Shado looks to defend Winter Derby Title
The £10,000 to the winner category one Ladbrokes Winter Derby gets underway at Monmore this morning with six first round heats.
Defending champion Coolavanny Shado lines up in a competitive looking heat 4 at 102pm where he will be aiming to claim the scalp of ante post favourite for the competition Churchfield Syd. After getting his 2024 campaign off to a the best possible start with a 5 3/4 length course and distance success here at Monmore he was subsequently beaten into second in a trial stakes last time out by Richard Rees Kent Derby Champion Churchfield Syd. An intriguing race to say the least and a significant indicator of the quality the competition contains throughout.
Tom Heilbron sees his superstar performer Links Maverick return to the track in competitive action for the first time since beaten at long odds on in a first round heat of the Sunderland Classic early in November. Reported lame afterwards trainer Heilbron and his team appear to have Maverick back to his best with a couple of excellent Newcastle sprint trials followed up with a 2806 at Doncaster over 450m and a 2822 here at Monmore over course and distance last Saturday. Sure to have been brought back gently enough with a long year ahead however he’s a greyhound who rates a serious danger to all.
Thoughts of Tom Heilbron
Thoughts of Patrick Janssens
There really is a huge strength in dept to this competition however as the ante post price guide suggests.
Winter Derby ante post price guide. Prices supplied by ladbrokes.com please check website for alterations.
Golden Jacket & Peter Bussey trial stakes take centre stage at Crayford
Bellmore Sally after retaining the Premier Greyhound Racing Golden Jacket: owner Neil McGregor (standing left) holds the trophy alongside Andy Wood, as Jimmy and Melanie Fenwick proudly look after the winner .
Crayford 18th February 2023
Photo: © Steve Nash
With the Premier Greyhound Racing Golden Jacket now just a week away Crayford host a series of trial stakes on this afternoons card. Some of the leading stayers in training will be aiming to emulate the achievement of Jimmy Fenwick’s Bellmore Sally who landed the prestigious event in each of the last two years. As usual the Peter Bussey Memorial sits alongside the Jacket and the category two event which carries a winners prize of £5000 also gets underway in just 7 days time. A sole trial stake for that event over 540m gets the days open race action at Crayford underway at 209pm.
*Other opens take place today at Central Park , Doncaster and Oxford.
Coursing festival gets underway at Clonmel
The national coursing meeting gets underway at Clonmel today with thousands from both sides of the Irish sea set to attend the 3 day meeting. Liam Dowling’s Ballymac Sports now heads the sponsors betting for the Boylesports Irish Coursing Derby at 2/1 after news broke yesterday of the withdrawal of second favourite Navalny trained in Newry by Brendan Matthews. Ballymaccallaway meanwhile heads the Horse & Jockey Coursing Oaks betting at 5/2.
Betting for all the national meeting events can be found with the sponsors by clicking here.
For news from the Irish Coursing Club throughout the 3 day meeting please click through here.
NEW GREYHOUND OF THE MONTH SPONSOR – TIME GREYHOUND NUTRITION
*TIME GREYHOUND NUTRITION, the greyhound feed supplier, are the new sponsors of the Greyhound of the Month award – and six nominations have been announced for January.
They are Garfiney Blaze (Mark Wallis), Pape Di Pro (Savva Roberts), Romeo Command (Patrick Janssens), Romeo Cypher (David Mullins), Roxys Bullet (Paul Burr) and Signet Goofy (John Mullins).
Weekend opens
Saturday opens: Central Park Crayford Doncaster Monmore
