Twelve greyhounds remain in contention for the £125,000 prize at Towcester on Saturday 30th May. Ireland hold the numerical advantage with eight of the 12 remaining runners, and Epic Ace goes into the night as the sole unbeaten runner in the competition.
The draw has thrown up a white-hot opening semi-final that would be worthy of the final itself, with three of Liam Dowling 's four qualifiers crammed in alongside the unbeaten favourite.
The reigning champion is Droopys Plunge , trained by Patrick Janssens . The last English-trained winner also came courtesy of Janssens , when Thorn Falcon took the prize in 2021.
EGD Schedule
Remaining Schedule: Towcester, 500m
Round | Date |
|---|---|
Semi Finals | Saturday 30 May |
Final | Saturday 6 June |
Outright Odds
2026 English Greyhound Derby Outright Odds
Dog | Outright Odds | Chance |
|---|---|---|
Epic Ace | 3/1 | 25% |
Scooby The Lady | 5/1 | 16.7% |
Ballymac Duffle | 5/1 | 16.7% |
Ballymac Deniro | 6/1 | 14.3% |
Ballymac Ralf | 7/1 | 12.5% |
Proper Heiress | 7/1 | 12.5% |
Said It Skye | 10/1 | 9.1% |
Hackney Corner | 12/1 | 7.7% |
Lennies Eddie | 14/1 | 6.7% |
Ballymac Iroko | 33/1 | 2.9% |
Lennie Tank | 33/1 | 2.9% |
Sole Focus | 100/1 | 1% |
English Greyhound Derby Semi-Finals
Heat 1
Semi Final 1
Trap | Dog | Outright Odds | Chance |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Lennies Eddie | 14/1 | 6.7% |
2 | Strike It Skye | 10/1 | 9.1% |
3 | Epic Ace | 3/1 | 25% |
4 | Ballymac Duffle | 5/1 | 16.7% |
5 | Ballymac Deniro | 6/1 | 14.3% |
6 | Ballymac Iroko | 33/1 | 2.9% |
The race of the night. Three of Liam Dowling 's four qualifiers are drawn in traps four, five and six, meaning the kennel could help and hinder each other in equal measure. Meanwhile, the sole unbeaten runner sits in trap three.
Epic Ace (Trap 3) , the 3/1 outright favourite, trained by John Kennedy in Ireland , is the outright favourite and the only dog to have won every round. He broke the track record in round three with 28.14sec and won the opening quarter-final in 28.40sec with authority. The white vest from trap three is ideal, and if he breaks consistently, as he has in his last three outings, there is very little here that can live with him.
Ballymac Deniro (Trap 5) , available at 5/1 in the outright market, trained by Liam Dowling , is the second favourite and arguably the most improved dog in the competition. He won his quarter-final in a stunning 28.21sec, the fastest time of the night, and looks to be peaking at exactly the right time. He must secure his running room early from trap five before the bend.
Strike It Skye (Trap 2) , an 10/1 outright shot, trained by Mark Wallis , is the sole British representative in this heat. She won her quarter-final in 28.50sec and has won twelve of her last fourteen starts, powering home from halfway on each occasion. Trap two gives her a clear run to the bend and if she avoids early trouble her strong finishing style will see her right in contention.
Ballymac Duffle (Trap 4) , also 5/1 in the outright market, trained by Liam Dowling , broke the track record twice in the opening two rounds but has struggled for early pace in recent outings, scrambling through the quarter-finals in third after trouble on the bend. He remains a dog of enormous ability but cannot afford to concede another lead to Epic Ace if he is to reach the final.
Elsewhere, Lennies Eddie (Trap 1) , a 14/1 outright chance,, trained by Paul Hennessy , is a relentless front-running galloper with three wins and three seconds from six runs at Towcester this year, while Ballymac Iroko (Trap 6) , a 25/1 outsider in the outright, also from the Dowling kennel, is a strong staying type who will not be prominent early but will be finishing powerfully in the latter stages and could pick up the pieces if the principals get into difficulty.
Verdict: Epic Ace is the clear selection and the 3/1 outright is a fair reflection of his dominance in this competition. Ballymac Deniro at 4/1 outright to qualify each-way is the value bet for those who believe the rapidly improving Dowling runner can continue his upward curve at the right time.
Heat 2
Semi Final 2
Trap | Dog | Outright Odds | Chance |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sole Focus | 100/1 | 1% |
2 | Proper Heiress | 7/1 | 12.5% |
3 | Scooby The Lady | 5/1 | 16.7% |
4 | Ballymac Ralf | 7/1 | 12.5% |
5 | Hackney Corner | 12/1 | 7.7% |
6 | Lennies Tank | 33/1 | 2.9% |
The second semi-final is no less compelling. Scooby The Lady goes in as the favourite bidding to become one of the rare bitches to reach an English Derby final. Proper Heiress looks to bounce back from a below-par quarter-final, and Ballymac Ralf and Hackney Corner meet for the third time in this competition.
Scooby The Lady (Trap 3) , the 5/1 outright favourite, trained by Richard Rees , is the favourite and arrives in the form of her life. The reigning Arc Kent Plate champion has won nine races this season and is arguably the fastest starter of the 12 remaining runners. She led wire to wire to win the second quarter-final and trap three gives her the ideal draw to dictate matters again. If she gets a clean first bend, she will be very hard to stop.
Proper Heiress (Trap 2) , a 7/1 outright chance, trained by Mark Wallis , is looking to bounce back after being outpaced by Epic Ace in the quarter-finals. The GBGB Greyhound of the Year had been three-from-three before that outing and draws on the inside of Scooby The Lady , meaning the run to the first bend will be the defining moment for his chances.
Ballymac Ralf (Trap 4) , available at 7/1 in the outright market, trained by Liam Dowling , has been a model of consistency throughout and won his third-round heat in 28.36sec. He draws on the outside of Scooby The Lady which could see him squeezed if she leads strongly into the bend and he will need a clean break to get competitive.
Hackney Corner (Trap 5) , a 12/1 outright shot, trained by Pat Buckley in Ireland , meets Ballymac Ralf for the third time in this competition and has always been thereabouts without quite finding the clock needed at this level. Trap five gives him a clear enough run to the bend if he gets away well. Sole Focus (Trap 1) , a 100/1 outsider in the outright,, trained by Debbie Calvert has been the story of the competition and runs his own race from the inside where any early trouble out wide would assist his chances greatly, while Lennies Tank (Trap 6) , is 33/1 in the outright, trained by Paul Hennessy , is an early pacer who needs to time his release to perfection from the widest draw.
Verdict: Scooby The Lady is the selection. She has been the most consistent front-runner in the competition and trap three is made for her. Proper Heiress each-way at 10/1 outright is the value pick for those who believe the GBGB Greyhound of the Year still has more to offer than he showed in the quarter-finals.
*Prices are subject to fluctuation.
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Bill is as passionate about Irish football as they come, with an agonising longing to see his country grace a World Cup stage. A League of Ireland devotee and lifelong Man United fan, he knows better than most what sporting heartbreak feels like, and brings that perspective to the BOYLE Sports Blog. With roots in greyhound racing and a curiosity spanning politics, snooker, WWE and beyond, there is rarely a sporting conversation he cannot add to.
