Clock counting down to Thursday's start for English Derby
• 3 min read
EVERY race in every round of the £175,000 Star Sports/TRC English Greyhound Derby from Towcester is live on RPGTV on SportyStuff TV, beginning with the opening ten heats of the first round from 6pm on Thursday.
We set the scene here with expert analysis from both sides of the Irish Sea, while pop back regularly for replays and reaction plus trap draw news.
RPGTV's Dave Clark popped into Paul Hawskbee and Andy Jacobs' popular sports show on Talksport on Wednesday afternoon to discuss all things Greyhound Derby. [Clip courtesy talkSPORT]
Racing Post feature Hawksbee and Jacobs talkSPORT Afternoon 240523 trimmed
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JUST two years ago Patrick Janssens steered Thorn Falcon to Towcester glory and this year he goes to war with another hugely talented team for the 2023 Star Sports/TRC Greyhound Derby. The BGBF British Breeders Stakes champion Romeo Command spearheads the team. An immensely talented two-year-old with the ability to go all the way, he remains a sound bet at 20-1. However, at more than three times his odds, kennelmates Lautaro and Deelish Frankie look proper each-way plays. An interesting runner is early pacer Rioja Joey, who is trained by another top operator in Kevin Hutton who knows what it takes to land the biggest prize of them all after steering Dorotas Wildcat to glory in 2018. This speedy two-year-old sauntered to a nine-length success on his Towcester debut in a trial stake and it’s unlikely we have seen the best of him but the indications are very encouraging.FOLLOWING the withdrawals of Ballymac Seanie, Wide Open, Mr Incredible and Boylesports Vic, there will be 27 Irish-trained runners in the opening round of the Star Sports/TRC English Derby. The fact that Swords Rex has more race experience at Towcester than Posttopillar and superior early speed leaves me feeling that he, in fact, should be clear favourite.He was stunning in his latest run at Towcester, taking two spots off the previous track record, has twice tasted Classic glory in Ireland and has the ability to make fast greyhounds look ordinary. Kennelmate Clona Duke is also expected to make a big impression in the coming weeks. He is widely available at 14-1, which seems about right. My eye is also drawn to Ballymac Johnjo and Mustang Jet. Ballymac Johnjo was a finalist in the National Puppy Stake late last year and Liam Dowling’s star packs a massive finish so could represent real each-way value at 50-1. In contrast, the Dolores Ruth-trained Mustang Jet is all about early dash and the 66-1 on offer is an insult to a greyhound of such ability.
