Jelly Flood might seem a surprising choice to head the table for the Derby second round timings from halfway (as compiled by Mark Pierrepont) – though he shouldn’t be.

Runner 1strd 2nd.rd
Jelly Flood 14.49 14.55
Dower Rory 14.93 14.60
Droopys Nirvana 14.88 14.62
Droopys Verve 14.82 14.62
King Sheeran 14.93 14.62
Jaytee Taylor 14.57 14.63
Pond Adonis 14.80 14.65
Ballymac Osby 14.76 14.66
Seaglass Phantom 14.69 14.66
Magical Bale 14.95 14.67
Savana Volt 14.67 14.67
Lemon Shane 14.73 14.68
Forest Alan 14.52 14.69
Hero To Zero 14.61 14.69
Antigua Sands 14.86 14.71
King Turbo 14.83 14.71
Dorotas Wildcat 14.75 14.72
Macaroon Cruz 14.78 14.72
Ballymac Tas 14.75 14.73
Priceless Blake 14.69 14.73
Raise The Stakes 14.83 14.73
Volcanic Reef 14.75 14.73
Clonbrien Prince 14.78 14.74
Droopys Expert 14.94 14.75
Skywalker Logan 14.33 14.75
Headford Maurice 14.76 14.77
Holdem Zidane 14.61 14.77
Droopys Davy 14.55 14.78
Droopys Trapper 14.89 14.79
Front Edge 14.78 14.80
Roxholme Jim 14.95 14.80
Ballymac Anton 14.69 14.81
Nice Charmer 14.96 14.81
Desperado Dan 14.86 14.82
Lemon Ronald 14.49 14.82
Lenson Whelan 14.82 14.83
Queen Beyonce 14.67 14.83
Bockos Tiger 15.08 14.84
Droopys Nadal 14.57 14.84
Liberty Hawk 14.78 14.84
Totos Park 14.81 14.84
Worseforwear 14.75 14.85
Blue East 14.96 14.86
King Dylan 14.71 14.86
Slaheny Star 15.02 14.86
Roxholme Butt 14.69 14.87
Emers Cookie 14.76 14.88
Kingsbrook Glyn 14.65 14.88
Antigua Romeo 14.83 14.89
Bockos Doomie 14.85 14.89
Bull Run Button 14.88 14.89
Swift Jim 14.89 14.90
Lemon Express 14.95 14.92
Swan Style 14.81 14.92
Leemount Venus 14.88 14.94
Lenson Blinder 14.55 14.94
Paganini Show 14.76 14.94
Payaway Kane 15.18 14.94
Roxholme Glory 14.92 14.94
Busters Bullet 14.90 14.95
Newinn Banger 15.15 14.95
Badminton Jet 14.80 14.96
Sporting Dave 14.76 14.96
Droopys State 14.87 14.97
Cooneen Jack 14.84 14.98
Braveheart Bobby 15.01 14.99
Droopys Gold 14.96 14.99
Honour Turbo 15.20 14.99
Kilara Tain Bo 15.00 15.01
Ballyanne Sim 15.08 15.02
Dorotas Woo Hoo 15.05 15.05
King Idol 14.67 15.05
Knockduff Declan 15.06 15.05
Master Reed 14.70 15.05
Plaza Lep 15.00 15.06
Itsur Mate 14.74 15.07
Born To Achieve 14.78 15.10
Boylesports Boom 15.10 15.10
Wildfire Jimmy 14.79 15.10
King Diamond 15.13 15.13
Martinstown Hope 15.09 15.14
Bayview Gerry 15.04 15.16
Adis Abebba 14.84 15.21
Bockos Rory 14.96 15.22
Ribchester 15.10 15.27
Uncle Wexford 15.07 15.53
Windmill Rover 15.14 15.73
Conors Blake 15.00 15.79
Wolfe 14.66 16.84

Pete Swadden’s strong finisher, who is a litter brother to Slippy Maggie and Maysthistlecrack, has qualified off 5.25 and 5.28 sectionals, so he certainly wasn’t relying on early pace.

He was actually six spots slower this week than his first round equivalent, though even then he was joint second on the table, with Lemon Ronald, behind Skywalker Logan.

In fact, this week’s times are generally a little slower. For example, this week Flood was the only runner to break 14.60, last week nine greyhounds bettered that mark.

Overall, 57 of the 89 greyhounds on the chart – some couldn’t be assessed – were slower this week than last.

It is of course very difficult to weigh up comparative times between the two runs without taking into account ‘trouble in running.’

But some judges might find a few interesting snippets in there. What about Magical Bale who improved 28 spots despite the slower track?

Or King Sheeran who was outrun in the latter stages by Lemon Shane in his first race in nine months, but went as quick as Droopys Verve next time out.