The Star Sports & TRC English Greyhound Derby is set for Saturday Night where six greyhounds will compete for the £175,000 prize at Towcester.
Ahead of the semi-finals, there was a symmetrical balance to the field with a 6:6 split between British and Irish-trained dogs spread perfectly 3:3 across both semi-finals.
However, the Irish dominated the semi-finals and now the final on Saturday will host 5 Irish trained dogs and one British-trained dog (Droopys Plunge),
Saturday’s Final is not short on star power, 2024 English Derby Champion De Lahdedah will be looking to land his second successive title, BoyleSports Irish Greyhound Derby Champion and pre-competition favourite Bockos Diamond will looking to add the English Crown to his accolades and there’s plenty more pace in the chasing pack with Cheap Sandwiches already showing he can beat Bockos earlier in the competition.
English Greyhound Derby Outright Odds
Dog | Odds | Chance |
|---|---|---|
Bockos Diamond | EVS | 50% |
De Lahdedah | 4/1 | 20 % |
Cheap Sandwiches | 5/1 | 16.7% |
Sole Mio | 5/1 | 16.7% |
Bombay Pat | 14/1 | 6.7% |
Droopys Plunge | 16/1 | 5.9% |
How To Watch English Greyhound Derby Final
When is the English Greyhound Derby Final
The final is pencilled in for Saturday 14th of June, and the final is set for approximately 9:15 pm.
Where Can I Watch
Streamed Live on YouTube FREE on Gone to the Dogs
Where is the English Greyhound Derby Final
Towcester
What Is The Trap Draw?
The six finalists have been assigned the following traps for the English Greyhound Derby final.
(1) Droopys Plunge (2) Sole Mio (3) De Lahdedah (4) Bombay Pat (5) Cheap Sandwiches (6) Bockos Diamond
English Greyhound Derby Plate Final Preview
Trap (1) Droopys Plunge (Patrick Janssens, UK)
The November 2022 son of Droopys Sydney and Droopys Sweet exploded onto the scene running at Curraheen Park in Cork Ireland when he won the 2024 Denis Linehan Solicitors Open Unraced Stake 525y Cork for Johan A Linehan.
He’s since changed kennel and has been a consistent campaigner across the UK Open Racing circuit but primarily at Towcester where he’s been a regular scorer over the 547-yard Derby Distance, it was no surprise to see him among the pre-competition entries for the event.
His entry has been more than vindicated with this run to the English Derby Final, the sole UK entry left in competition following a near whitewash in the semi-finals at the hands of the Irish-based dogs.
Droopys Plunge most impressive clock was his opening round 28.64, but his strong running in from behind has kept him in the competition not winning a single round since but he has still clocked 28.95, 29.02, 28.88 and 28.97.
His strong running style will put him in contention for the money places especially if there’s trouble, but I don’t think he has the pace to win this final.
Droopys Plunge to win - 16/1
Trap (2) Sole Mio (Peter Cronin, Ireland)
The youngest dog in the final, Sole Mio only turned 2 years of age this month and is the son of Coolavanny Hoffa and Palermo. He only debuted on the scene at Tralee in February of this year where he showed tremendous potential to win in 28.28.
Following a fourth place in the second round of the Juvenile Classic, he returned to Limerick for the Con and Annie Kirby Memorial the following month where his early pace meant he continued to qualify and reach the final where he finished runner-up coming 4 and a ½ lengths behind winner Faypoint Ranger.
Despite his inexperience, he took the English Derby by storm going unbeaten in the first three rounds of the competition improving on each occasion clocking 29.02, 28.91 and 28.54 the latter of the three saw him established as one of the market leaders.
At the quarter-final stage, he had his first defeat of the competition coming third 2 and a ¼ lengths back of winner Cheap Sandwiches but still clocked 28.86. Last week he led until the run-in before being picked off by De Lahdedah after equalling his best sectional of the event (3.95) he was only beaten ½ a length in 28.62.
Sole Mio’s early pace will cause the rest huge problems, and I wouldn’t rule out classic success to come in his career, but I don’t think it will be on this occasion.
Sole Mio to win - 5/1
*Odds are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
Trap (3) De Lahdedah (Liam Dowling, Ireland)
The October 2021 son of Lenson Bocko and Ballymac Sarahjo has been a regular scorer on the racing scene since debuting at the Juvenile Classic in Tralee back in February 2023. He was always seen as a dog with great ability including in the following September of that year clocking 27.78 for the 525 in Shelbourne Park.
