the title of 2009 Irish Greyhound Derby Champion
Trained by Pat Buckley, owned by Mike & Vincent McKenna and bred by Frank Culloty is one of the popular winners of the event but how did it win the competition?
College Causeway made the 2008 Irish Greyhound Derby Semi-Final but was knocked out after coming in fourth place. In 2009 though he came back with a vengeance in the First Round setting a new track record of 29.21 and being subsequently cut from 16-1 to 8-1 to win the competition.
The Causeway did not look back from there winning every round of the competition before that iconic final performance. Despite trap two Oran Classic led in the final and had a decent lead by halfway with Cashen Legend best positioned to make a challenge. The Causeway had other ideas, despite being last at the second bend he powered through the field to pass Oran Classic on the run-in to complete an unbeaten campaign.
(2) 2012 – Skywalker Puma
Another iconic former winner of the Irish Greyhound Derby who won every round of the competition bar two (second in the First Round and second in the Third) before coming from off-the-pace to win the competition in 2012.
The son of Royal Impact and Dianas Puma was trained by Frances O’Donnell, owned by Ray Patterson and was bred by Paddy Purtill (Lisselton) but how did he win the competition?
Skywalker Puma quietly went about his business in 2012 to win the competition having not gone off favourite until the Semi-Final where he was joint-favourite at 5/2 and the final where he was 2/1 favourite.
Puma came alive in the Semi-Final where he displayed breathtaking track craft to overtake early leader Razldazl Bugatti and pull 6.5 lengths clear of the field in 29.45.In the final Puma powered from off-the-pace to finish ahead of leader Cuil Cougar to win by a cinematic head in a thriller!
It could’ve been even more for this Greyhound though when he broke his hock in the second round of the competition in 2013 when leading and posed for another victory. The greyhound even made a remarkable comeback in the First Round in 2014, but the spark was gone, and he finished lame after a long lay-off through injury. That heat though was won by a certain Laughil Blake more on him next...
(3) 2014- Laughil Blake
The signs were there early in the 2014 Irish Greyhound Derby that Laughil Blake was a potential winner when he won the First Round in 29.43 clocking a sectional and beating a field by 6.5 lengths in a field which included former winner Skywalker Puma to stamp his mark on the competition early.
The son of Brett Lee and Laughil Lass was trained by Michael O’Donovan, owned by Mary and Paul Jennings and was bred by Larry Dunne (Louth) but how did he win the competition?
As mentioned above he started the competition in red-hot form beating a field which included Skywalker Puma. He came second in the Second Round being beaten a head by Paradise Maverick but remained unbeaten for the remainder of the competition becoming the market leader alongside Maverick in the third round when both clocked 29.43
Laughil Blake comfortably won the first semi-final by 3.5 lengths ahead of Emers Superstar and Tyrur Sugar Ray who also qualified. Blake won the final by 2 lengths despite trapping behind Borneo, Ballymac Vic and Tyrur Sugar Ray but he had enough early pace to soon take the lead and land the biggest prize in Greyhound Racing.
(4) 2017 – Good News
The 2017 Irish Greyhound Derby winner was won by the sensationally early-paced son of Definate and Pippy and remarkably trained by a non-professional trainer in many senses but by school teacher Patrick Guilfoyle owned by Sandra Guilfoyle and Mary Kennedy and trained by John Kennedy in Thurles.
Upon winning the competition Patrick was quoted as saying “They say dreams don’t come true but tonight ours has.” But how did he win the competition? Good News commenced his Derby campaign coming second in the First Round ten lengths back of sensational Sonic who clocked 29.12. It won its Second Round by eight lengths in 29.45, coming second to Droopys Cabaye in the Third Round but would win every remaining round of the competition afterwards including surprisingly beating Clares Rocket in the Quarter-Final by a nk!
A consistent Good News won the second semi-final defeating Sonic and Jaytee Jet in 29.49 before winning the final in style by being fast out and leading throughout, it’s hard to beat early pace and Good News had plenty.
(5) 2021 – Susie Sapphire
The sensational, scintillating, special Susie Sapphire, there are not enough superlatives to describe this bitch and probably this author's favourite greyhound to watch of all-time. The daughter of Droopys Jet and Jetstream Lynx trained by Owen McKenna and owned and bred by Peter Comerford was described as “The Jewel/Darling of Irish Greyhound Racing.”
The beauty of her story becomes even greater with the backstory behind her despite losing three of her first four starts that would not stop her from reaching the pinnacle of the sport! She won the Puppy Oaks and the Irish Oaks which was later titled “The Arrival of Susie Sapphire” before heading for the Derby in 2021.
Susie did not put a foot wrong in the Derby, consistently trapping throughout winning every round of the competition to become the second youngest winner in the competition’s history and the first female winner of the 21stcentury. Her retirement was announced on the 29th of June 2022 finishing up with 16 Wins, 3 Seconds and 5 Thirds from 28 Races, unbeaten from Trap One and leaving a legacy like no-other bitch behind her and an impressive load of accolades.
BoyleSports Irish Greyhound Derby Odds
*Prices are subject to fluctuation.
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