And so the strangest of English Greyhound Derby’s has finally reached its conclusion. Anybody that dares tell you that a live crowd doesn’t matter need only be pointed to this competition and even more so final night.
Where others choose not to put back into the sport even at the very best of times, sponsor Ben Keith of Star Sports Bookmakers choose to do so on a regular basis and even this year when it would have been so easy to withdraw his backing without much in the way of criticism, he chose to press ahead regardless ensuring that our sport didn’t miss out on our Derby taking place.
We all owe Ben and Star Sports a debt of gratitude and I would hope that we support him and his business as much as possible going forwards.
On what was Halloween evening there was a certain eeriness about the evening from an early stage, no big fanfare in anticipation of what lay ahead and we can only hope that we never experience a Derby final night in such circumstances again.
I must though give huge praise to Nathan Corden and his team at Nottingham who has acted diligently and professionally throughout under extremely testing circumstances. There were certain mistakes made for the inaugural competition at the track in 2019 and I know that Nathan out of personal pride was keen to see them rectified.
Despite not being able to do so in front of the crowd that the competition deserved you will not find anybody who will disagree that the staging of the competition was handled professionally throughout in a manner that ensured it could safely reach its conclusion.
Deerjet Sydney landed the main event for trainer Pat Buckley, despite coming back to the strong running Ballydoyle Valor in the latter stages, the damage was done early.
Mark captured this lovely shot of Pat and Emma Buckley in the paddock after the final
Smashing from the lids Sydney most likely would have led in any case but a missed break from Richard Rees Southwood Jet only served to aid his cause. ‘Sydney’ held off Valor by 3/4 length in 2938 and in the process elevated his trainer into a select group to have prepared the winners of the English, Irish and Scottish Derby’s.
If there was any doubt at all that Pat Buckley is one of the finest trainers to have ever graced our sport then there should no longer be any left remaining. Pat told me “It’s the realisation of a dream, I can’t quite believe it, to have now won all three Derby’s, I don’t think I’ll come down from this for a long time. I had every faith in the dog, all week long I’ve been convinced he’d trap out and get the job done, he’s not give us a moments worry.
“To have Emma parading too, it just makes it extra special”.
Final ‘halfway’ times: 14.59 Deerjet Sydney, 14.87 Smurfs Machine, 14.92 Ballydoyle Valor, 15.04 Coolavanny Chick, 15.32 Southwood Jet, unrecorded-Wolfe
Onto the racing from final night and one of the superstars of the sport, both now and in the months ahead got the evening off to a terrific start.
David Mullins’s Tenpin is a high class greyhound who holds all of the attributes needed to become a future Derby champion himself. His facile victory in the evenings opening race, a puppy open staged over 480m when landing a 5 1/2 length 28.67 victory over Jimmy Fenwicks Ice Of Diamonds got the night off to the best possible start.
The sprint race was next on the card and the lightly raced Loggies Lito for Simon Harms was ultra impressive, in landing a three length 17.66 success over David Mullins’s Shrewd Call. ‘Lito’s’ pace to the bend is frightening, I have clocked few greyhounds hitting the first bend as fast as he has recently and such early pace will win him many races over sprint trips at any track which he turns up.
Phil Barlow’s Ballydoyle Razor ran magnificently well to take the RPGTV Puppy Final with a strong running 30.01, near four length success over Kevin Boon’s Ballymac Fearnot, I suspect that the result would have been the same even if the withdrawn Antigua Bruiser had remained in the race. He’s a youngster with a very bright future.
Coolavanny Bani led early in the ladies race over 500m, and once doing so it would take a huge effort to back run a bitch who has already proven her stamina with a 680m success in open class company here at Nottingham. ‘Bani’ ran out a comfortable winner over Mark Wallis’s Aayamza Lexie in 29.66.
Ian Sutherland of the Angela Harrison kennel said: “She stays really well, is a classy bitch who over any four bend trip will be difficult to pick up. The Property 192 Oaks at Swindon in December will be a target now I’d imagine but in the future yes maybe she’ll return to staying trips. It’s great to get a good win on such a big night”.
Agincourt Xena was sent off double figures for Mark Wallis in the The Westmead Legacy In Memory Of Natalie Savva Trophy sponsored by the BGBF. ‘Xena’ pinged out and made all though for an impressive victory in 29.69 from Kevin Ferguson’s Acomb Winston.
Blue Mischief put in a battling display to land the Truframe Champion Stayers Trophy over the demanding 730m trip for Richard Devenish, just getting the better of Kevin Boon’s Sheldan by a neck in 45.05.
Kalamoun landed the Star Sports The Gentleman’s Bookmaker Seniors Trophy in terrific style by 1 1/2 lengths in 28.79 from June Harvey’s Shoot The Bolt. Kalamoun has been a grand servant to the Chris Akers kennel and assistant trainer Vicky Booth was understandably delighted with the victory on what was likely to be his final race.
Vicky said “We were a little disappointed not to get into the race originally as we’d spent a fair bit of time preparing him for this. He’s been a great dog and though he’s far from the easiest to handle he’s a favourite of our kennel. We’re delighted to go out with a win on the biggest night in the sport”.
Blue Tick George landed the RPGTV Stayers Trophy Final for Jim Daly and the Blue Tick syndicate.
‘George’ has been running out of his skin for some time now and this victory was just reward for Jim who has spent many hours on the road on recent weeks preparing ‘George’ for his Derby campaign where he was eliminated at the quarter final stage.
Taking advantage of his plot draw on the rail he dominated from an early stage and holding off the desperately unlucky Roxholme Kristoff by 3/4 length in a top class 41.30. Hayley Keightley’s ‘Kristoff’ run a race of huge proportions after being hampered in the early stages by the ‘moving off’ of Sparta Master. ‘Master’ had initially moved right across Peter Harnden’s Salacres Pippy at lid rise and once again highlighted that he is far from a greyhound who prefers a rails draw.
Gonzo led early in the ARC Trophy for a comfortable victory over Mark Wallis’s Hopes Bullet in 29.61. It was a high class performance from the Ladbrokes Monmore Gold Cup winner however the winning distance was amplified somewhat by crowding in behind.
Doolin Duke smashed out and made all for an emphatic 29.21, seven length success over John ‘Ginger’ McGhee’s Catunda Logan in the final of the RPGTV Derby Plate. It was a breath-taking performance from a superstar greyhound in the second fastest time of the year.
The only one to go quicker? A certain Deerjet Sydney (29.15)
Plate ‘halfway’ times:14.67 Doolin Duke, 15.02 Catunda Logan, 15.04 Hopes Doggy, 15.12 Faughan Rebel, 15.28 Look Like Power, 15.42 Vixons Lad
Last but by no means least a terrific and traditional end to the Derby final night card with the Star Sports Dorando Marathon. It takes a greyhound with class, stamina and a heart to match to emerge victorious in one of the toughest of tests of both greyhound and trainer.
Pat Doocey’s Affirmed proved he had all of the required attributes as he held off the fast finishing and somewhat unlucky in running Aayamza Royale trained by Mark Wallis by half a length in 56.92.
(By way of comparison the 2019 version was won by Micks Little Gem in 56.99).
