Can Charlie Lister win the English Greyhound Derby this year?
Charlie Lister is one of the most successful greyhound trainers of all time, and has an amazing record of big-race successes to prove it. His 2010 racing campaign has had a bumpy start but an English Derby victory would surely make up for his losses.
This year’s £75,000 williamhill.com Derby originally consisted of 215 entries, but the total has been reduced to 206 due to early withdrawals. The competition will start tomorrow with the opening first round heats and the significant increase in entries this year means that the first round will have to be held over three days.
Anything is possible this year, but regardless of the outcome, Lister still holds a pretty strong chance. The Nottinghamshire-based handler has had no shortages of English Derby success, having already won four. His last came in the form of Farloe Verdict, who clocked 28.82secs to see him crowned champion in 2003.
Which makes it seven long years since the trainer last tasted Derby success, although last year he was unfortunate as his Fear Zafonic missed out in heartbreaking fashion when beaten by three spots to Mark Wallis’ Kinda Ready in the final.
The October 2006 son of Premier Fantasy and Farloe Oyster was awarded Greyhound of the year in 2009, crediting Lister with a fourth Greyhound of the Year following Spring Rose (1996), Some Picture (1997) and Rapid Ranger (2001).
The trainer has given a number of Derby aspirants the chance to flex their muscles in trials this year. Bandicoot Tipoki clocked a good time (28.64secs) and can be backed at 20-1. Jordansoilution (50-1), Yahoo Jamie (50-1) and Troys Expert (40-1) are also looking fairly good on the track, but Zafonic clocked by far the best time (28.41secs) and can be backed at 14-1 in the ante-post markets.
Zafonic has been drawn with a trap four start in heat fourteen, which should see him through to the next stage considering the field he's up against; he's certainly the biggest earner from Lister’s lot, bagging a total of £52,580 in total prize money from 35 races.
Some say that like a good wine, Lister gets better with age - and the same can be said of Zafonic, who may not be as consistent as market favourite Eye Onthe Storm but has surely proven that he is a big race winner - and may very well prove that again for Lister this year.
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