EMILY WALLIS: Greyhound Derby Blog #1 – “A rejuvinated Towcester!”

Welcome to my first blog for the 2026 Star Sports Greyhound Derby! It’s hard to believe that we are already approaching the first round in just a couple of weeks time and Derby fever is well and truly kicking in! writes EMILY WALLIS.

I’m looking forward to my weekly blogs starting back, where I’ll be previewing and reviewing all the racing as well as giving all the latest updates!

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⭐ STAR SPORTS GREYHOUND DERBY 2026 CONTENT ⭐

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⭐ As it’s a slightly earlier Derby this year, it feels as if it has come around very quickly! It doesn’t feel like too long ago that we saw Droopys Plunge cross the line in front to write his name into the history book. When winning last year’s renewal, he picked up the likes of Bockos Diamond and Cheap Sandwiches, it was a thrilling race to top off a brilliant Derby.

⭐ I’m sure this year will be just as exciting. Unfortunately, we won’t be seeing the defending champion at Towcester with Patrick Janssens ruling out Droopys Plunge with an injury that just needed a little bit more time before he returns.

⭐ We will be seeing the likes of Bockos Diamond and Cheap Sandwiches, the last two Irish Derby champions, though in this year’s Derby as Bockos Diamond flew round in a sprint trial last Sunday and Cheap Sandwiches is set for one this week. There are plenty of dogs that I can’t wait to see around Towcester and I’m looking forward to delving into these in my weekly blogs.

⭐ We seem to have a rejuvenated Towcester this year too with the new team doing plenty of work behind the scenes, this includes making the track as well as the buildings and paddock area more presentable which is important and I think will add even more to the buzz and atmosphere.

⭐ Work on the track includes installing new traps, these were put in a few weeks ago now in order to give the dogs time to get used to them, these are flat fronted instead of the curved style. They look to be doing a great job so far but do be aware that it has made the times slightly faster – when studying the form don’t be caught out! There’s also a new inside rail, all to make the track the best it can be.

⭐ Make sure to get to the track as much as possible during the Derby to see all of this and the brilliant dogs in action. After a miserable winter, we’ll hopefully be blessed with some nice weather and there’s nothing better than standing watching the Derby heats on the Towcester terraces in the sunshine!

⭐ We’ve found ourselves just two weeks away from the first round and entries close on Monday, so it’s not long until we found out the confirmed field. Even before the first round there’s plenty to look forward to including the first round draw next Friday and the Star Sports Preview Night in Mayfair the following Tuesday!

⭐ Looking at the ante-post market, you can see how open the Derby is looking. We currently have four joint favourites heading the market for Star Sports. This includes Ballymac Setanta who contests the Con & Annie Kirby Memorial final tomorrow evening at Limerick, he’s really impressed in Ireland clocking some very good times including a track record run at Cork! With him being in the final at Limerick tomorrow evening, it is a tight turnaround if his trainer, Liam Dowling, is wanting to give him a trial at Towcester but it’ll be really interesting to see if he can justify the price at the top of the market when he does travel over.

⭐ Also priced at 14/1 currently is another hugely exciting young dog in Underground Gold. He absolutely breezed through the Monmore Puppy Derby in March winning the final by six lengths in a flying time of 27.79! His early pace is exceptional, although he has come from behind in a race to win as well, he isn’t two until August which could just slightly go against him in the Derby but he’s definitely got the talent and plenty of eyes will be on him in the first round!

⭐ The other two sharing joint-favourtism at the moment are more experienced types in Proper Heiress and Romeo Tomcat. Proper Heiress hasn’t done too much so far this year in preparation for the Derby, he was second in the Kent Plate but the Derby has always been on the mind, his CV is up there with the best of all time, a Derby win the only thing missing…

⭐ Romeo Tomcat has also just had the one competition campaign so far this year in the British Breeders Stakes at Nottingham in which he won. He was young and slightly inexperienced in the Derby last year, although he did win the Derby Plate. He seems to have matured a lot since, he’s won multiple competitions now and I think his price in the market is justified.

⭐ Last Sunday at Towcester, we had the Juvenile which was a brilliant race with six very classy dogs. Early pace won the race as Swords Style absolutely blasted out of the traps, as he has done for the last few weeks, for Graham Holland to land the prestigious title.

⭐ The Irish challenge this year looks strong, as it does every year. Most of the trial stakes last Sunday were won by the Irish challengers but it’s a great element to the Derby with the class of dogs they bring over.

⭐ To get an idea of the Irish challenge, I flew to Ireland for a couple of my kennel visits. Pat Buckley’s was the first of those and he claimed he has his best team yet for the Derby! He is particularly sweet on Hackney Corner, currently 25/1 in the outright market, and he flew round in a trial on Sunday clocking 28.53! His whole team is very talented though and if you haven’t seen my kennel visit yet, it’s worth a watch with some great insight from Pat.

GREYHOUND DERBY 2026 KENNEL VISIT: Pat Buckley

⭐ There’s so many talented dogs in the market that I cannot wait to see in action. This Sunday, we have another interesting trial session before racing at Towcester and then plenty more trial stakes. There’s a couple of really hot ones in there that could provide vital Derby clues.

⭐ Star Sports will be exclusively posting the confirmed entry list shortly after entries close on Monday so keep an eye out for this. I’ll be back with another blog next week to discuss this and plenty more!

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