Key Stats - 2025 Star Sports / TRC English Greyhound Derby

Key Stats – 2025 Star Sports / TRC English Greyhound Derby 

179 entered the English Derby, and we are down to the final 12. Let's take a look at some of the facts and figures ahead of the semi-finals that take place on Saturday, live on the Gone To The Dogs- Live! YouTube channel.

In recent years, the Irish have held a strong hand – winning the last three with Romeo Magico, Gaytime Nemo and De Lahdedah taking the prize money back across the Irish Sea. 

This year the Irish head into the semi-finals in a very strong position, with Bockos Diamond and Cheap Sandwiches at the head of the outright market. Both are wide runners, which in previous years may have been viewed as a negative, but not this year. 

The stats during the Star Sports / TRC English Greyhound Derby show 31.67% of winners have come from trap six, with a further 15% from trap five.

Trap six at Towcester in 2025 shows a strike-rate of 13.7%, yet during Derby it's more than doubled across the 60 heats that have taken place so far. Are the wides going well or is this a reflection of where the quality greyhounds are drawn?

During the 60 heats, the Irish slightly edge the head-to-head with 31 wins versus 29 coming from the UK. The semi-finals are evenly contested with six from the UK and six from Ireland. The betting markets suggest the Irish have the stronger hand for outright honours, with the lowest-priced UK runner currently Droopys Plunge, from the Patrick Janssens kennel, at 20/1 with bet365. 

In recent years, the favourites on final night have not fared well. Astute Missile caused a shock in 2017, winning at 28/1, and since then, we have had Dorotas Wildcat (2/1) Thorn Falcon (7/2), Romeo Magico (5/2), Gaytime Nemo (9/1) and De Lahdedah at 5/1 last year. The outright market currently has Bockos Diamond a best price  of 14/5 with AKBets, ahead of Cheap Sandwiches at 7/2 (general). 

If we look at the fastest sectional, Bockos Diamond (3.93) and Churchfield Syd (3.94) come out the quickest, with defending champion De Lahdedah next in at 3.95. Bockos Diamond also has the quickest back straight time, recording at a flying 15.53. Of those left in the competition, Bombay Pat is next in at 15.66. 

Graham Holland sent a strong team across the water and currently heads the trainer’s winners roster with 12 in total, while Patrick Janssens is next with 10 and then it's Paul Hennessy with six. 

The fastest time recorded during the Derby so far is defending champion De Lahdedah, who clocked a flying 28.50 in the first-round heats following a blistering 3.95 sectional. As seen in the video below. 

A repeat of that run would make him hard to beat in his semi-final on Saturday evening. The worry for backers of the Liam Dowling-trained railer is the draw, as Sole Mio (T1) will be edging off at trap rise and shows plenty of early pace into the bend. Could the wide runners go well again? Slick Sentinel (T4) Bombay Pat (T5) and Churchfield Syd (T6) can all show huge pace into the corner. Droopys Bookem (T3) will be staying on well in a bid to grab a qualifying place in next week’s final. 

The second semi-final of the Star Sports/TRC English Greyhound Derby at 9.34 is all on the break. Bockos Diamond (T6) roars to the corner but will need a flyer to clear the pace on his inside, with Cheap Sandwiches (T5) and Dynamic Force (T4) both capable of sub-4.00 sectionals. At a price, Droopys Plunge could attract support from trap three. He’s yet to smash out during the Derby, but he has a ping break in his locker and would be a runner if getting on the bunny.