Derby Blog

Sat 31st May

It’s been a week for the old-timers. This isn’t a direct link to Saturday’s Blue Square Derby final (well, it is but you’ll see the relevance later on) but rather to the pairing that is Anne Diamond and Nick Owen.

For those that have a life, I’ll explain further. Anne and Nick were THE original breakfast show couple. Forget Chris and Gabby, put Johnny and Denise out of your mind, the dynamic duo from TV-AM were responsible for some of my earliest memories and are as much part of the 80s as the A-Team and the Incredible Hulk.

For reasons best known to them, the couple were reunited this week on BBC Radio London and I happened (by chance of course – it’s not my usual choice of radio station) to tune in on Friday morning and couldn’t believe what I heard.

Not only were Anne and Nick waxing lyrical about the old days (interviewing Elton John, Nick and Eric Morecambe grinning cheesily over Luton Town mugs – you get the picture), but Wincey Willis was doing the weather.

I have often wondered what happened to old Wincey, but I can now confirm she’s alive and well. However, the best was yet to come - Gordon Honeycombe was reading the news. And mad Lizzie was doing her work-out – though this didn’t really translate that well over radio.

Gyles Brandreth even made an appearance, though radio is hardly the best medium to showpiece his dazzling array of jumpers.

But that’s the thing about nostalgia. Things are never quite as you remember them. And this was the first thing that sprang to mind when Seamus Graham was quizzed about Premier Fantasy after Loyal Honcho’s superb win in the final on Saturday night.

In the past week, many a good judge has been telling me about Premier Fantasy and how he would have won the Derby for Seamus several years ago had it not been for a tragic accident in the semi-finals. It has obviously preyed on the minds of the Graham family for years as the Derby eluded the Irish handler.

However, surely that particular ghost has been laid to rest as Loyal Honcho turned what looked a competitive Derby into something of a rout, bursting clear at the bend to romp home from the closing Tyrur Kieran.

It was inevitable that comparisons were going to be drawn between the two but hopefully Loyal Honcho will be regarded as a superb Derby winner in his own right – and I’m sure he will be.

Looking back at last year’s race, had the Honcho not suffered an injury prior to the final, we could be welcoming back a dual Derby winner this weekend but as it is, I’m sure Seamus Graham and his genial owner Noel Ryan will be delighted just to have won the English Classic at last.

So that’s that. 140 dogs have been whittled down to one and there’s wouldn’t have been a single person in a packed Wimbledon Stadium who would begrudge him this win.

As for me, I’m currently getting hassled by a load of drunken guests as to why I’m writing on my laptop rather than drinking. And they’ve got a point – so I guess I’ll sign off.

Here’s to a true champion, and a terrific Blue Square Derby.

Sat 24th May

As the old cliché goes, there are lies, damned lies and statistics – and regular readers of this blog will know that I’m not shy of a cliché or two. For example, I was told that the Betfair box next to ours at Wimbledon tonight was made up of 97.3% women (which was a much better effort than ours – believe me).

There will be those that think that Kryptonite will have a massive chance in next Saturday’s Derby final from trap one but those that are slaves to statistics will think that he may as well start now as no winner of a Greyhound Derby run at Wimbledon has ever won from that trap.

However, these stats are there to be broken and if anyone can conjure up a bit of magic to do so, then it has to be ‘Derby King’ Charlie Lister. Although his dog could only manage second in tonight’s first semi-final, the early pace he showed from trap four bodes well for the final and if the son of Top Honcho manages to get to the rails first, ahead of Lenson Express and Tyrur Kieran, then he could just show the field a clear pair of heels.

What a final we’ve got in store next Saturday though. Expertly drawn by Blue Square’s marketing director Nic Wenn (you can’t beat a bit of brown-nosing), the final line-up now looks as open as the competition did when it started way back at the beginning of May.

We can’t split Tyrur Kieran and Loyal Honcho at the moment, who both head the market at 11/4, but just behind this pair are Tyrur Laurel and Kryptonite who are both 3/1 shots. The betting suggests it’s wide open and the reaction I got from various people just after the draw also adds gravitas to this opinion.

Tonight’s first semi-final was won in dogged style by Tyrur Laurel, who saw off the challenge of both Kryptonite and Lenson Express to score by a length. The second semi-final was also won by a dog from trap 5 and Loyal Honcho showed just how dangerous he is when trapping by powering away from the field at the second bend, showing excellent early pace to cut across at the first bend, leaving Tyrur Kieran and the luckless Barnfield On Air in his wake.

Poor old Barney suffered a horrendous passage through on Saturday evening and the various trouble he encounter between the first and second bends meant that his chance was effectively over by this point. It’s a great shame, as he had always looked dangerous in this competition but sometimes you just need the run of the race, which he patently didn’t get here. Compensation surely awaits later on in the year though.

