Following last year’s memorable renewal, the 2026 BOYLE Sports Irish Greyhound Derby is set for its usual summer slot, beginning in August and concluding in September at Shelbourne Park , where the finest hounds from Ireland and the UK battle it out for the most prestigious prize in Greyhound Racing.
The reigning Champion is Cheap Sandwiches , who delivered a brilliant performance to win the 2025 event for trainer Graham Holland, claiming a record fifth Irish Derby in the process. The Graham Holland runner went off the 4/5 favourite and justified that market confidence in dominant fashion to land the €125,000 first prize.
Cheap Sandwiches is entered again for 2026 but faces a very different challenge as a more exposed dog, and the market reflects that with a range of exciting young contenders now leading the betting. Ballymac Setanta heads the market, with the Con & Annie Kirby Memorial winner Bouncing Monarch and two-time Derby winner Bockos Diamond also among the early pace-setters.
BIGD Schedule
BOYLE Sports Irish Greyhound Derby Dates
1st Round: Friday 7th & Saturday 8th August 2nd Round: Friday 14th & Saturday 15th August 3rd Round: Saturday 22nd August Quarter-Finals: Saturday 29th August Semi-Finals: Saturday 5th September FINAL: Saturday 12th September
Outright Odds
BOYLE Sports Irish Greyhound Derby Odds
Dog | Odds | Chance |
|---|---|---|
Ballymac Setanta | 12/1 | 7.7% |
Bockos Diamond | 14/1 | 6.7% |
Bouncing Monarch | 14/1 | 6.7% |
Ballymac Duffle | 14/1 | 6.7% |
Ballymac Deniro | 14/1 | 6.7% |
Glengar Silent | 16/1 | 5.9% |
Ballydoyle Tina | 16/1 | 5.9% |
Ballymac Malinas | 16/1 | 5.9% |
BIGD Favourites
BOYLE Sports Irish Greyhound Derby Favourites
Ballymac Setanta
Ballymac Setanta – 12/1
The early ante-post favourite for the 2026 BOYLE Sports Irish Greyhound Derby is the Liam Dowling -trained Ballymac Setanta , whose odds of 12/1 represent a 7.7% chance of landing the classic.
The 2024 whelp announced himself as one of the most exciting young talents in Irish greyhound racing when lighting up Curraheen Park with a brilliant 27.94 in the opening round of the Irish Laurels , setting a new fastest time of the year at the Cork venue. He went on to reach the final of that competition before suffering a narrow defeat to Magical On Fire . He then produced a brilliant campaign through the Con & Annie Kirby Memorial at Limerick , reaching the final where he dead-heated for second behind the impressive Bouncing Monarch , having posted a stunning 27.90 in the quarter finals.
With Liam Dowling having already conquered the English Derby in 2024 with De Lahdedah , Ballymac Setanta represents his best chance yet of adding the Irish crown, and at 12/1 the market has him as the one to beat.
Bockos Diamond
Bockos Diamond – 14/1
Also at 14/1 is two-time Derby finalist Bockos Diamond , who needs no introduction to greyhound racing fans after his sensational unbeaten run to the 2024 Irish Greyhound Derby title, setting and equalling the 550-yard track record at Shelbourne Park in the process.
The Graham Holland -trained September 2022 whelp is the son of Dorotas Wildcat and Seaglass Shadow and remains one of the most accomplished greyhounds of his generation. He was eliminated in the first round of the 2026 English Derby at Towcester , which will no doubt have sharpened his connections' focus on the Irish championship.
A two-time finalist in this competition, Bockos Diamond has the experience and the class to go very deep in 2026, and at 14/1 he represents each-way appeal at the very minimum.
Bouncing Monarch
Bouncing Monarch – 14/1
Joint second in the market is Bouncing Monarch , the 2026 Con & Annie Kirby Memorial champion whose odds of 14/1 suggest a 6.7% chance of going all the way at Shelbourne Park .
Owned by Dave Fradgley of Kinsley in England and placed for the Kirby campaign with Tipperary -based trainer Michael O'Donovan , Bouncing Monarch absolutely announced himself as one of the leading lights of the 2026 season when storming to victory in the Kirby final in a stunning new track record time of 27.77 at Limerick , winning by seven lengths. From the front, he never gave his rivals a sniff, showcasing the electric early pace that makes him so dangerous on any track.
The Kirby Memorial has historically been one of the strongest guides to Irish Derby success, and Bouncing Monarch has everything in his favour heading into the summer classic.
Ballymac Duffle
Ballymac Duffle – 14/1
Completing the cluster at 14/1 is the exciting Ballymac Duffle , another from the powerful Liam Dowling team and widely regarded as the standout performer of the 2026 English Greyhound Derby 's opening round at Towcester , where he broke the track record and immediately established himself as one of the most talked-about hounds in the sport.
The 2024 whelp is one of several talented young Dowling runners who, as the trainer himself noted, could use this competition as a stepping stone even if it ultimately goes to another, but are absolutely capable of going all the way.
With pace to burn and the backing of the best breeding operation in Ireland , Duffle is a fascinating each-way proposition.
Ballymac Deniro
Ballymac Deniro – 14/1
Also priced at 14/1 is one of the most exciting contenders in the 2026 BOYLE Sports Irish Greyhound Derby market, Ballymac Deniro , who ran a storming race to finish runner-up in the English Greyhound Derby final at Towcester in June, closing to within half a length of winner Lennies Eddie despite breaking slowly from the boxes.
Owned, bred and trained by Liam Dowling from his Ballymac base in County Kerry , Ballymac Deniro is a May 2024 son of Ballymac Finn and Ballymac Arminta and gave Liam Dowling a fourth victory in the Irish Juvenile Classic at Tralee before producing a brilliant campaign through the English Greyhound Derby , posting the fastest time of the quarter finals at 28.21sec and clocking 28.15sec in the semi final, just a single spot off the Towcester track record.
A dog who consistently finds top gear from an awkward position, Ballymac Deniro arrives at Shelbourne Park with his reputation fully intact and at 14/1 with BOYLE Sports , he represents outstanding each way value for connections with history firmly in their sights.
Glengar Silent
Glengar Silent – 16/1
Rounding off the shortlist of market leaders is Glengar Silent , trained by Pat Buckley for owner Tom Nolan and a son of Droopys Sydney and Singalong Sally .
He arrives in the 2026 betting off the back of an outstanding 2025 campaign that saw him win the second semi-final of that year's Irish Derby before finishing third in the final behind Cheap Sandwiches at Shelbourne Park .
He returns as a more mature and battle-hardened competitor and at 16/1 represents an intriguing option for those looking for a slightly bigger price among the fancied runners.
*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.
