The Greyhound Derby Is Down to 48 and Ireland Holds the Aces
Forty-eight greyhounds remain in contention for the 2023 Star Sports & TRC English Greyhound Derby. The competition, staged at Towcester Racecourse, enters its third-round stage on Saturday.
Swords Rex, one of 17 Irish-trained greyhounds still in the competition, heads the ante-post betting on 4/1. Compatriots Ballymac Marino, Clona Duke, and the defending champion, Romeo Magico, follow in the Greyhound Derby betting. All four dogs are currently unbeaten in the competition.
Towcester’s impressive grandstand will be packed for the Star Sports & TRC Derby final night on July 1st. ©TowcesterRacecourse
Can Romeo Take Command and Be a Home Hero?
The chances of home success in the £175,000 to-the-winner competition appear slim. If the title remains at home, the latest greyhounds betting suggests it will be the UK-based Belgian handler, Patrick Janssens that will collect the prize courtesy of Romeo Command.
Quoted at an industry top price of 14/1 by William Hill, Janssens brindled greyhound should be taken seriously. Since arriving on British shores, Romeo Command has started as an odds-on favourite in 11 of his 12 starts. He has also won 11 of his 12 outings, all in open-race company.
(T1) Romeo Command is the winner of the 2023 BGBF British Breeders Stakes Final at Nottingham. pic.twitter.com/F9Jwc1HR7l
— DaveyB (@DaveATBranch) March 20, 2023
Regularly competing against British-bred rivals may have given him relatively easy tasks in the past. But, like the market principles, Romeo Command has won in both rounds of the Derby and he clocked a rapid 29.05 seconds when winning last weekend.
The 2023 Greyhound Derby Dates
- Third-round: Saturday 10th June
- Quarter-finals: Saturday 17th June
- Semi-finals: Saturday 24th June
- Final: Saturday 1st July
* The top three finishers in every race proceed to the next round.
The 2023 Greyhound Derby Prize Money
There is prizemoney on offer in all 2023 Greyhound Derby races. For example, the semi-final winners will receive £2,500. All finalists are guaranteed a minimum £5,000 prize. The payout structure rises incrementally, but there is a big gap between the £25,000 for finishing second and the £175,000 awarded to the winner.
There are additional cash bonuses. £1,000 is to be shared amongst the kennel staff of the winning trainer. £2,000 will go to the connections of the British-bred greyhound that progresses furthest in the competition. The winning breeder will receive £4,000.
How to Watch the Greyhound Derby
There are a few ways to watch the 2023 Greyhound Derby. The entire competition is broadcast on Racing Post Greyhound TV. It can be found on SportyStuff TV which is housed on Sky TV Channel 427, Freesat Channel 250, and Freeview Channel 264.
The best live streaming betting sites will also cover the remaining heats, plus the final, and all of its star-studded supporting races. This year the Derby final’s card has three competition finals – including the Derby Plate – alongside its traditional and hugely popular Dorando Marathon.
Time for the Wide Runners to Shine
The ante-post favourite, Fromposttopillar, was a first-round casualty. And the well-backed Brookside Richie departed the competition in the second round. But there have been very few shocks in the 2023 Greyhound Derby, and the favourites have far fared exceptionally well.
Will the tide turn at some point? We feel it is inevitable and believe the third round of the Derby is the time when a few apple carts will be overturned. And so, our two bet selections for Saturday evening’s action are both healthily priced.
Only seven of the 48 remaining Greyhound Derby runners are classified as wide-seeds. It means most should avoid congestion on the run to the opening corner, and some can be lucky enough to avoid any crowding at the crucial first bend. Let us hope that is the case for our fancies.
Brute Zloty Can Battle Through
Most Greyhound Derby betting sites are quoting each-way terms of 1/4 the odds for a 1-2 finish in Saturday’s third-round heats. One firm, bet365, goes 1/5th of the odds about a 1-2-3 finish, and that makes Untold Zloty an attractive proposition at 12/1 in the 6.35 pm contest.
In this race, the trap-1 runner, Beepers Lariat, weighs in at 37 kilos. It is an exceptional size for a railer and, with a touch of early pace, he could conceivably skittle one or two dogs out of contention at the opening bend.
From the six-path our selection, another brute weighing 39 kilos, may be able to take advantage and run a big race. A repeat of the 29.20 seconds clocking Untold Zloty produced when winning in the opening round may well be good enough to qualify for the next round and reward his each-way supporters in the process.
Forest Can Axe His Rivals
Heat five, due off at 7.30 pm, is one of the weaker third-round races. It is unlikely a Derby finalist will come from the contest, but Forest Icon can certainly proceed to the next round and might sneak a victory.
Kevin Hutton’s greyhound is wonderfully consistent and has failed to finish outside the top three in his last seven starts. In fact, he has only finished outside of the top three in one of his ten appearances at Towcester.
A winner of a Derby trial stakes race five weeks ago, with his wide running fast finishing style, Forest Icon could be a hazard to the likely pacesetter, Romeo Hanzo, and may cause an upset at a tasty 5/1.
Greyhound Derby Best Value Bets
- Untold Zloty (trap 6) 6.35 pm Towcester
- Romeo Hanzo (trap 6) 7.30 pm Towcester
