Thanks as usual to Mark Pierrepont for supplying the digitally recorded ‘halfways’ (approx), thus giving an insight into the comparative running styles of the last 24 runners in last Saturday’s Star Sports & TRC Events & Leisure Greyhound Derby.
As can be seen, various trends have emerged.
Fastest to halfway
The previous two rounds have been dominated by Signet Ace with 15.46 and 15.52 halfway splits. His 15.90 didn’t bode well as proved the case with his eventual elimination.
Instead it was left to the Buckley pair, Knocknaboul Syd and Deerjet Sydney (second and third quickest last week) to dominate.
The consistency of the form was franked with last week’s sixth and fifth quickest, Adeles Duke and Forest Gold once again to the fore though they, like Signet Ace, were not able to see it through.
So – if you were looking for a ‘rule of thumb’ – anything around the 15.60 mark is rapid. You would be hoping to be around the 16.00 to have a decent chance of qualification.
At the other extreme, Bockos Belly showed his early gears with a 15.58 sectional on his way to a track record in the second round.
After finding all sorts of trouble leading to a 16.19 split on Saturday, he was the slowest dog to halfway to find himself in the final 12.
In terms of consistency, you need look no further than De Machine who performed consistently over a distance clearly well short of his optimum.
From halfway
It was De Machine’s kennelmate Unlock Unlock – quickest in the previous three rounds – who once again dominated ‘second half’ performances with another power packed finish.
She actually produced her quickest run to date in the latter stages but was unable to overcome early trouble.
It is interesting to note that Brendan and Damien Matthews’ bitch – who has a 28.15 (525) on her card at Newbridge has never raced beyond 550 yards, BUT is only just turned three years old.
In general the ‘from halfways’ times are more consistent as adequately demonstrated by Cold As Ice.
The half brother to Ice On Fire definitely has a touch of sire Holdem Spy about him, and was a shrewd Derby entry for a dog whose career seemed set for six bend.
Bockos Belly repeated his track record breaking second half in Saturday’s quarters.
Overall, connections would need to be hoping for a run within the region of 13.70-13.80 to qualify and the lower section of the table shows a graveyard for predominantly sprinty types who have just been found wanting over the tough 500m course.
Fastest times
First homage to the brilliantly consistent Deerjet Sydney who equaled his second round run with Saturday’s FON.
Knocknaboul Syd has been even more consistent with a slowest run to date of 29.57.
Most unfortunate hound of all is Drumcrow Brent who was the eighth fastest qualifier but didn’t make the last dozen.
One final set of observations.
Beach Avenue was the slowest qualifier of the round in 29.74. In the previous round it was Bubbly Magnum in 29.67, and the one before that – Glenlara Mac (30.28).
