DERBY QUARTER FINALS PREVIEWED BY MARK PIERREPONT

The evening gets underway at 6.24pm with a very good class A3 race.  The John Mullin’s trained Knighganny Lad wouldn’t have been purchased for graded racing no matter how strong that sphere of the sport is here at Towcester.  A talented April 2019 son of Over Limit he made a belated track debut when comfortably accounting for ON3 opposition at Limerick in May by fully 9 lengths in 28.66.

The track was undoubtedly running well on what was Limerick Oaks semi-final evening but it was still a run which given he should have improved since suggests he should be more than capable of winning this type of affair.  John Mullins felt enough about him to enter him in the Derby itself and though that might have been a little ambitious his heat run in defeat and another since at this level should have put him spot on for tonight.  He looks well drawn here in trap 3 to ping out and make all with his main danger likely to be Diane Henry’s Savana Rainbow.

She too is undoubtedly better than we’ve seen so far and despite not really ever getting into last week’s race at this same level after a tardy start she wasn’t beaten all that far.  With that run likely to have brought her on she’s the one most likely to take advantage if the selection under performs.

John Mullins can make it an early double with his Notouttheway taken to land the second race of the night at 642pm.  Though this is a tough A3 it’s without doubt a step down in class for Mullins greyhound who reached the third round of the Derby before being eliminated in the heat won by All About Ted.  Well drawn against the rail he can soon take command and run out a comfortable winner.

Open racing all the way now and we begin with heat one of the RPGTV Derby Plate at 7.17pm.  Paul Young’s Diamond Lisa is selected in a competitive affair.  This dog (not bitch despite the name) is capable of some big runs and ran well throughout the KAB Maiden Derby here recently when reaching the final.  Badly drawn out in trap 4 in that final he’s much better postioned here against the rail and is well capable of securing a first bend lead with one of his better breaks and from that point home will prove extremely tough to beat.  Irish raiders Bombardier and Duke De Janerio trained by Robert Gleeson and Pat Buckley respectively demand the upmost respect but this race can go to the English.

Heat two of the Derby plate at 7.35pm can go to Jimmy Gaskin’s Santro Duke.  Trapping consistency wouldn’t be one of his plus points but when this greyhound hits the lids make no mistake he can run with the best of them.  He did just that when routing a good class field at Nottingham just prior to the Derby and a similar sort of break here can see him emerge successful at what should be decent odds.

Heat three at 7.54pm and Peter Cronin can gain some small compensation for being so unluckily eliminated from the Derby itself with his Angry Dad at the second-round stage.  A desperate fourth place finish in the heat won by Lee Field’s Adeles Duke wasn’t what this greyhound deserved after a quite stunning early paced first round win.  He looked a greyhound that could go deep into the Derby and with a little more luck on his side should be a big player in the plate.  Angry Dad can smash out and make all.

A quickfire littermate double looks on the cards for Peter Cronin as his Angry Tornado can duplicate the performance of ‘Dad’ in the previous heat.  Eliminated from the Derby in the first round behind Liam Dowling’s Ballymac Wild, Tornado is another greyhound typical of the type Peter has done well with on past visits to the UK.  Nothing too flashy on the card but full of improvement.  A quick break and it can be like watching an action replay of the previous heat.

Onto the main event now with the first quarter final of the Star Sports and TRC Events & Leisure English Greyhound Derby at 8.34pm.  Deerjet Sydney looks perfectly housed to smash out and make all for Ireland’s Pat Buckley.  A superb winner of the 2020 English Derby Final at Nottingham Sydney looks to be discovering his top form at just the right time.  Sure he’s drawn outside two greyhounds who will be edging off from the traps , particularly so in the case of Kevin Hutton’s Forest Gold , however Pat Buckley didn’t get to the standing he’s got within the sport without being able to get a ‘smash’ from his greyhound when it matters.  Away and gone Sydney with Jimmy Fenwick’s Cold As Ice running on for second and Robert Gleeson’s Toolmaker Sydney eventually finding away past Forest Gold to claim the third and final spot in next week’s semi-final draw.

Quarter final two at 8.51pm can go to Brendan Matthews superstar bitch Unlock Unlock.  To be brought back from whelping a litter of pups to be performing at the level she is doing has to go down as a training performance right out of the top drawer.  Would you expect any less though of the ‘Newry Maestro’?  Unlock Unlock possesses finishing pace rarely seen at the top level of our sport and she can once again come through strongly in the latter stages to not only qualify for next week’s semi-final but to win well and in the process lay down serious claims for outright honours.  The unfortunate withdrawal from tonight’s race of Richard Yeates Faughan Rebel hugely aids the cause of Unlock Unlock and she can be in a massively threatening position as soon as halfway.  Graham Holland’s Gaytime Milois similarly well drawn and can qualify in second whilst the same trainers Newinn Session though not running at his best so far during this campaign can make it through to next week’s semi-final by finishing third.

Quarter final three at 9.09pm looks on paper to be the toughest of all to call.  Liam Dowling’s Ballymac Fairone has been improving with each run however and he’s once again the selection.  Last week’s third round victory might not have been as impressive on the clock as his all the way second round win but it was a performance of a greyhound showing all the signs of turning from pacy novice into a serious competition runner.  Fairone had to battle after a slow start and at the moment when many novices could so easily have blown the first bend he took it in the style of a seasoned professional.  He’s going to have to be a little livelier at the start this week but if so his early pace can see him turn the bend in front and from there on home will be tough to beat.  Thorn Falcon for Patrick Janssens has really exploded onto the scene in recent weeks and has gone from open race maiden to serious Derby contender in the blink of an eye.  Incredibly well trained by the champion trainer he can run on for second on the wide outside with All About Ted for Ireland’s Peter Cronin taking third.