Although he still has two rounds to conquer, King Elvis is generally trading at around 11-8 to retain his Henlow Derby title (sponsored this year by Bob Morton in memory of Westmead Hawk). As short as those odds might be, Henlow racing manager Paul Mellor reckons they are realistic. Here is why.
The 2017 decider
On a meeting battered by bad weather and a local electric substation failure, Liz McNair’s Greyhound of the Year lit up the gloom with a 10 length 27.51 win on going rated at (-40) for the 460m. His previous two wins over course and distance were both in 27.11 (N/+10).
His 3.62 sectional was the quickest of the meeting, his best ever, and just six spots off the course record. His winning time was 43 spots faster than the next quickest heat.
Mellor said: “I don’t think this is the strongest Derby we have held and Elvis could not have been any more impressive. The draw for the semi looks ideal and I just don’t see one to beat him.”
