The BOYLE Sports Irish Greyhound Derby is well and truly underway! Here we preview each Quarter Final heat on Saturday Night for Heats 1-4.
Heat 1:
Heat 1:
(1) Croydon Avenger - 8/1
(2) Coloursaregreen – 9/2
(3) Hackney Plan – 5/1
(4) Grouchos Chief – 9/2
(5) Wi Can James – EVS
(6) Uncle Keith– 14/1
Elsewhere, the battle for the all-important qualifying places will likely be hotly contested with Croydon Avenger for trainer Patrick Barrett, who we’ve tipped up in previous rounds, remaining a real value pick even if not the quickest on the clocks; he is genuine and consistent.
Coloursaregreen and Grouchos Chief have also shown potential throughout the competition and command respect, but I’d still be going with the favourite Wi Can James in the opener.
Heat 2:
Heat 2:
(1) Bouncing Monarch - 1/2
(2) Sober Barry – 16/1
(3) Bockos Gold– 6/1
(4) Solo And Go– 5/1
(5) Harvard Square – 12/1
(6) Priceless Romeo – 14/1
Bouncing Monarch has been the outstanding dog in the competition so far for trainer Michael J O’Donovan, and with successes in 29.10, 29.11 and 29.13 his status as outright favourite to win the BOYLE Sports Irish Greyhound Derby is more than justified; if you fancy him for this one, you’ll find better value in the outright market than backing in this race.
The place market looks incredibly interesting though, and Bockos Gold for Graham Holland and Solo And Go for Liam Dowling are both in amongst the quickest on the island, and their respective best run each for the 550 of 29.27 would theoretically put them challenging the favourite if things went their way.
Heat 3:
Heat 3:
(1) Hackney Dancer - 7/4
(2) Sleight Of Hand – 5/2
(3) Getup Me Boy– 3/1
(4) Faypoint Harvey– 50//1
(5) Blastoff Heffo– 50/1
(6) Im Here– 11/4
Hackney Dancer wears the red jacket for Michael J O’Donovan in the third heat of the quarter-finals and will be looking to maintain his unbeaten Derby campaign but may have the difficult task of a battle on the inside with Sleight Of Ha nd and Getup The Boy if he’s to do so.
Im Here for Peter Cronin is yet to land a heat of this year's Derby but a 3.36 sectional last weekend suggests he may have found his trapping boots , which could line him up for a big run, especially given the lack of early pace on his immediate left in Blastoff Heffo . Trap 6 looks to be perfectly drawn for the heat victory, but don’t rule out the strong-running Heffo placing at a big price again.
Heat 4:
Heat 4:
(1) Firstpastthepost – 12/1
(2) Low Profile – 11/4
(3) Barntick Bucko 20/1
(4) Waitingforastar – 11/10
(5) Glengar Phantom – 4/1
(6) Bombay Special – 6/1
Firstpastthepost has constantly found a way to qualify at a big price, as has Barntick Bucko, but this will be a tall task to qualify from. Low Profile, ironically, may be going into this race under the radar after a rare miss of the kick last week but looks to be drawn for a big run again.
Glengar Phantom has done well to qualify against the odds consistently throughout the competition for trainer Pat Buckley . However, for this heat I think Bombay Special for trainer Graham Holland is a really consistent runner, and I think she’s well drawn to make it a third heat success in the competition at a big price.
*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.
