FEW trainers clock up the mileage like Ballymacelligott’s Liam Dowling and his industrious approach paid dividends on Saturday when he supplied two of the three heat winners in the Tyrur McGuigan Open 575 at Shelbourne Park.

HOPEFULLY we can cease writing about the weather and concentrate on the racing side of things and this week sees the commencement of the Tyrur McGuigan Open 575 at Shelbourne and the Vetsearch Kennedy Cup at Limerick.

THE Ballincollig express train Leeview Jet will make a rapid return to action when he contests the Red Mills Waterford Masters which kicks off at Kilcohan Park on Saturday night.

THE Ladbrokes.com Irish Derby at Shelbourne Park is now trimmed to 24 runners from an original field of 144. Following a flying 29.42 last weekend, Tyrur Big Mike now heads the betting lists.

THERE were the usual shocks in the opening session of the second round of the Ladbrokes.com Irish Derby at Shelbourne Park last night when Owen McKenna’s Farley Blitz ran out a decisive winner of what was expected to be a real cliffhanger.

IT was a typical opening night in the 2010 Ladbrokes.com Irish Derby at Shelbourne Park last night with a few major upsets and some very fast racing, writes Michael Fortune.

IT is every greyhound person’s dream to have a runner in the Ladbrokes.com Irish Derby but Galway owner P.J. Fahy is not the typical owner.

The best wine was certainly kept to last when the draw for the heats of the Town View Foods Champion Stakes was made at Shelbourne yesterday.

It really has been the most amazing start to the greyhound year. First we had the freeze-up and no racing at Shelbourne Park and other venues for a full month. Now we have the situation that because of many of our leading dogs lack full fitness, a prestigious event such as the Joe Dunne Memorial Puppy Stake has had to be put back a week in order to attract sufficient entries.

The high quality of racing in the opening round will have whet the appetites of southern greyhound followers and we can anticipate a massive attendance at Curraheen Park on Saturday for the second round of the Cashmans Bookmakers Irish Laurels.