There have been many busy weekends in greyhound racing since the lifting of lockdown in mid-June but few have been as busy as the one we are facing into. The Juvenile Derby, Laurels and Cesarewitch all feature on Saturday evening, while across the Irish Sea the opening round of the English Derby will be run over Friday and Saturday at Nottingham.
The English Derby has been a happy hunting ground for the Irish over the years with the first three home in the 2019 competition representing these shores. A similar scenario seems unlikely this year as only fourteen Irish trained greyhounds have made the journey.
However, while the numbers are down, the quality of the entry is not in doubt. In fact, the top two in the outright betting, kennel companions Newinn Session and Lenson Bocko, represent these shores.
Newinn Session, in particular, has been popular in recent weeks with his odds tumbling all the way down to a point where he is now clear favourite with almost every bookmaking firm offering a market on the classic.
There is no doubt he has the pace, power and class to win a Derby and, should he avoid bad luck, he could well become the fifteen Irish trained winner of the blue riband event. The aforementioned Lenson Bocko is also a leading fancy.
The 2019 Irish Derby champion has yet to produce his best in 2020 but could well come to life around Nottingham, which seems certain to suit his style of racing. Of the remaining Irish runners don’t be surprised if the likes of Black Parachute, Ballydoyle Valor, Wolfe, Glengar Bale, Doolin Duke, Deerjet Sydney and Coolavanny Chick all make waves.
The second round of the Laurels is the feature at Curraheen Park on Saturday and, if the opening round is anything to go by, there will be a number of brilliant performances.
The feature of last week’s action was the number of winners from the inside trap. In total seven of the eleven heats winners wore the red jacket. That may have just been an anomaly but it’s worth keeping in mind as we look ahead to the remainder of the classic.
Brodys Magic was fastest of the opening round scorers. A superb winner in 28.12, he remains one of the leading fancies for outright glory although he faces a far trickier draw this evening. If he is to maintain his unbeaten record in the competition, he must come away racing from trap five as he is likely to make a move for the rail in the early yards.
After proving his fitness after a spell on the side lines, Broadstand Bono is now disputing favouritism for outright honours. He too has been handed a very tough draw. A confirmed inside runner, the John Linehan trained star must wear the stripes of six in a contest where Ballymac Anton, Sevenheads Rock, Witches Ethiopia and Frankies Jet represent notable opposition.
Of those at the head of the market, last year’s Laurels third Grangeview Ten has perhaps the most straightforward assignment. A brilliant winner of the Irish Sprint Cup in July, the Pay Guilfoyle trained star should take some stopping from trap three in Heat 7. Buttsys Bengal will ensure it’s a competitive affair but Grangeview Ten can’t be opposed.
In Dublin, the stars of the future will again have their chance to shine in the quarter finals of the Juvenile Derby. The undoubted star of last week’s second round was Great Name That as he became just the twelfth greyhound in history to break the 28 second barrier at Shelbourne Park.
A week on, he faces a tough test in the hottest of the four quarter finals. Knight Tornado, Newinn Sheedy, Ballymac Gaybo and Miss Joss are all amongst the most exciting young trackers in training and their presence should make this a race to savour.
Skywalker Barry heads the outright betting and he lines out in the second heat where Deadly Missile looks a massive danger. In fact, on the strength of a favourable draw in two, the latter may just have the upper hand on this occasion.
With so much going on it’s also worth noting that the Cesarewitch gets underway at Mullingar and all eyes will be on Skywalker Logan and Meenagh Miracle. The former has been a real superstar through the years and will bid to end his career on a high by successfully defending his Cesarewitch title.
Meenagh Miracle is a serious player, however. She was last seen chasing home Newinn Taylor in the final of the Boylesports Irish Derby. With the extra fifty yards certain to suit Michael Corr’s talented bitch, she is more than a worthy adversary for Skywalker Logan.
