Irish Laurels Outright Odds

The 2024 Irish Laurels will take place in Curraheen Park Greyhound Stadium starting on the 7th of September 2024.

Dates Irish Laurels, Curraheen Park, 480m

1st Round Saturday 7th September

2nd Round Saturday 14th September

Quarter-Final Saturday 21st September

Semi-Final Saturday 28th September

Final Saturday 5th October

Irish Laurels Odds

Irish Laurels Favourites

Crafty Shivoo - 3/1

Crafty Shivoo remains the favourite for the Laurels following the Quarter-Finals last weekend and has been CUT from 7/2 into 3/1 meaning she is seen as having a 25% chance of landing the Laurels.

Crafty Shivoo is not just one of the fastest bitches in training, but one of the fastest dogs around full stop and has already landed successes in both the 2023 Irish Oaks and 2023 Gp1 Empress Stakes.

The October 2021 whelp started her racing career running up an unraced stake at Newbridge in March 2023 and finishing 5th in the final. From 38 races on the track, she has a brilliant racing record of 22 victories, 5 runner-up finishes and 3 third results.

Ahead of the competition, she was found running in a victories effort in the Bombay Bitches Trophy Final at Towcester last June clocking 29.26 for the 547-yard distance, she then ran a fast 17.35 over the 330 distance in her trial and her first look around Curraheen Park at the end of last month.

She showed her class in the opening round breaking out in a 3.31 sectional went first before the first bend and made all to win in 28.36 coming 7 lengths clear of Getup Me Lad.

In the second round her victory came from an even faster sectional of 3.28, overcoming being baulked at the second bend to win in 28.53 coming 1 length ahead of Drombeg Rio.

Last weekend was her first defeat of the competition after failing to get clear the first bend the wind was taken out of her run and she eventually qualified coming 6 lengths back of winner Faypoint Harvey who won in a fast 28.23

A worthy favourite on current running.

The Other Kobe – 10/3

The Other Kobe has been CUT from 4/1 into 10/3 suggesting a 23.1% chance the 2023 Irish Greyhound Derby Champions lands success again for for trainer Graham Holland.

A genuine superstar on the track from 51 races the dog has 23 victories including in the aforementioned Irish Greyhound Derby, 10 runner-up results and 9 third places finishes it's fair to say the dog is consistent!

While he may be approaching the twilight of his career as an April 2020 whelp, there is no doubt the son of Ballymac Best and Mountaylor Queen has the gears even if he finished 5th on the same track and distance last month pre-competition.

He put that defeat right in the opening round though from a 3.28 section and #6 he made all to win in a rapid 28.02 coming 8.5 lengths ahead of Bambis Lady.

In the following week he broke in 3.37 to draw clear at the second bend and win in a frighteningly fast 28.28 coming 1.5 lengths ahead of Seek The Kingdom.

Last weekend The Other Kobe was victorious again from a 3.29 sectional he picked off leader High Trend finish strongly winning in 28.42 and 4 lengths ahead of the runner-up.

There is certainly life in the old dog yet and based off last weeks run he is still at the very top of his game.

Road Exile – 6/1

Next in the betting to land the Laurels in the coming weeks is the Pat Buckley-trained son of Deerjet Sydney and Trusted Exile, Road Exile who has previously won the 2024 Cork SuperSprint and 2023 Kingdom Derby Tralee in 28.02.

The May 2021 whelp has been a consistent performer on the track since winning on his debut at Youghal track in September 2022 when he won in 29.22. His overall record on the track is a brilliant 26 victories, 8 runner-up finishes and 9 third places from 53 races so has only been outside of the trio places on 10 occasions.

Before the commencement of the Laurels last month the dog ran up the Bar One Sprint Final in Dundalk where he finished third and 5 and ¼ lengths behind winners Broadstrand Syd and he took that form into this competition in 28.26 from a sectional of 3.23 to beat Droopys Polish by 4 lengths.

In the second round from 3.31 sectional he started and stayed well to finish 5.5 lengths back of winner Grangeclare Lady who won in 28.31 though it should be noted there was trouble in the race.

Last weekend Road Exile showed tremendous early gears from a 3.28 sectional came out of the first bend first and

Romeo Taylor – 8/1

The Graham Holland trained son of Newinn Taylor and Fabulous Mila is 8/1 to win the Laurels in the next two weeks.

The May 2022 whelp has been on the racing scene since debuting at Clonmel in January of this year at Clonmel where he ran-up and won The Rural Kennels Open Unraced Stake Final stopping the clock in a fast 28.74.

In the first round where he showed grit to come second and 2.5 lengths back of winner Trionas Tribe who clocked 28.55

The second round was brighter with an almost identical 3.33 sectional he held on to win 28.55.

Taylor overcame trouble last weekend after being baulked at the first bend to finish 5 lengths back of The Other Kobe and 4 back of High Trend.

There is plenty of improvement in this dog, but he will need to in the coming weeks if he's to win the Laurels.

Faypoint Harvey – 8/1

Another major contender to land the Laurels is the lightly raced son of Droopys Sydney and Roaming Shari who is another member of the Graham Holland kennel.

Faypoint Harvey made his debut in August 2023 at Clonmel where he was an impressive winner in 28.39 and now from 19 races has 9 victories. 4 runner-up finishes and 3 third place finishes.

The dog arguably flew under the radar at the start of the competition but came into the competition following an impressive 28.52 victory before the Laurels begun.

The first round he overcame trouble to finish well and qualify in third place behind Crafty Shivoo and Getup Me Lad clocking 28.92. In the second round he improved again this time coming runner-up and only 1/2 a length behind Romeo Taylor who won in 28.55.

Last weekend he sprung from traps in 3.31 and always led to win in a swift 28.23 and 3 lengths ahead of Romeo Falcco.

Faypoint Harvey may just be coming into form at just the right time.

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