AUTHOR: Star Sports Content
SIMON NOTT BETTING BLOG: Greyhound Derby First Round, Thursday
Blimey, I forgot how cold it gets up at Towcester, the forecast was balmy, even hardened dog fans were hunkering down into their coats, writes SIMON NOTT.
Luckily, there was a coat in the car, which was just as well. First impressions of the ‘new’ Towcester were very favourable, it’s looking very impressive, spruced and tidy. There’s astroturf where the bookmakers set up and winners’ enclosure.
Prior to the first, Hobbsy interviewed Lofty and Kaan for ‘Gone To The Dogs’ and the crowd started to swell. We were going to see the Greyhound Derby 2025 winner over the next three days, bring it on.
Star Sports/TRC Derby – Heat 1
Droopy’s Bookem from trap 1 and Jaytee Craze from the three box headed the market at 11/10 each-way in what looked like a match, £1100 – £1000 bet Jaytee Craze got the Derby betting going hopefully in the manner which it would continue.
The tips against Jaytee Craze was tips-on by the time the dogs were led to the traps, Droopy’s Bookem was nudged out to 6/4 though wasn’t totally friendless, but the punter with £200 on was the biggest supporter with Star.
The bogie from Trap 3 won the race getting to the front off the final bend justifying the wrist on ask for at the off from Trap 1. The book lost £1300.
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Star Sports/TRC Derby – Heat 2
Tiffield Tarquin, going from Trap 6, opened levels you devils even money for the second heat. A punter with Scottish notes bet an even carpet which was the first bet in the book. The second bet in the book was £500 – £550 the same dog to the trade, wrist on it was.
Third bet was £4000 – £5000. Now the team knew the Derby was underway. The six dog pinged the lids and it was all over the book blew £4570.
Star Sports/TRC Derby – Heat 3
Between races Max The Shoes came over to say hello, Max is a purveyor of fine footwear and a huge greyhound fan, not to mention a top man. Hello Diego running from trap 6 opened the 5/4 favourite in what looked a hot little heat. Hot it was, an early £2500 – £500 Ballymac Rapid from trap 3, £2000 – £500 and £3000 – £1000 Teejays Chelms from 2 and a grand on the jolly at 11/8 all laid before the dogs appeared.
There were sporadic £100 and £50 bets laid though betting was hearty rather than hectic. A late £6000 – £2000 Ballymac Rapid came in from the floor adding to the action, the favourite had drifted to 7/4 at the off in the face of the aforementioned opposition to it. It was Teejays Chelms that got the money for his backers winning from the jolly, the book blew £1955.
Star Sports/TRC Derby – Heat 4
The fourth heat featured the shortest priced favourite of the evening so far, Droopy’s Trade opened 2/5 to win from trap 1. The team today, who else but dog experts Lofty and Kaan, unleashed the power of the double board to offer a betting without market.
The straight market was a washout, Lofty took £12, Kaan betting without took a monkey and lost a monkey when the bogie trap 2 Arthur Job finished runner-up to the jolly.
Star Sports/TRC Derby – Heat 5
Proper Heiress running from trap 4 opened 4/9 to win the fifth heat on the card. The first bet taken once priced wasn’t on this race but a £1200 – £800 Luke Littler for the World Matchplay in July.
The first couple of bets on the jolly in the race were modest £90 and £60 followed by a couple of bets on other dogs then wallop the lads laid £2000 – £4000 and £1000 – £2000 the favourite.
They were off and the firm got what they’d been waiting for, a result, Droopy’s Aladdin running from trap 3 got first run on the short one and kept his head in front to beat the fast closing four dog. The book copped £5463 on the race and were back in the game.
Star Sports/TRC Derby – Heat 6
All this talk of heats, there wasn’t any heat in the betting ring, it was proper cold, sorry to whinge, but the weather app had put me away. Anyway, enough moaning there’s betting to report on. Bocko’s Diamond opened 4/11, once again, the team priced up the without market too.
The first of any note called in the straight betting was £6000 – £2000 Wicky Ned running from trap 2 which pretty much assured it would be the bogie.
It was, losing £6600 in the book as the traps opened, once again it went the way of the firm but not the bookies in general, Bocko’s Diamond won the heat from 100/1 chance Killieford Goram which ran a cracking race. The book copped £2560 including the without market, where unsurprisingly the runner-up was a skinner.
Star Sports/TRC Derby – Heat 7
There were just a quartet contesting the next heat where Gary The Arb opened 4/5 favourite. Trade snapped that up, £1200 – £1500 laid to a fellow bookie, then a punter bet £2000 – £3000 at the newly trimmed price, topped up by a £200-£300 another punter.
‘One dog book here’ said Lofty, accurately, the bogie was a loser for £5906. Shortly after the race, where the bogie finished last behind Droopy’s Prefect the 2/1 second-in. The book copped £7170, it had turned.
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Star Sports/TRC Derby – Heat 8
Or at least it looked to have, spoiler, it was about to turn back.
‘This race is impossible’ declared Lofty as they priced up bottle the field the next where all six ran. There was a little flurry of punters who wanted the 4/1 Prince Naseem to £100 stakes. The team had already laid £3000 – £600 very early on.
The soon-to-follow trade bet of £1500 – £600 Swords Don was welcome to level things up a bit, then as the dogs were going into the traps they laid £6000 – £2000 Ballymac Pebb running from trap 2.
It looked like the first one beaten but ended up the first one home and took £4820 out of the book, a nasty reversal and the way the race was run very much the cup snatched from lips for Lofty and Kaan.
Star Sports/TRC Derby – Heat 9
Val Tashadelek opened 11/10 to win from trap one in five runner heat nine. The first had already laid £600 at 11/8 earlier in the evening. Going into the race the book was still £2000 in front despite the reversal in the previous race.
Next bet in the book was an even monkey the jolly, which was just buttering the guys up for the even £4000 that followed, another one horse book loomed.
At the off, a punter was walking along the line of bookmakers displaying 4/5 asking for an even monkey but not being obliged, snooze you lose! He no doubt wished he’d taken the wrist on, the bogie won nicely, not so nice the book blew £5471 plunging them back into the red with one heat to go.
Star Sports/TRC Derby – Heat 10
The concluding heat didn’t appear all that inspiring as a getting out stakes. Cheap Sandwiches opened 2/9 and it was bloody freezing. The warm and cosy bar under the stand was filling by the minute, and who could blame the punters for hunkering down there while the band limbered up for their gig after racing.
Lofty and Kaan opened the without market in which Glory Lord from trap two was the 4/6 favourite and proved a popular choice included £2000 – £3000 bet the biggest. Lofty fielded £5 in the straight market and Kaan £4020 without.
It was a bit cruel on the team, the favourite won as expected and Glory Lord finished runner-up losing £2083, the night ended up a £5401 losing one. Still, at least we could get in the warm, they tell me it’s going to be toasty tomorrow night.
We’re back tomorrow.
Views of authors do not necessarily represent views of Star Sports Bookmakers.
Simon Nott is author of: Skint Mob! Tales from the Betting Ring
available on Kindle CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS
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