Such was the strength in depth of this year’s competition that the Derby Plate final almost looks worthy of a Derby final itself. Ninja Jamie will be favourite to win the competition after a pillar to post victory on Saturday night but will face stiff opposition from the likes of Love Tiger and Unique Option.

The major shock of the night came in the Champion Hurdle, where hurdler of the year and Grand National winner Kildare Lark was eliminated at the first attempt after finishing third behind Morell Warrior. On the face of it, there seemed to be no excuse for the 1/2 favourite as he was quickly away and led to the fourth bend but the manner in which he finished suggested that this was a laboured performance from him and that he is obviously capable of better.

So it’s all set then. We’re down to the final six and I can honestly say that we couldn’t have hoped for a better final. Six top quality dogs will take each other on next Saturday night and the winner can truly lay claim to being the best four bender either side of the Irish Sea. And what makes it all the more interesting is that we’ve got three Irish raiders in the final as well.

So if you can’t make it to Wimbledon, dust off your tuxedo and put it on – even if you’re in the comfort of your living room. Whether you’re watching on Sky Sports or Blue Square TV, you’ll feel much more into proceedings if you make the effort to dress smartly – and by smartly I don’t just mean putting some trousers on.

Blue Square Greyhound Derby – sponsors bet: 11/4 Tyrur Kieran, Loyal Honcho, 3 Kryptonite, Tyrur Laurel, 10 Blonde Dino, 50 Lenson Express. 1/4 1-2

Tues 20th May

This blog is quite often littered with references to traffic problems but tonight’s effort is a little different as the traffic I encountered this afternoon was on a race circuit rather than the (stationary) M25.

The venue was Sandown’s Daytona circuit and the event was a Go-Karting race in aid of Racing Welfare. The great and the good from the racing and bookmaking industries were there but some of the action was more Wacky Races than anything else. I’d always fancied myself as a bit of a Peter Perfect but am probably more of a Slag Brother (they’d never get away with calling them that now).

The first few practice rounds went pretty well and the Blue Square team ended up eighth on the grid. This gave me the confidence to volunteer my services to start the race and give the team a solid platform from which to build.

I may look like a fat David Coulthard, but I certainly don’t drive like him. The eighth place on the grid was pretty much lost by the first bend and after two laps, we were stuck in last place – especially as I’d already managed to spin off at two corners already.

No such problem with the railers at Wimbledon tonight though. The two semi-finals have four each in them and the likes of Kryptonite and Seanis Lad will have to break very well if they are to have any say in the outcome of those races – though you would fancy the former to have more than a squeak if he traps.

Tyrur Laurel continued the dream run of the Hennessys in this year’s Derby by taking the first quarter-final in good style, breaking extremely well and pretty much leading all for the majority of the way. Barnfield On Air ran an absolute blinder in second, having battled to try and reach Laurel up the back straight and almost diving inside him at the third bend. BOA was actually in danger of going out as he was checked going into the fourth bend but bravely ran on into second and was actually closing as they reached the line. Trap two will help him in the semis and he’s clearly not a spent force yet.

Loyal Honcho took the second quarter in grand style and was a massive price at 3/1 – though my aftertiming is infinitely better than my tipping. He didn’t have a great passsge throughout the race but his pace going into – and out of – the second bend. His two and a half length victory over Lenson Express doesn’t really do his supremacy justice and without wanting to be too biased, I really hope he goes on to win this year’s Derby. He looks even better than last year and no one deserves to win a Derby more than Seamus Graham.

The third quarter-final was always going to be about which dog trapped the best and for once, Tyrur Kieran was just beaten to the punch by Toosey Blue who cornered the better and powered up the back straight to put himself in a commanding position. Kieran once again got a favourable draw in the semis and deserves to be favourite at 5/2 but he’s probably not the good thing that everyone thought he was.

Kryptonite wasn’t the best away tonight, but he showed his legion of fans just why his trainer is known as the Derby legend by showing great early to the first bend and battling his way to victory. He’s another who has been very consistent throughout the competition so far, though his draw in the semi-finals means he cannot afford to be slowly away once more.

I can’t sign off without saying something about Sid Waddell and his fantastic commentary of the Marathon on Sky Sports earlier on in the card. Having been to watch Sid do his training with Errol Blyth at the Sky Sports studios, I know he was quite nervous and it was totally different to anything he’d done before. In true Sid style though, he rose to the occasion tremendously and not only did a brilliant job, but also looked like he thoroughly enjoyed it. Sometimes we can get caught up in the politics of the sport (and understandably so given recent events) but I thought tonight epitomised what the whole game should be about – and that’s fun.

