More than Kinda Ready to pull off historic feat
In the late 1990s Toms The Best became the first dog to win an English Derby and an Irish Derby. Toms won the two Derbys in two separate years, and no dog has been able to match that feat to date. Kinda Ready is close to matching Toms’ feat after qualifying for the Irish Derby’s quarter-finals last Saturday. Ready won the 2009 English Derby and will not be able to become the first dog to win an English and an Irish Derby in the same year.
Ready was one of the underdogs at least year’s English Derby at 25-1. Ballymac Ruso was the race favourite but finished in fifth. Fear Zafonic, at 3-1, finished in second losing to Ready by only a neck. Ready finished with a time of 28.65s while Zafonic finished with a time of 28.68s. Ready was also the youngest of the 2009 English Derby finals, and was the biggest prize winner in the history of the Derby at Wimbledon. Wimbledon became the home of the English Derby in 1985. Bandicoot Tipoki won the 2010 English Derby.
Ready beat Thurlesbeg Joker, winner of last year’s Irish Greyhound Derby Plate, in the third round of the Irish Derby. Ready led the entire race after Joker had a slow start. Joker still qualified for the fourth round and has again been matched up with Kinda Ready. This time they will both have to race against one of the Derby’s favourites, Tyrur Big Mike, in the third heat on Saturday. Ready finished the third round with a time of 29.70s, Big Mike finished with a time of 29.42s. Ready has topped Big Mike in the Derby once already. In heat five of the first round Ready managed to overcome an early Big Mike lead to win by 2 lengths.
Racing against the three powerhouses will be: Killacolla Glory, Mesedo Blue, and Westmead Grant. Grant and Blue raced against each other in the third round with Blue coming out on top by only ¾ lengths.
The third heat of the fourth round is looking to be the best match up of the Derby. It will be difficult for Ready to come out on top and keep the hope of winning the Derby alive. Whoever does win this heat could very well end up winning the Derby.
One thing on the positive side for Ready is that heavy Derby favourites Makeshift and Farley Blitz have already been eliminated. Makeshift could do no better than fifth in the sixth heat which saw a crowd at the finish line. Between second and last there was only a difference of 0.18sec. Blitz didn’t have enough in a race that saw 14-1 underdog, Floyle Storm, lead for most of the race. Monlesa Alsation took the lead from Storm near the finish line. Blitz almost made it to third, which would have been enough to get into the fourth round, but Blazers Black nudged out Blitz by ¾ lengths.
Saturday’s third heat will surely see another favourite end their quest for Derby glory early.
Here are the draws for the Irish Greyhound Derby’s fourth round:
HEAT 1
1 Colorful Champ
2 Whatsupjack
3 Tyrur Enda
4 Ballyac Under
5 Monlesa Alsation
6 Barefoot Bullet
HEAT 2
1 Blazers Black
2 Freedom Seacrest
3 Foyle Storm
4 Razldazl Lord
5 Krug Ninety Five
6 Tyrur McGuigan
HEAT 3
1 Kinda Ready
2 Tyrur Big Mike
3 Thurlesbeg Joker
4 Killacolla Glory
5 Mesedo Blue
6 Westmead Grant
HEAT 4
1 Oran Jaguar
2 Definate Opinion
3 Tullymurry Act
4 Hats My Boy
5 Tyrur Richie
6 Dromore Hero
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