The 2026 Irish Greyhound Laurels reaches the semi-final stage at Curraheen Park in Cork on Saturday 10th October, with the first two home in each of the three semi-finals going through to the €30,000 final on Saturday 17th October. Known as the “Derby of the South”, the Laurels was first run in 1944 and remains the jewel of the Cork racing calendar.
The reigning champion is Magical On Fire , who landed last year’s final for owner, trainer and breeder Pat Guilfoyle , just pipping Liam Dowling ’s Solo And Go on the line in 27.93, the fastest winning time in the history of the final.
The quarter-finals delivered a night of shocks. Track record holder Ballymac Setanta was beaten at 1/5 by 8/1 shot Lone Calling , last year’s runner-up Solo And Go went out, and Lissatouk Sydney won at 33/1. Droopys Monk stayed unbeaten with the fastest winning time of 28.09, while Droopys Unreal , Ballymac Kamala and Magical Jet also won their heats.
Laurels Schedule
Irish Greyhound Laurels Dates
1st Round: Saturday 26th September Quarter-Finals: Saturday 3rd October Semi-Finals: Saturday 10th October FINAL: Saturday 17th October
Semi-Final Draw
Irish Greyhound Laurels Semi-Final Draw
Semi-Final 1
1. Magical Jet
2. Microchip
3. Vacant (Coloursaregreen withdrawn)
4. Ropewalk Ranger
5. Droopys Unreal
6. Ballycowen Moon
Semi-Final 2
1. Lone Calling
2. Droopys Porter
3. Droopys Monk
4. Jaykay Fly
5. Sure Exile
6. Ballymac Setanta
Semi-Final 3
1. Ballymac Kamala
2. Sober Barry
3. Ballymac Lix
4. Slick Sanctuary
5. Romeo Alliance
6. Lissatouk Sydney
Outright Odds
Irish Greyhound Laurels Odds
Dog | Odds | Chance |
|---|---|---|
Ballymac Setanta | 3/1 | 25% |
Droopys Monk | 5/1 | 16.7% |
Ballymac Kamala | 6/1 | 14.3% |
Droopys Unreal | 6/1 | 14.3% |
Magical Jet | 12/1 | 7.7% |
Ballymac Lix | 16/1 | 5.9% |
Jaykay Fly | 20/1 | 4.8% |
Lone Calling | 20/1 | 4.8% |
Bar | 25/1 | 3.8% |
Laurels Favourites
Irish Greyhound Laurels Favourites
Ballymac Setanta
Ballymac Setanta – 3/1
Ballymac Setanta remains the BOYLE Sports favourite at 3/1, odds that give him a 25% chance of handing Liam Dowling a first Laurels , but he has plenty to prove after a shock reverse in the quarter-finals.
Just seven days after lowering the Curraheen Park 525-yard track record to 27.75, he was sent off the 1/5 favourite for his quarter-final, missed the break and was never able to recover his position. He did well to rally into third behind 8/1 winner Lone Calling and Ropewalk Ranger and keep his Laurels hopes alive.
The draw has not done him any favours either. An inside seed, he has been handed trap six in the second semi-final, which looks the toughest of the three with Droopys Monk , Lone Calling and Jaykay Fly all in opposition. A clean break would put him right back in the picture, but at 3/1 he now carries a little more risk than his record run in the first round suggested.
Droopys Monk
Droopys Monk – 5/1
Droopys Monk is the clear second favourite at 5/1, a 16.7% chance, and he arrives at the semi-finals as the only unbeaten runner left in the competition.
Barry Clancy 's dog was the fastest of the quarter-final winners last Saturday, holding on by half a length from Sober Barry in 28.09. That made it another win at Cork , a track he has always loved, and his early pace remains his biggest weapon.
He goes from trap three in the second semi-final, just outside another Clancy runner in Droopys Porter . If he breaks level he should have the speed to lead, and he looks the one they all have to beat on the night.
Ballymac Kamala
Ballymac Kamala – 6/1
Ballymac Kamala has been one of the big movers in the betting and is now 6/1 with BOYLE Sports , a 14.3% chance.
The Dowling -trained bitch made all to win her quarter-final in 28.12, beating Puppy Derby finalist Slick Sanctuary in the process. That followed her seven-length success in the final of the Laurels Trial Stake here in September, so her course form is as strong as anything left in the field.
She has drawn the red jacket again in the third semi-final, and with her ability to dictate from the front that looks a big plus. Kennelmate Ballymac Lix is in trap three and Sober Barry sits right beside her in two, so the opening run to the bend will be crucial.
Droopys Unreal
Droopys Unreal – 6/1
Also at 6/1 is Droopys Unreal , who produced one of the most impressive performances of the quarter-finals for trainer Ian Reilly and the Actingdamaggot Syndicate .
The son of King Sheeran and Droopys Meteor showed sharp early speed from the rails, took control around the opening bend and kept finding in front to win by a length from Jaykay Fly in a career-best 28.15 at 10/3.
He moves out to trap five in the first semi-final, but he has won from both five and six before, and the withdrawal of Coloursaregreen has left trap three empty. Magical Jet in the red jacket and the early-paced Microchip look his main rivals, and a repeat of last week should see him through.
Sober Barry
Sober Barry – 6/1
Completing the 6/1 trio is Sober Barry , who lost nothing in defeat in the quarter-finals for trainer Karol Ramsbottom .
He was beaten only half a length by Droopys Monk in the fastest quarter-final of the night, backing up his 28.01 in the first round, which was the second-quickest time of that night behind Ballymac Setanta 's record.
He starts quickly and stays the trip well, and from trap two in the third semi-final he is drawn right alongside Ballymac Kamala . It looks the most open of the three heats, but at 6/1 he is a solid each-way option to make the final.
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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.
