AN IRISH DOMINATION POSSIBLE AT TOWCESTER

Ian Fortune

The layers certainly believe that Ireland will be dominant at Towcester this evening with each of the four quarter finals of the Star Sports/ TRC English Greyhound Derby featuring a hot favourite representing these shores.

Indeed, Graham Holland has a particularly strong hand with Cheap Sandwiches, Bombay Pat and Bockos Diamond certain to head the market in their respective heats, while Liam Dowling will be hoping his defending champion De Lahdedah can justify odds-on favouritism to continue his incredible march through the classic.

They are joined by six other Irish trained runners, all of which have strong claims in their respective assignments. These include impressive third round winners Sole Mio, Bubbly Charger and Singalong Dolly.

SANDWICHES JOINED BY MIO AND MOLLY IN OPENING HEAT

Cheap Sandwiches suffered his first defeat of the classic last week, failing by just a short head to reel in his kennel companion and old foe Bockos Diamond.

He will bid to atone for that defeat in the opening quarter final where he is joined by the in-form duo of Sole Mio and Singalong Molly.

Sole Mio has been in electric form, winning each of his three assignments in the classic while also improving for each run. He races from two this evening and is seen by the market as the main threat to Cheap Sandwiches. It’s difficult to argue against that view. Certainly, if starting as he did last week when posting the fastest third round time, he would quickly become a serious player.

Singalong Molly has also improved through the Derby. She came from lengths behind to pick up Faypoint Harvey last week and is another entitled to huge levels of respect given her current form. She is drawn in six and will need to be at her very quickest in the early yards but it would be unwise to ignore the claims of this brilliant bitch.

Cheap Sandwiches is a worthy favourite, however. He has really taken to Towcester, looking very fluent around the quirky circuit, while also strengthening up with each outing. If he does find a start, he will emerge as the one to beat from the opening yards.

However, this is far from a three dog affair. The home team are represented by three top class performers in droopys Bookem, Droopys Al;addin and March On Freddie. In fact, this is perhaps the strongest of the four quarter finals and any mistakes will be amplified.

LAHDEDAH AND DIEGO FLY THE FLAG IN HEAT 2

De Lahdedah will start a hot favourite to score in Heat 2 where he is joined by his compatriot and Maiden Derby champion Hello Diego.

Both greyhounds have been in tremendous form and are capable of progressing to the semis, although the UK team will also feel confident that the likes of Romeo Empire, Churchfield Syd and Tiffield Tarquin can also play a part.

In truth, De Lahdedah probably couldn’t have been drawn any better. As he has aged, he seems to be better suited by a draw slightly off the fence and should have too much early dash for Romeo Empire and No Better Feelin on his inner. That could allow him hit the turn in a prominent position, potentially just behind Churchfield Syd, who is the most likely leader.

If doing so, De Lahdedah can power past that rival as he did last summer in the 2024 final before taking charge to the third turn. Hello Diego will be finishing as fast as any in this contest but does need to show a bit of urgency into the bend. If turning third or fourth, he would be difficult to keep out of the frame but he is perhaps hoping for a little help from others as he is wedged between good starters Churchfield Syd and Tiffield Tarquin.

A POWERFUL IRISH HAND IN HEAT 3

The Irish have a particularly strong hand in Heat 3 where Faypoint Harvey and Dynamic Force will be hoping to lower the colours of their compatriot and warm favourite Bombay Pat.

The latter is the biggest priced of the four heat favourites but could still go to traps a shade of odds-against.

His fate will be known early. Should Bombay pat come away as he did in the second round, he quickly quickly find himself at the lead of affairs but he does have a tendency to give his rivals a head start. That would not be ideal this evening, especially with the quality of opposition improving each week.

Dynamic Force went up faster last week, running a huge race behind Sole Mio. Indeed, he was the second fastest qualifier in the third round and a repeat of that form would see him have a big say in the outcome.

Faypoint Harvey has been running remarkably well. He failed to contain Singalong Molly last week and Cheap Sandwiches a week earlier but he has been very consistent at traps and should he make another slick exit, he can certainly put himself in an ideal position to qualify.

Prince Naseem is trained by Maxine Locke but his owner Kim Bergin will be flying the tri-colour. She is confident he has what it takes to get through and we wish both Kim and Wilson, as he is known, luck.

But when all is said, Bombay Pat is a worthy favourite. He is amongst the fastest greyhounds on the planet and, while his tendency to miss the start a beat is a frustrating concern, he will certainly be okay from a trap four draw and may actually come away a bit better. That would be a big concern for his rivals.

DIAMOND AND CHARGER CAN PROGRESS

And so, to the final heat where Irish Derby champion Bockos Diamond takes on one of the new kids on the block, the hugely exciting Bubbly Charger.

Both greyhounds are fancied to safely get through but the home team is a strong one with Droopys Plunge, Droopys Trade, Keefill Maverick and Slick Sentinel all capable of producing a big run.

However, Bockos Diamond is special and the layers are obviously of the same belief. He is a red-hot favourite to take another step towards immortality and recent evidence suggests he is ready to go ballistic.

It’s for that reason he is chosen to dominate from the early yards. Drawn in five, between good starters Keefill Maverick and Slick Sentinel, he will need to come away racing but that is very likely. One suspects we will see the very best of the sensational son of Dorotas Wildcat this evening and he cac come home clear.

Bubbly Charger is perhaps the greatest threat although it will be interesting to see how he handles a move back to the inside after impressing from four in his last two starts. There seems no doubt connections would have a preferred a middle draw for their star but he is learning with each week, is showing exceptional pace throughout and can overcome the draw to follow Bockos Diamond home in second.