EMILY WALLIS: Greyhound Derby Blog #6

Welcome back to my Greyhound Derby Blog where this week we are now at the quarter-final stage!

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⭐ STARSPORTS.BET GREYHOUND BETTING ⭐

⭐ STAR SPORTS GREYHOUND DERBY 2026 CONTENT ⭐

⭐ GWA TIPPING CHALLENGE ⭐

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⭐ Just 24 greyhounds remain and there’s just over two weeks to go until we find out who our 2026 champion will be! There are four very interesting and competitive quarter-finals to look forward to on Saturday and it’s all still looking really open and a number of dogs look good enough to take the title it’s a shame that the run will be over for 12 of them this weekend.

⭐ Looking back at the third round we were treated to a night of brilliant racing where there was a good crowd and atmosphere and the Derby roar from the terraces as the races happen is getting louder each week.

⭐ Before we get into it, the night was marred slightly by the injury to Mongys Wild in the TV Trophy final immediately after the Derby heats on Saturday but I’m thrilled to report that his injury has been treated, he’s on the road to recovery and he’ll have a very happy retirement! An absolute superstar of the sport for the last 18 months, he’ll be missed on the track and it’s a shame we won’t get to see him on Derby final night but, as always, the most important thing is that he is recovering well at home.

⭐ The third round kicked off with a thriller, there wasn’t much to split Lennies Eddie and Swords Style in the betting but it was Lennies Eddie who used the inside draw to full advantage to get his first win in the competition after winning a couple of trial stakes previously. I was completely taken by him when filming my kennel visit at Paul Hennessy’s before the competition, he’s a playful and happy dog and looks a real contender for outright glory. Getup The Boy was second and he is a dog that’s certainly running well without winning but qualifying is all you need to do at the moment! Unfortunately, it was the end of the road for Swords Style who has to be one of the most consistent trappers we’ve seen at Towcester.

⭐ Graham Holland wouldn’t have been disappointed for long as in the next heat his Gaytime Clyde was a very popular winner, the English got their first two qualifiers in Goldcash Warrior and Swift Magnison coming second and third respectively.

⭐ The next heat was extremely tense as Proper Heiress took on five Irish runners, four of them were in a line at the bend but ‘Harry’ has so much guts and determination and managed to get round in front and from there, he wouldn’t be caught. The roar that went up when he got round the bend would give you goosebumps, the Derby atmosphere is like no other and he’s always a very popular winner.

⭐ The next heat left people more stunned than anything else. Ballymac Duffle, our Derby favourite going into the race, walked out the boxes and looked in trouble of not even qualifying. In his previous heats, he’s smashed out and led all the way but on Saturday he weaved his way through the whole field to just get up on the line, picking up a classy dog in Slick Sentinel. He proved on Saturday that he can do it both ways and everyone at the track was amazed at what they’d just seen.

⭐ We then had the extremely tricky heat 5 where another runner coming out of trap 1 missed their break, this time Glengar Kane. He showed a lot of pace but found trouble and made his exit from the competition along with kennelmate and Irish Derby finalist, Glengar Silent. Scooby The Lady is another so consistent out of the traps and pinged out once again and wasn’t for catching, Underground Gold tried hard in behind but struggled to find a way around her, he lost nothing in defeat though.

⭐ In the next, it was another race that left people stunned. Epic Ace broke well, showed his electric early pace and led all the way to an over seventh length victory. This wasn’t so surprising as he was the hot favourite but the time of 28.14, which is over two lengths inside the track record, was. He is running at the top of his game for his young trainer Jack Kennedy who said after the race that being a slightly older dog is working to his advantage.

⭐ In the last two heats we had impressive wins from another two trap 2 runners in Ballymac Ralf who blasted out of the traps to win in a very fast 28.36 and Strike It Skye who won in a slightly different style running down Droopys Aladdin around the last couple of bends and pulling away to win from the also running on, Ballymac Deniro.

⭐ Overall, it was a brilliant night on Saturday and one person who would have been very happy heading home was Liam Dowling. He arrived at Towcester a few weeks ago with a seriously strong team and that has certainly shown throughout the last few weeks, he has a total of four runners through to the quarter-finals and they have all drawn separate races! Holding the fort at home but a massive part of the team is Shane Dowling, on their Derby runner’s quarter-final draws he has said, “Ballymac Iroko has taken to Towcester very well, he is a strong runner and will relish a step up in trip in time. He may need a bit of luck in running but if there’s any trouble, he could pick up the pieces to grab a qualifying spot.

⭐ “Ballymac Duffle has been brilliant so far but will have to be much sharper at the boxes this week, there’s plenty of early on his inside but third place will do! Ballymac Deniro has a better draw on Saturday but has ran well so far, he has had very competitive races and handled himself well, we’re hoping for a clear run with him.

⭐ “Heat 4 is a real quality affair and probably the most competitive in my opinion, Ballymac Ralf will have to produce another quick start here to get involved.”

⭐ All four quarter-finals look extremely competitive. In the first we have Proper Heiress, Epic Ace, Underground Gold, Droopys Aladdin, Bubbly Hogan and Ballymac Iroko…wow! There’s going to be a real battle to lead between the four inside runners and the first bend is going to be really important, Ballymac Iroko has been going slightly under the radar has a lovely draw on the outside.

⭐ The next quarter-final looks slightly kinder and could be a battle between Scooby The Lady and Ballymac Duffle. Despite, Duffle missing the break last week, last time he was in trap 4 he flew out of the boxes and, if doing so again, we’re set for a really exciting race!

⭐ The final quarter-final looks very competitive and you wouldn’t be surprised to see any of the six dogs win this. It could be very dependent on who traps out in front, I am hopeful that Strike It Skye is able to do something similar to last week and turn in a good position to qualify. We have two bitches left in the competition and both have really strong claims, it’s been a while since a bitch has won the Derby, could we see it this year?

⭐ Star Sports have priced up who will go furthest out of the two bitches and Scooby The Lady is favourite at 4/6 with Strike It Skye priced at 6/5. They have different running styles which makes it even more interesting, Scooby The Lady really needs to lead in her races to see her at her best whereas Strike It Skye doesn’t need to lead as she proved last week. However, Scooby The Lady is so consistent at the traps and has so much early pace as well as a nice draw on Saturday – it’s an interesting market.

⭐ As well as the Derby quarter-finals on Saturday, we now have all the supporting competitions starting and building us up for a bumper Derby final night card. On Saturday evening, we have heats of the GreyhoundTrader.com Stakes as well as heats of the Derby Plate. The action then continues into Sunday with heats of the sprint, stayers and british bred competitions. Star Sports have already priced up the two competitions starting on Saturday which also both look highly competitive.

⭐ The battle between the UK and Irish runners continues in the Derby and from 24 greyhounds in the quarter-finals it’s an even split of 12 for each side. The market does favour the Irish with the two joint favourites being from the away side but, as is the whole competition, it’s very open!

⭐ Particularly as we head into a heatwave, Saturday night at Towcester isn’t one to miss. The atmosphere should be brilliant and I am looking forward to being there capturing more interviews and content for our live blog.

⭐ We’re only a couple days away from finding out our semi-finalists, it’s all becoming very real for connections. To everyone involved, the best of luck!

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