Irish Greyhound Derby betting after Round 1 from Shelbourne Park

The BoyleSports Irish Greyhound Derby kicked off on Friday and Saturday, so our expert Sarah Kinsella takes a look at the best of the action.

156 Become 96

We enjoyed a terrific start to the 2022 BoyleSports Irish Greyhound Derby in Shelbourne Park last Friday and Saturday with 156 becoming 96 after 26 sensational heats. It was great to see HQ buzzing with greyhound enthusiasts ahead of the opening round and I have a feeling that the final this year is going to be one of the biggest crowds we have ever seen. I have said it plenty of times already this year, but the depth of quality in this year’s derby is just mouth-watering. From the old men at the party like Beach Avenue to the future stars like Wi Can Dream. It had everything. The track was in tip top order and in terms of BoyleSports branding, well it’s definitely clear we are the sponsors as it’s a sea of blue – and I’m not even finished with it yet!

Nostalgia

This year feels different for me. I’m not sure if it’s the lifting of restrictions or my old age, but I’m feeling more nostalgic than normal. We have such a wonderful sport that I cherish so much. We should all be very proud of the product we produce because we really are the best in world. The best people, facilities, trainers, owners, sponsors (of course!), studs, kennel hands and above all, the best greyhounds who are loved. Right, that’s enough mush I think, let’s talk about our canine friends shall we?!

Mustang Jet

There were just too many outstanding performances so we will kick off with heat 1 – Mustang Jet. A son of Droopys Jet and Mustang Kay Cee and a very talented tracker. I really liked his performance. He is the most fabulous looking brindle too. I even made a reel of him on Instagram and it’s going down well. He is a looker for sure. 29.43 and a 17.09 to the third bend, the third fastest from the opening round. He is 16/1 from 20/1 but was trimmed before that gradually from 33/1, so he has been a popular choice, especially after his 29.57 solo trial. He was a short 4/9 and got the job done, so keep an eye on him.

Tullig Raven

Pat Buckley got his 2022 derby campaign off to a flying start with the exciting Tullig Raven landing heat 2 and one of his owners lost his voice from the excitement! Niall from the Foots In The Door syndicate was thrilled with his 29.38 performance and why wouldn’t he be with sectionals of 3.47 & 17.20. That was just his fourth race with the 525 track record in Tralee to boast on debut. It’s safe to say that the future is bright for this son of Droopys Sydney (how many times are we going to say his name!?) and Hail Cleopatra.

Peter Cronin and His Mighty Friday Treble

What a start for Peter. It was brilliant to see All About Ted back to winning ways. He might not be the same dog as he was last year, but he is showing all the right signs, so hopefully he can keep it going. Willie Rigney was ecstatic. Not only did Ted win, but Cronin’s All About Annie won heat 5 in 29.75 and showed plenty of ability to beat Park Blake and Scooby Duchess. They weren’t even going to run her in the derby so well done lads. Peter then topped off the night with a treble after Decs Guinness won heat 9 for owner Declan Landy and also Emily’s Jet qualifying in the same heat. Awesome start for team Cronin.

Cody Just Too Good

Patrick Guilfoyle is another trainer who enjoyed a brilliant start to the derby with Good Cody clocking the fastest time in the opening round at 29.25. He is one of the fastest in training, there is no doubt about it. His sprint form from last year is going to be crucial in this competition as it will help him set the pace and get a nice head start on his rivals. He just needs to keep doing things right and we could see him make the final. It’s no surprise to know he is the fastest to the third bend clocking 16.94, wow. He is 12/1 in the outright betting and he is Ian Fortune’s charity bet for the IRGT, so best of luck.

Ed and Sally – Best Friends

Ballinabola Ed and Singalong Sally are the best of friends at home in their kennel, but Ed wasn’t letting Sally win on Saturday night. The runner-up last year hit the front as expected but Ed just turned on the turbo power and took the lead at the third bend. Sally did try to come back again and there wasn’t much between them at the line in 29.62. Ed will come on loads for that. That was first time to race at HQ, so he is now the 10/1 from 12/1 favourite to win the €125,000 as punters clearly think he has what it takes to win the title. He actually did hit a low of 8/1, but we eased him back out. He remains one of the biggest losers in the book for us.

Special

It's hard to fit them all in, but Romeo Magico deserves a mention too after the race he ran to finish second to Laurence Jones’ Well Met. Graham Holland will be delighted with that performance as he needed the race. The English Greyhound Derby champion has to be taken seriously in this competition with 14/1 available in the outright. A special mention too for Beach Avenue. A remarkable servant who loves what he does. Everyone loves him. See you this weekend Rory.

Explosive Boy (aka Bertie), Sentimental Lad (aka Matt), Wi Can Dream, Athlacca Zette, Magical Kuba (aka Kuba), Kilgraney Sydney. The list goes on and on. We are spoilt for choice. I still really like Born Warrior and Vincenzo as my picks, but honestly I could mention ten more. What a competitive BoyleSports Irish Greyhound Derby.

The outright has been updated and the heat betting is also available. We are offering money back as a FREE BET if your selection finishes second in the derby heats. We also make it 8/1 for the track record to be broken!

See you all Friday and Saturday for the second round!

BET HERE FOR FRIDAY - 2ND ROUND - HEATS 1-8

BET HERE FOR FRIDAY - 2ND ROUND - HEATS 9-16