Blue Square Greyhound Derby – sponsors bet: 5/2 Tyrur Kieran, 4 Toosey Blue, 5 Barnfield On Air, 6 Tyrur Laurel, Kryptonite, 7 Loyal Honcho, 14 Blonde Dino, 16 Express Ego, 33 Commander Chief, Seanis Lad, 50 Droopys Obafemi, Lenson Express.

1/4 1-2-3

Sat 17th May

Sometimes I wonder whether I'm a little more like Alan Partridge than I care to admit. I once had a Volvo and quite liked it. I've found myself watching back to back Bonds. And who hasn't sneaked a 10 inch plate into an all you can eat buffet?

And when Melody's Pat, the third of the Irish winners for the evening, romped home in the ‘heat of death', I must admit to thinking about ‘the old image of Leprechauns, shamrock, Guinness, horses running through council estates and people with eyebrows on their cheeks.'

I jest of course. Not about the Irish being on fire though. They have some simply sensational greyhounds left in the Derby and with hot favourite Tyrur Kieran spearheading their challenge (now 2/1 to win outright), they will surely have a big say in the outcome of this competition.

And talk about the luck of the Irish! Having landed the red box in two of the last three draws, he yet again claimed trap one in the quarter-final – and against a load of wide runners to boot. It's a very tough heat but if Paul Hennessy's charge doesn't qualify for the semis, then he'll only have himself to blame.

Kieran showed again why he is Derby favourite tonight with another fantastic front-running performance from trap one and although the time of 28.57sec looked ordinary at the time, the other performances on the clock this evening showed that this run was not bad at all.

Trap one was successful again in the second heat when Seanis Lad provided Walthamstow trainer Mark Wallis with a bit of a tonic to recent events by scooting clear to win by a length and a quarter.

Tyrur Laurel, Commander Chief and Toosey Blue had a battle royale in the third heat, with the former just holding on, whilst Lenson Joker won the fourth heat after just collaring Splanc on the line. The latter has been slowly improving in the competition so far and has improved with each run at Wimbledon. He could prove to be a lively outsider and is definitely another string in the bow to the Irish challenge.

Heat 5 was billed by many as the ‘heat of death' beforehand and it was always clear that one of the big guns was going to bite the dust as the likes of Catunda Harry and Farloe Reason took each other on. And it was indeed these two that failed to qualify as Melodys Pat flew from the traps to take this race by the scruff of its neck. Both Charlie Lister and Owen McKenna's dogs had been shortish in the betting before thisrace but neither could muster a significant challenge to get in the three.

The race of the evening came in heat 6, as trouble at the first bend saw the race virtually reduced to a match as Boherna On Air led Bubbly Totti up the back straight. These two had a right set-to on the final couple of bends before Ted Soppitt's dog got on top, but Barrie Draper's charge battled on bravely and it was only three-quarters of a length that separated these two at the line. Totti has been kept on the boil nicely by his handler in this competition so far and if he can keep producing his trademark late finishes, then not only will he continue to capture the public imagination, but he will also have a big say in the outcome of this year's Derby.

Machu Picchu had been quietly backed in the outright market this week, but a slow start left him with a mountain to climb and he couldn't rise to the challenge in heat 7, which Barnfield Woody, Love Mac and Dilemmas Flight to progress to the last 24.

The final heat of the night saw another shock of sorts, as even money favourite Barnfield On Air was beaten into third behind Kryptonite and eventual winner Blonde Dino, who landed the spoils at 16/1. John Mullins was delighted with his dog, who he claimed was just on the way back at the moment and as long as he comes out of this race alright, then he could be another that could shock a couple of the more fancied dogs in the quarter-finals.

Although it's great to see classy performances, it's also good to see old-fashioned guts and the battle between Bubbly Totti and Boherna On Air had this in spades. I think that this was probably the best race of the competition so far and although Totti looked seriously good in picking up Barrie Draper's charge, it was great to see Boherna On Air sticking on doggedly and proving to be so brave.

Or as Partridge would say: 'so ruddy, bloody brave'.

Blue Square Greyhound Derby – sponsors bet: 2 Tyrur Kieran, 6 Barnfield On Air, 12 Bubbly Totti, Kryptonite, Loyal Honcho, Tyrur Laurel, 14 Melodys Pat, Toosey Blue, 16 Kilkenny Lonjack, Rio Quando, 20 bar.

1/4 1-2-3-4

Sat 10th May

Most of this blog so far has been me ranting and raving over various traffic problems I’ve had, so you’ll be pleased to know that I won’t be banging on about travel for once - which is good because I’m no Judith Chalmers (although we do have the same bad tan after this week’s sunshine).

Anyone watching on Blue Square TV this evening would have looked at the weather and wished they were here (sorry). The weather today has been gorgeous and Wimbledon was bathed in sunshine as I parked up and it was smiles all round as people flocked through the gates. And they had every right to be happy, as they had some fantastic greyhound racing to look forward to and it didn’t disappoint.

