Assessing the early favourites for the Irish Greyhound Derby
With the English Greyhound Derby having come and gone after Romeo Magico’s sensational performance to land the top prize at Towcester, attention is starting to turn towards the Irish equivalent of the race – the aptly named Irish Greyhound Derby.
Held at the iconic Shelbourne Park Stadium in Dublin, the event is the highlight of the Irish greyhound racing scene, and you can be sure that plenty of fans will be checking the greyhound betting sites ahead of the heats getting underway.
It all gets started on August 19th with the first rounds of heats, and then runs all the way through to the grand final on September 24th. There’s a lot of races to be held in that time, and only the strongest will make it all the way to the showpiece race.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at several dogs who are well fancied ahead of the Irish Greyhound Derby, and analyse their chances of landing a memorable victory at Shelbourne.
Ballinabola Ed
At the moment, the antepost favourite among the bookmakers is Ballinabola Ed, and when you look at his record, you can quickly understand why. The two-year-old recorded four wins from his first four starts, although it must be said that his most recent outing — a fifth-place finish at Towcester — could be cause for concern among some of Ballinabola Ed’s backers.
The fact that experienced trainer Pat Buckley is in his corner certainly helps Ballinabola Ed establish favourite status. It will be interesting to see if he can deliver on the hype.
Coolavanny Hoffa
Given Coolavanny Hoffa’s recent form, it’s no surprise that the Michael O’Donovan-trained dog is attracting plenty of interest in the build-up to the Irish Greyhound Derby. The two-year-old has finished first in five of his last six outings at the time of writing, and that kind of form is enough for anyone to sit up and take notice.
Of course, there are not guarantees in an event like the Irish Greyhound Derby, and O’Donovan will be doing everything he can to ensure Coolavanny Hoffa comes through the early rounds unscathed.
Swords Rex
Another contender for the Irish Greyhound Derby is Swords Rex, who also boasts five wins in his last six appearances and is one of the most in-form greyhounds today. It’s been a bit of a purple patch for the Graham Holland-trained greyhound, and many are starting to think that this good spell could ultimately lead to glory in the Irish Greyhound Derby.
Holland is just off the back of winning the English Greyhound Derby with Romeo Magico, and he’ll have confidence that Swords Rex can give a supreme showing at Shelbourne Park.
Romeo Magico
Speaking of Holland and Romeo Magico, the English Greyhound Derby champion is being tipped by some to complete a sensational double by winning both the English and Irish Greyhound Derbies in the same year. It would be a stunning achievement for both greyhound and Holland, but you can’t rule anything out in this unique sport.
Romeo Magico has proven his ability on the biggest stage. Could he do the unthinkable and replicate it in Dublin?
