Greyhounds News / Editor / 28 April 2009 / Leave a Comment

The Newark handler has a strong team for the Derby but Irish contenders look strong too. Meanwhile, the British Greyhound Racing fund has been boosted by bookies...

Fear Zafonic remains favourite for the Derby after the weekend draw for the first round saw Charlie Lister's dog draw trap two in a decent-enough heat which features the high-class Jesters Nap.

Zafonic can be backed at [12.0] for the £100,000 prize and rates the best of four-times Derby-winning trainer Lister's seven entries. But with the likes of Ninja Jamie (27.0) and star pup Bandicoot Tipoki (25.0) in the Newark handler's team, a fifth Wimbledon success looks as likely as ever.

In latest news following an Irish-only weekend trials session, Shelbourne Aston continues to please his trainer Pat Curtin as he bids to become only the second greyhound after Toms The Best to win both an English and Irish Derby. Shelbourne Aston was triumphant at Shelbourne Park last year.

Indeed, the Irish entry is strong with Harold's Cross Puppy Derby winner Droopys Noel part of a strong team from Pat Buckley, which includes Scottish Derby winner Cabra Cool. He is eyeing the second leg of the Triple Crown and the second leg of a possible £1m bonus.

Wimbledon chose to drop a provisional Thursday date to kick off the event, and the split first round takes place this Friday and Saturday. The first four home in 24 heats will qualify for the following week's second round, again on Friday and Saturday.

Other leading contenders for outright honours include Barrie Draper's only Derby entry, Boherna Best; Dean Childs's Deanridge Fury; Pat Rosney's Windy Millar and Martin White's Wise Thought.

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Seamus Graham could return to Wimbledon in 2010 with Mesedo Blue after the dog's victory in the valuable Shelbourne Aston Open Unraced 525 at Shelbourne over the weekend.

The same dog is also in line for a 100,000 euro bonus should he progress to win the Irish Derby back at the Dublin venue in September.

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Barnfield On Air is set for his third Wimbledon Derby campaign after winning his second comeback-from-injury race at Coventry on Sunday.

Sam Poots' dog made virtually all over 480m and showed all his old fire with a decent time to add to encouraging trials at Wimbledon in the build-up to the Classic. Barnfield On Air reached the Derby semi-finals last year.

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Nick Savva may have had a quiet year so far, but is doubly-represented with the Westmeads Osprey and Ace.

And the news from the Savva camp, who have sent out the winners of three of the last four Derbys, is that some more star pups are winning races. Indeed, Westmead Logan, a son of Westmead Swift, equalled the track record in the heats of the Peterborough Puppy Derby last week, while the latest batch of Mega Delight pups are also showing immense promise and speed.

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In other news . . .

Greyhound racing has been boosted with the news that the British Greyhound Racing Fund, the independent body which effectively holds the purse strings for the sport, received record income last year from bookmakers.

The figure is now up to £13.8m. The money is used for welfare, prize-money and stadium grants.

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A meeting between the American company interested in acquiring the dormant site at Walthamstow and members of the Save Our Stow campaign has been arranged. It is hoped this is a precursor to a meeting with the site's owners, housing association L&Q.

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The aforementioned Westmead Logan is a [4.6] favourite for the Peterborough Puppy Derby, which continues with the semi-finals on Friday ahead of Tuesday's live-on-Sky final.

College Causeway, whose connections chose to take in the Ladbroke 600 as opposed to travelling to Wimbledon, is current favourite for the Irish Derby at [13.0].

A number of possible English raiders are quoted, the most interesting being Boherna Best at [44.0].

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