We are just weeks away now from the biggest greyhound event of the year on the British calendar, the 2017 English Greyhound Derby, where it will be run for the first time in its history at Towcester, following the closure of its regular home Wimbledon earlier this year. Clares Rocket currently tops the betting at 8/1 despite being beaten on his most recent run at Towcester in a trial. The market leader is expected to return to the track again later this month in his final outing before the competition gets underway.
Trainer Charlie Lister knows how to prepare a greyhound for the Derby better than anybody as he has already chalked up seven winners in the race, something which is unprecedented in the modern era. The now unlisted trainer will be excited about the prospect of making it win number eight in the Classic as Dorotas Woo Hoo showed he has the ability to win this competition when he scored earlier this month in the Scottish Derby at Shawfield and looks to be the best bet in the tournament outright betting at 18/1 with online bookies. Running from trap six in the final in Scotland, Lister’s dog showed fantastic middle pace and hit the front at the third bend. The son of Ballymac Vic then broke away from his rivals to score with an impressive time of 28.77.
As you can see from the Greyhound Board of Great Britain form page of the greyhound, the wide runner has now won on eight of his last 10 starts. He’s been able to score at Sheffield and Monmore so is very versatile which indicates he won’t have any problems with the track at Towcester. If he continues to improve this year, it is hard to see him not being in the business end of the competition and with a bit of luck going his way, he could land the top prize.
Bull Run Bolt Looks Best Bet From Ireland
Ireland look to have a strong group of greyhounds who are set to challenge for the Derby this year after their success with Jaytee Jet in 2016 and their best chance of having their fourth winner of this race in the last 14 years could be with Bull Run Bolt who is trained by Mark Lowther. The October-14 dog is also seeded out wide and was campaigned very hard in 2016 as he ran on 21 different occasions, including in the final of the 2016 Dublin Coach Juvenile Derby where he finished third. He was slow away at the Irish track on that occasion but came home strongly to finish less than three lengths behind the winner Droopys Wilbury.
It is difficult to say if the completion has come too soon for the dog but as long as he handles the track well enough at Towcester, he looks to be overpriced at 33/1 to come out on top. If not, he is worth keeping on your shortlist for the Irish Greyhound Derby at Shelbourne Park in August.
Droopys Acrobat May Outrun Odds Of 66/1
The Greyhound Derby is exactly the type of competition where you can back a couple of outsiders in the outright betting and you get a good run for your money at the very least. In 2014, Salad Dodger was as big as 500/1 with some bookmakers before the tournament began and he landed the spoils when going off as a 16/1 outsider in the final at Wimbledon.
Droopys Acrobat is a greyhound from Seamus Cahill’s kennel and looks to be one of the outsiders in the race who cause an upset. With six runs already under his belt in 2017, he should be fit and sharp for the Towcester campaign and at 66/1 he can be backed each-way where you only need to reach the final to pick up a return.
English Greyhound Derby Odds
Clares Rocket 8/1
Priceless Brandy 14/1
Droopys Buick 14/1
Bubbly Bluebird 16/1
Dorotas Wildcat 18/1
Dorotas Woo Hoo 18/1
Drive On Top 25/1
Bruisers Bullet 25/1
Bar 33/1
English Greyhound Derby Tips
Back Dorotas Woo Hoo at 18/1
Back Bull Run Bolt at 33/1
Back Droopys Acrobat at 66/1
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