Blue Jockey got the ball rolling in heat 9 and finally produced a performance that he’d been threatening to in trials, clocking a very respectable 28.56 in the process. We cut him to 25/1 (from 66) after this and he’s another that has to enter the equation on this showing, which kicked off another cracking night for the Irish.

Kryptonite took heat 10 with another professional run after showing good early pace to lead at the bend. This would have been a real tonic to trainer Charlie Lister who, as well as his well documented travel problems yesterday, also had to withdraw the promising Tyrur Rhino from the first heat after he had damaged a tendon. He is now a 12/1 shot and carries the main hopes of the Newark handler now along with Farloe Reason.

The most professional performance of the night came from last season’s finalist Loyal Honcho, who spread-eagled his rivals by four and a half lengths in heat 11. He burst out of the traps and ran the track really well, showing the Wimbledon crowd just what a good dog he is when on song. He’s now a 16/1 shot and you certainly wouldn’t bet against him reaching the final once more.

Another of last year’s finalists, Ullid Conor, took the next heat in gutsy fashion and is a dog that keeps producing it at Wimbledon. He may not be the sexiest dog in the competition but his consistency saw him reach the final last year and a repeat may well be on the cards again – though you’d have to admit that this is a stronger renewal.

Machu Picchu (which we all know is Quetcha for ‘old mountain’ – or at least Wikipedia does) wasn’t a dog that many people were familiar with before tonight but Peter Cronin’s charge will certainly have raised a few eyebrows in taking heat 13. The time of 28.56 was pretty decent (even though this was just after the bowser had gone round) and in beating Kilkenny Lonjack, he’s already claimed one big scalp in this competition. According to Wikipedia, Machu Picchu is a lost city of the Incas and is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, so there’s plenty of scope for the headline writers should this dog go far in the Derby.

Droopys Maestro won heat 14 but almost got a taste of his own medicine as Romeo Turbo almost mugged him on the line, just as he’d done to Carlsberg Flash the previous week. I was particularly taken with the second home as he had to do everything the hard way and nearly came from an impossible position to take this race. Sometimes following these unlucky losers can be dangerous, but I thought that Romeo Turbo had more to give and could be one to follow at a biggish price.

The biggest roar of the night came when Bubbly Totti defied a slow start to weave his way through the field and win a shade cosily. Champagne Club syndicate owner Steve Fluin said his heart almost stopped as he saw his dog go for the gap at the third bend but he showed that he has a brain as well as talent to cut back for the inside before powering away up the straight for a one and a quarter length victory.

Rio Quando went about his heat the opposite way and went about his victory with the minimum of fuss. Danny Riordan’s dog showed great early to lead to the first bend and it was essentially all over then as the son of Royal Impact powered away for an easy victory.

There were no real shocks tonight but we did see some classy performances, which set things up nicely for the third round. Hardened dog men tell me that this is the best round and when you look at the dogs in the draw for the third round (which takes place on Monday in the Diamond Room), then you’d be hard pressed to argue with them.

I couldn’t let this blog end without mentioning some kind of travelling woe – it’s now 11.15 and I’ve got to travel up to North Yorkshire for a wedding tomorrow. Not only is attendance compulsory, but they’ve also made the foolish mistake as booking me as DJ – despite no previous experience. Apparently being half decent at pub quizzes means you’d put a good playlist together – but anyone who’s had a look at my iPod will know that this is not the case. Still, they’ll realise their mistake when Pato Banton kicks off proceedings.

Blue Square Greyhound Derby – sponsors bet: 6 Barnfield On Air, 7 Tyrur Kieran, 10 Catunda Harry, 12 Kryptonite, Farloe Reason, 16 Toosey Blue, Rio Quando, Loyal Honcho, Bubbly Totti, Tyrur Laurel, 20 Barnfield Slippy, Droopys Maestro, Express Ego

1/4 1-2-3-4

Fri 9th May

It was always going to be ambitious. Chester to Wimbledon is a big enough task on its own but on a Friday evening, the chance of me making the first heat of tonight’s second round looked slim on paper and when the traffic reporter on 96.4 Eagle Radio stated that the M40 was shut between junctions one and two, then I’d pretty much resigned myself to missing the first heat. Still, at least I got the Golden Hour right (1988 – Aztec Camera’s Somewhere In My Heart clinched it).

I wasn’t the only one having travel problems. It turned out that Charlie Lister was stuck in pretty much the same jam that I was. As the Sheffield maestro has more clout than I do, a swift phone call to the track meant that racing was put back 15 minutes, which enabled Farloe Reason to line up for the first heat in trap two against the mighty Barnfield On Air in one.

