Third round of Irish Greyhound Derby starts Saturday
The third round of the Irish Greyhound Derby is set to start this Saturday night. The third round is one of the most exciting races of the season. It’s the first round of the Derby in which all the competitors are on the same programme. It’s the first opportunity spectators have to get a realistic comparison of the greyhound’s performances.
The third round produces a larger crowd than both the fourth and fifth rounds, which are scheduled over the next two Saturdays. Saturday night should see close to 4,000 spectators, and will be the biggest crowd since last year’s Derby final. The final will be on the following Saturday, September 11th.
This year’s Derby is at Shelbourne Park in Dublin, the home of the Derby.
Last year, College Causeway managed a come-from-behind victory, defeating Oran Classic by two lengths. In March, Causeway was named Irish Dog of the Year by the National Greyhound Awards. It was his victory at last year’s Derby that made him the favourite to be awarded 2009 Dog of the Year honours. Causeway’s owner, Mike McKenna, has decided to keep Causeway out of this year’s Derby.
It’s doubtful that there will be any runners as impressive as Causeway was last year, but McKenna is hopeful that one of his four entrants will be able to win the Derby. Among them are litter brothers, Farley Blitz and Farley Turbo, as well as Thurlesberg Joker. Joker won the Irish Derby Plate last year and is ranked third based on prize money by the Irish Greyhound Board. Burn Em Up, McKenna’s fourth entrant, is a long shot to win the Derby. Burn Em Up and Joker will meet in the first heat while Farley Turbo and Farley Blitz will go in the fifth and eight heats respectively.
Trainer Conor Fahy has the largest number of greyhounds still active in the Derby. Their owner, and Fahy’s father P.J., is hopeful that one of his greyhounds will be able to beat out McKenna’s team, and the rest of the field. Of his five remaining, only two are strong potentials, Tyrur Big Mike and Tyrur Enda. Big Mike, who was knocked out in the first round last year, races in the third heat. Enda races in the seventh.
Dublin native Dolores Ruth, who won the Derby in 2006 with Razldazl Billy, has three strong challengers: Makeshift, Razldazl Lord, and Local Dee Jay, all of which have a chance to win the Derby. Makeshift races in the sixth heat, and holds the fastest time of the competition so far with a time of 29.56 seconds. Razldazl Lord races in the second, and Local Dee Jay, will race in the fifth heat against Farley Turbo.
College Causeway’s trainer, Pat Buckley, is looking for Tullymurry Act to go far in the Derby. Act will race in the fifth.
The top three from each of the eight heats will move on to the fourth round. Farley Blitz and Makeshift are the joint favourites in the ante-post markets at 5-1.
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