The Greyhound Derby is the biggest race in the sport. This year, the prestigious contest takes place at Towcester for the very first time, after the regular home at Wimbledon closed earlier in the season. Qualification for the 2017 competition begins on Wednesday 24th May, while the first round starts on Thursday 1st June.
With the best of the UK and Ireland set to take each other on for a place in the final on Saturday 1st July and for the first prize, here is a look at five greyhounds to keep an eye out for in the competition.
Clares Rocket – 10/1
Credit: RPGreyhounds via Twitter
The ante-post favourite for the 2017 Greyhound Derby and Irish Derby is Clares Rocket, who can be backed at 10/1 for success at Towcester. The Irish greyhound grabbed all the headlines at the back end of last year as he was kidnapped from his kennel which caught national interest in the UK and Ireland. He was returned safe and well and is the dog they all have to beat in the two biggest races in the sport in 2017.
Bubbly Bluebird – 20/1
Bubbly Bluebird put himself the Derby frame when he won the Puppy Classic at Nottingham last year. The Paul Young-trained dog then ended 2016 on a high as he claimed success in the Kent Derby at Central Park, where he won all three races in the competition. The inside railer has bags of early pace and will have no problem with the 500m distance, which is right up his street. Young’s dog is a top price of 20/1 when you bet on Greyhound Racing with Paddy Power, who have priced up every runner entered in this year’s event.
Droopys Buick – 20/1
Credit: RPGreyhounds via Twitter
The Jimmy-Wright-trained Droopys Buick won the last big race of 2016 with the Olympic at Hove, where he clocked 29.89 and justified going off as the odds-on favourite for the 515m open contest. The four-year-old made his seasonal reappearance in 2017 at Towcester last month, where he got his first taste of the new Derby track. Unfortunately for connections, he could only finish third as he was bumped at the opening bend. He will be expected to come on for that opening run, though, by the time the Derby gets underway.
Priceless Brandy – 20/1
Priceless Brandy is one of Ireland’s leading hopes in this year’s Greyhound Derby, where he has been prominent in the betting at 20/1 ever since his six-length victory from trap four in the Irish St Leger at Limerick last October. Paul Hennessy’s runner is only two-and-a-half-years old so does not have as much experience as some of his rivals but looks to have plenty of talent.
Dorotas Wildcat – 25/1
Kevin Hutton’s Dorotas Wildcat has won both his starts in 2017 so goes into the Greyhound Derby in good form. His last success was at Towcester, where he clocked 29.08 in an impressive performance from trap two. Hutton is bidding for his first success in this competition and looks to have a great chance of winning the trophy for the first time.
If you want to watch the Greyhound Derby, this year the opening two rounds are on RPGTV; then, from the third round onwards, it will appear on Sky Sports.
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