As with last week, I managed to make the first by the skin of my teeth but the race lived up to expectations and more than made up for the mad cross-country dash. There was always the danger that Barney may get found out in trap one, but he flew out of the traps and it was a two dog race by the second bend. The titanic tussle that both himself and Farloe Reason had down the back straight will surely be one of the highlights of the 2008 Derby. Lister’s dog had every chance but Barney kept pulling out a bit more, showing a good bit of track-craft to close the door on his rival at the third bend.

He is now the 7/1 joint-favourite for the Derby and as long as the sun continues to shine, then Sam Poots’ dog will surely thrive on his racing and looks the one they all have to beat.

The shock of the night came in the second heat as the reigning champ Westmead Lord bit the dust in a messy heat won by Express Ego. Nick Savva’s charge endured a rough passage from the start but just as he was looking like he had missed the trouble at the first bend, he just seemed to clip the eventual winner on the turn which put paid to his chances. Connections will understandably be disappointed but the Lord has seemed to lack his usual sparkle since his return to action this year and paid the price here.

The track heavily favoured the inside runners this evening, which should have boded well for Tyrur Kieran who had his favoured berth in trap one. However, he didn’t manage to lead to the first bend this time and had to do things the hard way, which meant that Toosey Blue led at the first bend, giving him the crucial advantage. I’d been a bit sceptical about Paul Hennessy’s dog so far as I thought he’d had things his own way so far but I’m now a believer as he has now shown that he can qualify without necessarily having the run of the race. He’s now the other 7/1 joint-favourite for the race and is another that should keep on qualifying.

Droopys Wells and Ninja Jamie were the next two big guns to fall, which now reduces my ante-post portfolio to just one – nothing like having all your eggs in one basket. The latter capped off a pretty miserable day for handler Charlie Lister but Droopys Wells seemed to have no real excuses. Catunda Harry qualified again and is still in the competition but will surely have to trap better than he has done so far if he is to go much further. He’s a dog with a lovely temperament but he’ll also keep giving his supporters minor coronaries if he keeps missing the break like that.

The Droopys Obefami and Tobey fought out a good finish in heat 6 but the suspicion is that the latter doesn’t really fully get the 480 metres at Wimbledon. This should take nothing away from the winner though, who stayed on really well and should give his part-owner Mark Crossley a lot of fun. ‘Keeper Crossley is now at Oldham, where he is player-coach and is the only player to save a penalty from Matt Le Tissier (I don’t know how I retain this information – I can’t remember where I’ve left my shoes most days). I was going to make a cheap gag about not dropping the trophy when I made the presentation but chickened out and gave the memento to his kids instead. They seemed to be having more fun being interviewed by Darrell Williams on Blue Square TV. DW handled them supremely well but when I saw his tribe later on, I realised that he must have had plenty of practise!

The performance of the night however has to be Love Tiger’s rout in heat 7, which was done in a seriously good time which left his handler speechless. He clocked 28.29, which is only a length or so off the track record and was easily the best time of the night.

Melodys Pat had been odds-on for this race and had every chance but was blown away by the winner, who is now a 33/1 shot (from 200s) to lift the trophy. He’s always been capable of a quick time (as his 27.51 over 460m showed) but the question has to be if he can replicate this over the next couple of rounds. The 33/1 is sure to be popular but it remains to be seen whether this was just a one-off performance.

Annual Scholes took the last from Tyrur Laurel to ensure that both these promising dogs go through and the latter still promises to post a good performance when everything goes his way.

Anyway, I need to pack up now as I’m just about to be chucked out by security. Not for the first time this week either. I don’t feel like I’ve earned it though – an ex-colleague of mine once told me of the time he got thrown out of Charlie Chan’s for knocking Pete Beale over on the dancefloor in the 80s. Now that’s a claim to fame. Where’s Gaffney when you need him?

Blue Square Greyhound Derby – sponsors bet: 6 Barnfield On Air, 7 Tyrur Kieran, 10 Catunda Harry, 12 Farloe Reason, 14 Kryptonite, 16 Barnfield Slippy, Tyrur Laurel, Toosey Blue, 20 Kilkenny Lonjack, Rio Quando, Express Ego, Bubbly Totti, 25 bar.

1/4 1-2-3-4-5

3rd May 2008

Whereas last night’s action produced plenty of shocks, tonight’s saw some classic duels and there were some thrilling finishes during the twelve heats we had here. The general consensus at the end of the first round of proceedings is that this Derby is shaping up to be one of the best ever and I just hope that the next couple of weeks lives up to everyone’s expectations.

One of the night’s closest finishes saw Droopys Maestro collar Carlsberg Flash right on the line to take heat 14 and my position as worst judge in the world is safe once more as I was almost certain that the four dog had won – thank God they weren’t betting on the photo!

