Greyhound Derby betting tips: Third round preview and analysis

Ballymac Duffle is a general 6/1 favourite for the Star Sports & Orchestrate English Derby at Towcester.

The Star Sports & Orchestrate English Greyhound Derby reaches the third round of competition on Saturday and it’s the first occasion where all of the participants are seen on the same card.

One of my erstwhile media colleagues used to refer to the first round of the Derby as a “phoney war” but there were no shortage of big name casualties this year with 2025 runner-up, Bockos Diamond eliminated along with the fancied trio of Ballymac Setanta, Romeo Tomcat and Low Profile.

From our ante-post perspective, Cheap Sandwiches progressed but was subsequently withdrawn so we’ve got Ballymac Deniro carrying our hopes and he’s giving a good account at present.

Far from the finished article, he’s learning all the time about Towcester and I’m convinced there’s more to come. Missing the kick badly in the opening round, he dodged the bullet of elimination with a fine burst of back-straight pace to ultimately win going away.

We shall see him in the last of the eight heats on Saturday night where kennelmate Ballymac Stud awaits along with leading lady, Strike It Skye. No heat at this stage should be considered a gimme although the presence of Salacres Lock Up to his immediate inner may assist matters greatly.

I’ve not been too surprised by the proliferation of railers that have progressed (32 railers have made it to this stanza compared to just six wide runners) but it has been very evident that a rails draw has been favourable and early pace has proved a brutal weapon of choice.

That said, track position will ultimately prove key to the outcome of this Derby. Some railers will find themselves parked out unhelpfully in box four (and perhaps five in future races) while the wide and middle-seeded runners largely know they are booked for six or five.

Duffle bids to defy stats

It’s another Liam Dowling runner that sits astride the ante-post market and Ballymac Duffle is a general 6/1 for glory.

Another graduate from the Juvenile Classic at Tralee, the son of Ballymac Cooper has been imperious to date, equalling the track record and subsequently lowering that figure by eight spots at the weekend.

Statistically it’s been unlikely for the fastest dog in the first round to pick up the bounty on Finals night (Bandicoot Tipoki fortuitously did so in 2010) though he cannot be crabbed for what he’s done to date. He will appear in the fourth heat where Rebel Alaska could be a threat.

Kevin Hutton has endured a wretched year given Oxford’s closure but his dogs are serving him well and few would begrudge the affable handler a big series at Towcester.

Ballymac Ralf, who is a litter-brother to Duffle, is also into the third round, and he too is up against a Hutton inmate in Kranky Drake – one of the last potential finishers still standing.

Buckley pair contest heat of the round

Pat Buckley appears to have a number of very live chances left in the competition including acknowledged ante-post bogey Hackney Corner, though two of his team will be involved in the fifth, and arguably toughest, heat of the octet.

Glengar Kane, who is yet to lose a competitive race, has usurped Glengar Silent in the betting and the pair will meet Underground Gold and Scooby The Lady with four not going into three!

Underground Gold has been highly professional in his two heats at Towcester to date but the Monmore Puppy Derby winner will need to be at the top of his game in order to advance his case.

Heiress has eyes on crown

Proper Heiress has already gone one step further this term, and the multiple Category One winner rates as Mark Wallis’s best chance of scooping a Derby for many a year.

In my book, he should be trading as outright favourite and he saw off our ante-post pick Ballymac Deniro in a four-dog affair on Friday. This week’s draw looks kind and on the clock at least, there isn’t much to fear from the five Irish raiders in opposition.

Ace emerging from under the radar

Epic Ace won’t have been on many shortlists ahead of this year’s Derby given the strength of the Irish entry, but he certainly is following his equalling of the then track-best in the second round.

A perusal through the formbook tells us that he did beat Bockos Diamond in a heat of last year’s Irish Derby so the ability was always there, and he’s in the hands of legendary Irish breeder, John Kennedy – whose family reared top Irish stars, Explosive Boy and Good Cody.

A 66/1 poke at the start of play, he’s now 14/1 and looks to have landed a spot in one of the weaker heats.

It’s been a tough few weeks for Graham Holland given the relatively poor performances of his kennel stars, and the sad passing of his former superstar, Clares Rocket.

Swords Style and Gaytime Clyde are likely to be popular in the first two heats on Saturday with the latter strongly fancied to take the measure of lively British outsider, Goldcash Warrior, in the second.

• The Star Sports & Orchestrate English Greyhound Derby will be shown live on Sky Sports Racing, Premier Greyhound Racing and across the majority of bookmaker platforms.

Posted at 18:10 BST on 10/05/26

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