2024 English Greyhound Derby
| 2024 English Greyhound Derby | |
|---|---|
| Location | Towcester Greyhound Stadium |
| Start date | 23 May |
| End date | 29 June |
| Total prize money | £235,000 (final) £175,000 (winner) |
The 2024 Greyhound Derby sponsored by Star Sports/TRC, will take place during May and June 2024, with the final being held on 29 June 2024 at Towcester Greyhound Stadium.[1][2]
Format and ante-post betting[edit]
It was the sixth time that the event was held at Towcester after previously being run there in 2017 to 2018 and 2021 to 2023. The dates of the competition were as follows - first round 23, 24 & 25 May, second round 31 May & 1 June, third round 8 June, quarter finals 15 June, semi-finals 22 June.[1]
There were 193 entries, which included a large contingent of 52 runners from Ireland and the first representation from a Welsh track (Valley Greyhound Stadium) since the closure of Cardiff Greyhounds. In the ante-post betting, Puppy Derby & Olympic winner King Memphis 16/1 and (Pall Mall champion) Links Maverick 16/1 headed the betting. They were closely followed by the leading bitch Queen Joni 18/1, Irish Derby champion The Other Kobe 20/1, De Lahdedah 20/1, Romeo Command 20/1 and King Capaldi 20/1. Others expected to go well were, Signet Goofy, Faypoint Harvey, Jaytee Etienne, Swords Rex and Clonbrien Treaty. Two greyhounds priced at 100/1 were defending champion Gaytime Nemo and 2023 third placed Cochise.[3]
Quarter finals[edit]
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| class="col-break col-break-4" |
| Heat 4 (15 June, £1,000) | |||||
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| Pos | Name | SP | Time | ||
| 1st | / | . | |||
| 2nd | / | . | |||
| 3rd | / | . | |||
| 4th | / | . | |||
| 5th | / | . | |||
| 6th | / | . | |||
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Semi finals[edit]
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Competition review[edit]
First round
The first round, held on 23 May, saw the recent Maiden Derby winner Jaytee Etienne win the opening heat in 28.85, followed by Irish Oaks champion Crafty Shivoo taking heat 2. The first shock arrived in heat 4 with the elimination of Signet Goofy, while the next heat resulted in the progression of Irish Derby champion The Other Kobe. The eighth heat went to De Lahdedah and King Capaldi finished runner-up in heat 9 before Boylesports Bob impressed in a time of 28.87.[4]
The second evening on 24 May started badly for the McNair camp because Queen Joni found trouble and was eliminated in the race won by Clonbrien Treaty. However, in the very next race McNair's King Memphis broke the track record with a time of 28.58. Hawkfield Blue won heat 13 in 28.82 and Swords Rex claimed heat 16. The expected Irish challenge and success continued with Pat Buckley's Antigua Hawk recording 28.81 in heat 18, followed by a Graham Holland double with Juvenile champion Faypoint Harvey and defending champion Gaytime Nemo.[5]
The final first round heats were held on 25 May and both Links Maverick and Romeo Command were shock eliminations. Four greyhounds set fast times; Barntick Bear impressed winning in 28.68, followed by Glengar Martha 28.75, Ballymac Senan 28.80 and Kings Combs 28.86.[6]
Second round
Graham Holland's Swords Rex got round two underway with a fast 28.75 success and two heats later King Memphis won in 28.78. Holland then had another winner when Gaytime Nemo recorded 28.76 and the Irish challenge continued with a win from behind for Liam Dowling's De Lahdedah, who would become the new favourite for the event after the second round (King Capaldi failed to progress from the same heat). Superfast Gordon recorded 28.71 and Irish Derby champion The Other Kobe provided Holland with a third winner and Ireland with five out of eight on the night.[7]
Pat Buckley's Ballinabola Ed returned to prominence when winning heat 10 on the second night before Antigua Hawk set a time of 28.77 in heat 11. In the very next heat Mark Wallis saw Crafty Shivoo win in 28.59, just one spot outside the new track record.[8]
Third round
22 of the last 48 runners were Irish and they packed the top of the betting lists.
Final result[edit]
At Towcester (over 500 metres): Winner £175,000
| Pos | Name of Greyhound | Breeding | Trap | Sectional | Race comment | SP | Time | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | – | . | / | . | ||||
| 2nd | – | . | / | . | ||||
| 3rd | – | . | / | . | ||||
| 4th | – | . | / | . | ||||
| 5th | – | . | / | . | ||||
| 6th | – | . | / | . |
Final distances[edit]
(lengths) 0.08 sec = one length
Final report[edit]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "The Star Sports & TRC English Greyhound Derby 2023" (PDF). Greyhound Star. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ "The World's Greatest Greyhound Race Returns". Towcester Stadium. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ "Greyhound Derby - The Entries". Star Sports. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ "First round results 23 May". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ "First round results 24 May". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ "First round results 25 May". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ "Second round results 31 May". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
- ^ "Second round results 1 June". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Retrieved 8 June 2024.