I’m pretty sure that if I were a greyhound, then I’d be one that swooped late – those are the sort of dogs that really capture the imagination. However, I didn’t hear much cheering as I ran across the car park in an attempt to catch the first heat of the evening having done a mad dash from Newmarket earlier on in the day (no wide runner jokes please). In hindsight, I shouldn’t really have stopped for that chicken and mushroom slice.

I was just catching my breath as the lids flipped for tonight’s opening salvo and it saw another shock as Pall Mall winner Spears Tarquynn bit the dust. The heat was won by Swift N Smart, who proved to be just that, scoring by two lengths from A Million Maid. We’ve laid plenty of 5/2 about the six box winning the most races throughout the Derby, especially after Peter Meldrum highlighted the stats in the Racing Post pullout earlier on this week, so we’re not overly keen on there being too many winners in the stripes.

The honours for race of the night probably have to be shared between Boherna On Air’s win over Unique Option and Kryptonite’s battling victory at the expense of Tyrur Laurel.

Heat 16 looked one of the most competitive of the entire first round but it soon became a two dog race as Barrie Draper’s dog locked horns with David Pruhs’ charge. Neither wanted to give in and it looked for a while that Unique Option might get on top at the third bend but Boherna On Air dug deep for a half a length victory.

It’s not often that you get taken with a dog in defeat but I was mightily impressed with Tyrur Laurel tonight. He struggled with the start (as some of the Irish dogs have done so far in this competition) but the pace he showed off the second bend was really eye-catching. Kryptonite had the race won by this point, as he was very quickly away, but sometimes these things just stick in your head and I reckon Paul Hennessy’s dog could well have a big say in the latter rounds.

There was another large groan from the boys back in the office as Farloe Niall produced a devastating late run to take heat 18, as he’s one of the worst results in our book, having laid a decent bet on him at 150/1 a few weeks back. He looks very strong and is another that could well have a say later on in the competition, though the general feeling is that he’d maybe have to improve a little more to beat the very best.

There were some decent times posted in the last few heats. Mustang Garcia clocked 28.76 to take heat 19, beating hot favourite Rio Quando in the process. Danny Riordan’s dog seemed to have no real excuses in defeat (he was bumped at the start but I’m not sure that made that much difference) and connections will be hoping he will come on for the run.

Tyrur Rhino and Kilkenny Longjack showed their class in winning their respective heats, which saw them both cut in the outright book. Both dogs were smartly away and soon put their races to bed, with Seamus Cahill’s dog posting a marginally better time in 28.63.

The best was saved for last though, as Tyrur Kieran shot to the head of the Derby betting once more after showing that trap three didn’t hinder him to take the final heat and earn an 8/1 quote from our good selves. He stayed on a true line after trapping smartly, only cutting across when he reached the first bend after which it was race over. I suppose there’s still the danger that he may draw a couple of quicker dogs inside him during the next couple of rounds but they’d have to be very quick to beat him to the first bend and he’s clearly in the form of his life at the moment.

So that’s the first round done and dusted. I’m pretty shattered, having been on the go all weekend, and there’s still the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket to come tomorrow, not to mention the last day of the Championship and the possibility that the mighty Blades may yet sneak into the play-offs. But before I go – let me tell you a story (as Max Bygraves used to say).

As the bowser went round halfway through proceedings, nature called so off I trotted to the toilets on the first floor of the grandstand. As I walked in, I could hear some commotion coming from trap two, just as the runners were parading for heat 20. Either someone was very excited about the upcoming race or – well, I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions. I left tutting loudly – where do they think this is? Royal Ascot?

Blue Square Greyhound Derby – sponsors bet: 8 Tyrur Kieran, 10 Catunda Harry, 12 Farloe Reason, 14 Advantage Johnny, Barnfield On Air, 16 Westmead Lord, Tyrur Rhino, Tyrur Laurel, Ninja Jamie, 20 Rio Quando, Romeo Maldini, 25 Bubbly Totti, Kilkenny Lonjack, Melodys Pat, Kryptonite, 33 bar.

1/4 1-2-3-4-5

2nd May 2008

When the entries for the Blue Square Greyhound Derby were announced, many thought that this would be a renewal of quality and even at this early stage, it’s clear that the winner of the 2008 version will have to be a dog of real talent.

Although the column inches on both Barnfield On Air and Ballymac Under had dried up in recent weeks, there’s no doubt that tonight’s heats were dominated by the pair, but for completely contrasting reasons.

I suppose the headlines tomorrow will be dominated by Ballymac Under’s elimination from the competition but the manner in which he faded in the home straight surely suggests that this wasn’t the dog that has wowed the public in previous month’s and it capped off a pretty miserable night for trainer Matt Dartnell, who also had the talented Attykitt Admiral knocked out.

