The Derby – Thursday Heats 1 – 10 Full Form & Preview

Ernie Skeech’s Trionas Travel is a greyhound with plenty of early pace but doesn’t have to necessarily lead to win with him having showcased on more than one occasion throughout his career an ability to dig deep and come from behind runners when he’s had to.  Superb when winning heat and semi-final of the Laurels at Perry Barr recently a badly missed break in the final and then trouble at the first turn saw his chances gone from an early stage.  He’s trialled well here at Towcester since however and though he’s definitely drawn wider than he’d like here he can soon gain control of the middle of the track.  His two main rivals in the race look to be the Patrick Janssens pair of Aussie Captain and Scooby Prince but as drawn it would be no surprise if they came together before the back straight.  That would simply play into the hands of Skeech’s dog and if he’s clear heading onto the back straight it should be race over.

Hoodoo Brown might not be too well known on these shores as yet but this is a greyhound with a huge engine.  Liam Dowling’s greyhound weighs in at almost 39 kilo and at times this can prove disadvantageous in the early stages with trapping admittedly not a strong point.  With a clear run to halfway however this greyhound really begins to motor in the second half of his races and that can be the case tonight with him fancied to be laying close enough to the pace to get up close home.  It won’t be easy though with Graham Rankin’s Jaguar Macie and Patrick Janssens Bockos Belly in opposition he’ll have to bring his A game to the party at what is a very early stage of the Derby.

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Drumcrow Brent is one of the most consistent greyhounds in training and though he’s getting no younger he retains a high level of ability.  He’s been off the card since being beaten around here in mid-April however that won’t have done him any harm and his sprint trial back was decent enough.  There is plenty of pace inside him but these will all be looking for very similar ground on the middle to inside and it’s far from inconceivable that they’ll come together before the back straight.  Brent can lay handy and take matters into his own hands by the third bend.

Seamus Cahill’s Sporting Chile has always been a greyhound with great pace but piecing it altogether regularly has been a little bit problematic until the last couple of weeks.  Something has clicked with the greyhound and for the first time in his career he’s strung together two consecutive victories.  Both coming here at Towcester and the last of which a sensational track record breaking run which saw him become the first greyhound to break the 29 second barrier here when stopping the clock in 2899 off the back of a rapid 409 split.  Cahill is no stranger to Derby success around here with his Astute Missile running out a superb winner of the inaugural running of the competition here back in 2017.  Any kind of break from Chile should see him leading comfortably by the turn and it can then be a race against the clock.

John Mullins Swift Iconic comes into the Derby as one of the least exposed UK runners around.  With just a handful of runs on his card this pacey youngster looks well at home around the circuit and though he may find the last 20 to 30 metres a test there are few who can live with his searing early pace.  Iconic can get clear here and though he’ll come back to the pack late he can have enough in hand to hang on.  Patrick Janssens Deelish Frankie and Jamie Kingsley’s Maiden Derby hero Hellofakerfuffle look the main dangers and will be in prime position to take advantage should Mullins greyhound not be foot perfect at lid rise.

Patrick Janssens Lautaro is one of the fastest greyhounds currently in training here in the UK.  He advertised his undoubted ability when landing a maiden here over course and distance last November in 2938.  He’s not the most consistent at the start though and that for me is a problem to him going through a competition such as the Derby particularly as at times he’s shown himself not to be totally at ease with having runners alongside him.  Tonight’s first round make up looks perfect though and he can soon take command of this running out a comfortable enough winner from Richard Rees game and consistent Amaze Me Seb.  There aren’t too many stronger runners in the competition than Seb and he’s going to be very tough to keep out of the frame in any race which is put together.  He can come through strongly on the run in to finish second here and from an ante post each way perspective there would be plenty worse bets to be having.

Peter Cronin’s Da Bold Freddie might not be one of the leading Irish fancies for the Derby but he’s a talented youngster who took to Towcester well when recording 2939 around here in a recent trial.  He was only narrowly touched off for a place in the recent Con & Annie Kirby Memorial Final at Limerick when finishing fourth in the semi-final won by kennel mate Kildare.  The draw here isn’t perfect by any means as Chelms Fred is likely to move off from his trap 1 draw but he’s good early himself and being drawn that little bit off the rail I suspect he might just come away a little better than Fred and soon take command of the rail.  Young an unexposed like a good number of greyhounds that Cronin has brought across the Irish sea in past Derby campaigns Freddie might just be on the improve and surprise a few people.

Last year’s finalist Ballymac Fairone returns for another crack at landing the English Greyhound Derby for Liam Dowling.  Progressing steadily throughout last year’s event he lit the competition alight with a sensational semi-final victory that saw him going off as joint favourite to land the most sought-after trophy in the sport.  A missed break and trouble early on saw his chance disappear without ever really getting into any kind of contention.  A year down the line Fairone is now an older more experienced greyhound and he can make full use of his draw against the rail to land his first round heat for team Ballymac.

Paul Hennesey’s Priceless Jet was well fancied for outright glory last year after setting a then track record of 2911 in a facile trial stakes victory shortly before the competition started.  He was a game winner of his first-round heat last year before finding himself eliminated at just the second-round stage when finishing well beaten behind Roxholme Sheikh.  Stepping up in trip to six bends for the Corn Cuchulainn at Shelbourne he ran out a superb always led winner of the final.  His latest competitive start came when beaten in the final of the Easter Cup behind Susie Sapphire back in March and he comes into the Derby fresh from that.  Likely to improve for a few runs it would be no surprise to see him go a fair bit deeper into the competition this time round for his shrewd handler and he looks well drawn to get his campaign off to the perfect start.

Diane Henry’s Savana Beau was eliminated from the Maiden Derby at the heat stage but since then has been showing plenty of improvement that culminated in a first UK victory when landing a trial stake in game fashion last time out.  Owned by track promoter Kevin Boothby it would be no surprise to see him utilise all of his battling qualities to progress fairly deeply into the competition.  He can lay handy here before opening up along the back straight and putting the race to bed heading into the third turn.