Greyhound Derby betting tips: Quarter-finals preview and predictions

The Star Sports & TRC English Greyhound Derby has reached the quarter-final stage and the ruthless nature of the competition will see the remaining 24 runners whittled down to just a dozen on Saturday.

The third-round match-up between ante-post favourites Bockos Diamond and Cheap Sandwiches was as exciting as every fan of the sport would have wanted, with the two powerhouses going paw-to-paw and just a short head separating them at the line. Ultimately it was the Irish Derby Champion that was to prevail and he is now as short as 2/1 to become the English equivalent.

Ten Irish runners remain in the hunt and the raiders have already got the “top bitch” market in the bag with Pat Buckley’s Singalong Molly the only lady left.

Reigning champion De Lahdedah continues to show no sign of wanting to let his crown slip, and it will have been to the delight of many ante-punters that the remaining “big four” in the betting have somehow avoided each other in the quarter finals.

Let’s take a look at the races with a reminder that the first three from each will qualify for the next stage.

• Please note revised off-times

20:22 Quarter Final 1

• 1 Droopys Bookem (Tom Heilbron)

Useful in Ireland for previous handler; no chance with T5 latest though draw offers hope of a minor role this evening

• 2 Sole Mio (Peter Cronin, Ire)

Runner-up in Kirby Memorial; unbeaten in this competition and raucous early pace saw him produce fastest run of the night seven days ago.

• 3 Droopys Aladdin (Mike Burton)

Lightly raced pup; lowered colours of Proper Heiress in first round and produced gritty effort to win last Saturday

• 4 March On Freddie (w) (Dave Mullins)

Top class during 2024; arguably below his best thus far but folly to rule him out if trainer can reinvigorate him ahead of this assignment

• 5 Cheap Sandwiches (w) (Graham Holland, Ire)

Irish Derby runner-up; ready winner of his first two heats in the competition and lost little in narrow defeat to the ante-post favourite

• 6 Singalong Molly (w) (Pat Buckley, Ire)

Last bitch standing; improved effort to take weaker affair and connections will at least be happy with this box

Verdict

CHEAP SANDWICHES may have surrendered his unbeaten record last week but he sets the standard in the opening quarter-final. Sole Mio has demonstrated breathtaking speed to get off the front and will aim to repeat. Droopys Aladdin is giving ex-British Lion, Mike Burton, a lot of fun while March On Freddie is a class act and he needs to find a way to cheat tonight’s draw.

5-3-1

20:39 Quarter Final 2

• 1 Romeo Empire (Patrick Janssens)

Represents previous Derby winning combination; won opening round heat and will attempt to keep on purposefully at the finish

• 2 No Better Feelin (Esther Driver)

Fair over four and six bends; career best effort to chase home T3 at a respectful distance and will be priced similarly

• 3 De Lahdedah (Liam Dowling, Ire)

Reigning Derby champion; very solid in this series and his trapping from the boxes has been key to facilitating those two winning performances

• 4 Churchfield Syd (w) (Richard Rees)

Fourth in last year’s final; lightning quick from the lids though couldn’t dominate proceedings last week and was ultimately well held come the end

• 5 Hello Diego (w) (Paul Hennessy, Ire)

Towcester Maiden Derby winner; ahead of T6 last week and exhibited decent middle-speed in that short-head defeat

• 6 Tiffield Tarquin (w) (Roy Peckham)

Towcester specialist; impressed in opening round and tonight’s odds are a fair reflection of his chances

Verdict:

The stats say it’s difficult for reigning champions to come back but DE LAHDEDAH has done nothing wrong, and if turning ahead of Churchfield Syd, he will be hard to catch. We haven’t seen the best of Hello Diego in this competition so far while Tiffield Tarquin could potentially outrun his odds if keeping high, wide and handsome.

3-5-4

20:57 Quarter Final 3

• 1 Faypoint Harvey (Graham Holland, Ire)

Bettered last year’s Derby effort; led up Cheap Sandwiches in round two and similar levels of alacrity likely to be rewarded

• 2 One Slick Jamie (Paul Marchant)

Hove maiden winner; yet to win a Derby heat and not hard to omit from calculations as a consequence

• 3 Prince Naseem (Maxine Locke)

Regular winner in Ireland for Kim Bergin; fair early pace though has to reverse second round form with T4 to win this

• 4 Bombay Pat (w) (Graham Holland, Ire)

Prolific Open winner in Ireland; showed in round two what he’s capable of but has been ponderous out of these traps and that’s the obvious risk

• 5 Dynamic Force (w) (Paul Hennessy, Ire)

Left Irish form behind in this competition; potentially under the radar despite two wins and his strong-running style has served him well

• 6 Newinn Benni (w) (Derek Knight)

Sussex Cup winner; made all to win his opening round heat but clock suggests he’s up against it in this affair

Verdict

Bombay Pat could easily run away with this if he gets away on but his kennelmate FAYPOINT HARVEY makes more appeal given he handles the draw and can secure vital track position. Dynamic Force did a lot of running last week and is in the right hands to keep progressing. Prince Naseem has to get himself into a handy position early doors.

1-5-4

21:15 Quarter-Final 4

• 1 Bubbly Charger (Brendan Matthews, Ire)

Third in Kirby Memorial; fluid mover from traps and absolutely no fluke about seeing off Bombay Pat in third-round romp

• 2 Droopys Plunge (Patrick Janssens)

Juvenile Championship runner-up; leading ante-post fancy yet inconsistent in this series and no margin for error from hereon in

• 3 Droopys Trade (Patrick Janssens)

Gymcrack third; unbeaten in the competition and this highly progressive youngster has handled everything asked of him so far

• 4 Keefill Maverick (m) (Phil Milner)

Regular in top Northern events; shown useful early but will edge right and must avoid the favourite on the way out

• 5 Bockos Diamond (w) (Graham Holland, Ire)

Brilliant Irish Derby winner; 3/3 in this competition despite a couple of mis-steps and has very much laid down the marker for the rest

• 6 Slick Sentinel (w) (Patrick Janssens)

Runner-up in Blue Riband and Eclipse; entitled to win as he did in third round albeit this will be a different kettle of fish

Verdict

BOCKOS DIAMOND did make hard work of winning his opening round heat but he has appeared solid since and will be put in at short odds despite neighbours Keefill Maverick and Slick Sentinel producing two of the faster sectionals of the third round. Bubbly Charger is an unknown quantity as far as handling the red jacket is concerned. Droopys Trade is a future star who is improving fast.

5-3-1

• The Star Sports/TRC Greyhound Derby will continue live on Saturday on SIS and the majority of bookmaker websites

Posted at 1050 BST on 29/05/25

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