It will be interesting to see if something comes to light for the poor display from Ballymac but on first glance, there seemed to be no obvious explanation for the poor run. However, I’m sure we’ll see plenty more of this particular dog, though sadly not at Plough Lane over the next few weeks.

Two performances stood out this evening. The first saw Barnfield On Air return to something like his best with an authoritative display in heat 9 in a time of 28.60, a time that was only bettered by both Farloe Reason and Toosey Blue. Sam Poots’ dog had a pretty torrid time of it up at Shawfield in the Scottish Derby but bounced back to form in no uncertain terms and is now a 16/1 shot for the competition – a price which I think will tempt several punters into backing him outright.

However, we now have a new favourite for the Derby in Catunda Harry who managed to find more trouble than Amy Winehouse on a night out before powering home to take heat 10 in impressive style. The time was nothing to write home about (29.11) but sometimes you have to forget the clock and it was the manner in which he won that was so eye-catching and with it only being his third run round Wimbledon, then there’s surely plenty of room for improvement – especially when he pings the lids.

Catunda Harry is now the 10/1 favourite with Blue Square for the Derby, just ahead of Tyrur Kieran at 12/1, who appears on Saturday, and Farloe Reason, who was trimmed into 14/1 (from 16s) after a great battle with Advantage Johnny in the first heat. Both dogs were well clear of the field and the latter lost nothing in defeat and is another Irish dog that will surely improve the more he runs at the track.

Westmead Lord too would have pleased connections with a satisfactory performance behind the well-backed Melodys Pat in the second heat. ‘The Lord’ didn’t have to produce anything special, being in a heat where all four qualified, but he showed some of his customary sparkle in finishing in second and connections will have been more than pleased with this – especially as he didn’t win a heat last year before pouncing to victory on final night.

The only other major upset this evening saw Rossacredibility go out after he failed to sparkle in the final heat of the night. Charlie Lister’s dog had been fancied in certain quarters to give the Derby King another victory in the race but he was another that failed to give his running, folding tamely in the home straight.

So what can we glean from tonight’s action? Well, as ever, there’s no such thing as a certainty, as both Ballymac Under and Rossacredibility were both beaten at odds-on. We’ll be dishing out a good few free bets after this due to our cashback offer, but at least punters get another chance in what still looks a very open Derby. The Irish have had a very good night, claiming four of the heats and possibly adding Tyrur Jay into what looks a very strong challenge already.

However, on a personal note, the story of the night has to be the return of Barnfield On Air. As he showed last year, he comes to hand that little bit later and I’m sure Sam Poots and Darran Keefe will have been delighted with that run. As each week goes by and the more the sun shines, I’m convinced Barney will get better and better. And that can only spell trouble for the rest of the field.

With shocks aplenty on the first night, at least one thing has remained constant – my tipping ability. Chalked up at 33/1 by my colleagues for the Media Tipping Challenge (details of which are available on the home page of this website), that price can probably have another zero on the end after a string of second placed efforts. The Racing Post’s Richard Birch had been all the rage in the market before tonight’s action and I’m sure the maestro would have had one or two winners to shout home.

If you’re at Wimbledon tomorrow and you hear an ‘oi-oi!’ from the crowd, you know who’s leading this particular battle.

Anyway, time to log off now and have forty winks or so. Up early in the morning to travel to Newmarket - who says this job isn’t glamourous! I’ll tell you what though – it’ll have to go some to rival tonight’s action.

Blue Square Greyhound Derby – sponsors bet: 10 (from 14) Catunda Harry, 12 Tyrur Kieran, 14 (from 16) Farloe Reason, 16 (from 20) Advantage Johnny, (from 20) Barnfield On Air, Westmead Lord, 20 Romeo Maldini, Ninja Jamie, 25 (from 33) Melodys Pat, Tyrur Rhino, Tyrur Laurel, Rio Quando, 33 bar. ¼ 1-2-3-4-5-6

21st Apr 2008

Been a bit of a while since I’ve updated this, but seeing as the Derby Draw is looming large on the horizon on Sunday (live on BlueSq TV, streaming fans), it’s probably overdue.

The Blue Square Greyhound Derby was officially launched at the London Victoria Grosvenor Casino on Friday afternoon, where a lunch was held for the great and good of the greyhound world. And I was there as well.

From a company perspective, it was great to have an occasion like this where we could outline our offers and plans for the Derby, including the fact that we’ve now gone 14/1 the field. Most of the assembled media seemed to agree – in fact, they all concurred that the race could easily be 20/1 the field with about ten to fifteen joint-favourites.

Even Darran Keefe admitted that the single-figure price about Barnfield On Air had been crazy after his Birmingham Cup win and that the 16/1 now available was more on the money. He probably would have been a single figure price had the Derby been run late last August but his form since coming back this year entitles him to be no shorter than his current price.