He finally delivered on his promise last year in this competition when he was crowned the 2024 English Greyhound Derby Champion last summer, breaking the Track Record (at the time) in a 28.58 victory.
While some pre-competition may have thought that with him being another year older along with having a heavy campaign on the track from Ireland to the UK this year may have been a more difficult task. However, he’s hardly missed a step winning 4/5 of the rounds to reach this final clocking 28.50, 28.72, 28.73, 28.81 and 28.62 last week.
De Lahdedah goes into the final looks like he will head into the final as the closest price challenger to pre-competition favourite Bockos Diamond and he certainly can’t be ruled out of another success. However, I think the journey to this point will have taken a toll on his legs and it should be noted that before last week his clocks were getting marginally slower each round.
De Lahdedah to win - 4/1
*Odds are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
Trap (4) Bombay Pat (Graham Holland, Ireland)
The September 2022 son of Pestana and Clear Mountain, Bombay Pat took a while to showcase his exceptional pace, failing to start at Kilkenny in May 2024 before finishing 4th in a sprint at Cork in July 2024. However, on his third start, he finally showed the public what he was all about winning an A3 race at Cork stopping the clock in showstopping 27.96.
However, since that success in Cork he’s become a far more consistent dog on the Open Racing Scene and ahead of the English Greyhound Derby Final he has a career record of 12 wins, 4 runner-up finishes and 1 third place from just 20 races and has never placed lower than fourth.
In the first round he won in 28.81 and he followed that up the next week with another win in one of the fastest clocks of the competition so far winning in 28.53. Though he hasn’t replicated that since in-behind he’s still clocked 28.86, 28.87 and 28.94 in the most recent rounds.
Though not one of the market leaders, his clock consistency and potential for breathtaking times means I think at odds of 14/1 he could be the best each-way play in the market on Saturday.
Bombay Pat to win - 14/1
*Odds are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
Trap (5) Cheap Sandwiches (Graham Holland, Ireland)
The September 2022 son of Burgess Bucks and Hearthill Josie as of yet has failed to land the major classic that his breathtaking pace deserves coming closest of his 28 races in the BoyleSports Irish Greyhound Derby last year when he finished runner-up behind Bockos Diamond.
This might be his best chance yet of landing that elusive classic, he’s been sensational throughout the competition going unbeaten in his opening two rounds posting 28.71 and 28.65 before narrowly beating beaten by his rival and kennel-mate Bockos Diamond in the third round though he was only beaten in the end by a short head in 28.75.
In the quarter-final, he was kept away from Bockos Diamond and won in 28.67 coming 1 and a ¼ lengths ahead of Droopys Bookem. However, he was drawn again against Diamond last weekend in the semi-final this time being beaten 1 and ¾ lengths in 28.51.
This dog has the pace to beat Buckos Diamond if things go his way on Saturday Night and if he does he will likely be crowned English Derby Champion, but I still think he won’t be able to get away enough to win.
Cheap Sandwiches to win - 5/1
*Odds are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
Trap (6) Bockos Diamond (Graham Holland, Ireland)
What can be said that hasn’t been about the September 2022 son of Dorotas Wildcat and Seaglass Shadow? Went unbeaten to win the BoyleSports Irish Greyhound Derby last year and is borderline almost to beat with 20 wins from 23 races.
Bockos won the opening rounds 29.03, 28.51 and 28.74 before being finding a tough quarter-final where he finished a short head behind runner-up Droopys Plunge who himself finished a short head behind Slick Sentinel, being caught near the line his heavy legs still managing 28.89.
If the quarter-final gave ante-post backers a scare about the travel and weekly racing catching up on his legs, he made a mockery of those claims last week winning the semi-final in 28.51 ahead of Cheap Sandwiches and equalling his best time of the competition so far.
He’s been the favourite throughout the competition and with good reason, the dog who beats him will win the competition.
Bockos Diamond to win - EVS
*Odds are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
Best Bet: Bockos Diamond – EVS
It’s hard to look past the reigning Irish Greyhound Derby Champion, he’s arguably the fastest dog we’ve ever seen on the track and if he replicates anything close to his 3.95 away from last week (his second-best of the competition) he will be passing the winning line again.
6-4-1
Bockos Diamond to win - EVS
*Odds are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
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