It was also great to see Sid Waddell at the event as well. Sid is doing a couple of PR events for us during the Derby, the most interesting one being a commentary on Sky on quarter-final night. He can certainly talk fast enough for the dogs but whether he’ll be able to slip in one of his infamous one-liners remains to be seen. If he can come up with one to beat ‘he’s not a donis, he’s THE donis’ then I’ll be a happy man!

The Scottish Derby winner Tyrur Kieran has to turn up at Wimbledon now, given the carrot of the £1million pound bonus, but he needs to lead and that might make things difficult. However, he trialled well the other night at the track and railed very efficiently so at least it looks as if he will act round the track.

Other Irish dogs to trial well recently include Blue Jockey, but it was interesting to hear Michael Fortune’s comments the other day that he couldn’t really have him as a Derby dog. College Causeway was the great man’s outsider for the race but punters should really hold fire until he turns up, as this could be unlikely after his defeat at Shelbourne Park in the Easter Cup.

So it’s all to play for. We’ll know a lot more on Wednesday after the entries close and a little more after the draw on Sunday. The draw takes place at 1pm in the Diamond Room at Wimbledon and will be streamed live on BlueSq TV on our website – as will the 1st, 2nd and 3rd rounds in their entirety. This worked really well last year and we hope to repeat the dose this time around. So all that remains is for you to pick through the entries, stick those ante-post bets on and kick-back and relax with a couple of beers whilst enjoying all the action on BlueSq TV.

Simple.

21st Feb, 2008

We're now officially 100 days away from the Blue Square Greyhound Derby. Or so the clock on this website tells me – I haven't actually worked it out yet. However, there are certain things that don't lie – hips, cameras and - unless I'm pretty much mistaken – you can add clocks to that list too.

Therefore, what better way to celebrate this milestone than to start this year's blog? Many pundits are already in agreement that this year's Derby could well be one of the best in recent memory and it certainly looks like it could be – on paper at least.

At the head of the market, we've got the young pretender in the shape of Ballymac Under. There's no doubt that this dog has all the potential in the world but is he value at single figures? Some would say not at this stage but he won't get any bigger if he continues winning and it could just be that he's the best young dog to run at Wimbledon for some time.

Yet, Barnfield On Air might have something to say about this. Barney may have already suffered his first reversal of the calendar at the hands of Spiridon Louis but he's been posting some pretty impressive times in trials of late and is due to make his seasonal debut at Monmore on Saturday. An impressive performance there could well see him usurp Ballymac Under at the head of the market. Which leads me to what to call Ballymac Under. I'm thinking Mac would certainly be the choice of the hacks and gives them plenty of ammo for headlines. Mac would seem the most obvious nickname but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong (or indeed suggest your own).

Now would be a good time to fill you in on what we've laid so far on the Derby as well. As soon as Westmead Lord had passed the post in last year's race, we laid 50/1 about him repeating the feat in 2008. Now a 25/1 shot, the reigning champion is the worst result in our ante-post book, but I reckon that will all change come the first round at the beginning of May.

Ninja Jamie is one of the more interesting dogs we've laid so far. Having laid both Jamie and his litter brother Farloe Reason at 66/1, we've been following their progress with interest. At the Springbok meeting at Wimbledon, Ninja Jamie certainly looked like a dog to follow and he surely has more progress in him, having only had three races so far. Although he may seem short at 14/1, but he's in the right hands at Charlie Lister's and there would be worse bets you could have at this present time. Farloe Reason somewhat fluffed his lines at the same meeting and whilst he is clearly a better dog than he showed last time, his Derby prospects have certainly taken a dent.

All in all, we've laid 62 dogs so far in this tournament and the 1/4 1-2-3-4-5-6 is proving as popular as ever. The Scottish Derby is up and running after looking dead in the water and we already have two dogs at the head of the market that could raise the profile of the sport as Kauto Star and Denman have done on the run-up to the Cheltenham Festival. Indeed, Barnfield has already been the subject of photo-shoots in the Sunday papers – which is more than a lot of Premiership players have got.

There's a long way to go until the end of May but there is every reason for thinking that this year's renewal of the Blue Square Greyhound Derby could be one of the best ever. I'm genuinely looking forward to being a part of it.

Send your comments and emails to george.primarolo@bluesq.com

Blue Square Greyhound Derby – latest betting

Ballymac Under 7/1
Barnfield On Air 8/1
Ninja Jamie 14/1
Farloe Reason 20/1
Westmead Lord 25/1
Loyal Honcho 25/1
Tyrur Rhino 33/1
Skywalker Ace 33/1
Rio Quando 40/1
Blonde Dino 40/1
Westmead Keawn 40/1
Boherna On Air 40/1

1/4 1-2-3-4-5-6