Many of Ireland’s fastest and most powerful trackers will be put to the test when they line up for tonight’s opening round of the Betfair 600.

No greyhound competition in this country can boast a record quite like the Easter Cup. It was the first event ever run at Shelbourne Park and it was set up to commemorate the Easter Rising in Dublin.

The IGB yesterday released a statement in relation to the recent find of greyhound bodies in a Co Limerick quarry and revealed that they know the identity of the owners of some of the greyhounds.

The semi-finals of the Easter Cup headline proceedings at Shelbourne Park tonight and the second of the two heats should be particularly informative, with SIS Live Gold Cup champion Piercestown Sand taking on Derby champ Razldazl George and a seemingly resurgent Tyrur Big Mike, amongst others.

The old adage “there’s life in the old dog yet” was pretty appropriate at Shelbourne Park on Saturday night as the veteran pairing of Broadstrand Lad and Tyrur Big Mike impressed in the second round of the College Causeway/Killahan Phanter Easter Cup.

Punters didn’t have things easy in the opening round of the College Causeway/ Killahan Phanter Easter Cup and they can expect more of the same at Shelbourne Park this evening.

Milldean Panther makes his eagerly awaited re-appearance at Shelbourne Park tonight in the SIS Live Gold Cup.

Unbeaten superstar Milldean Panther tops the entries for the valuable SIS Live Tote Gold Cup which kicks off at Shelbourne on Saturday night.

You could call this weekend the calm before the storm but it will still be a busy few days with top action at a number of venues.

THERE had been genuine fears there would be a shortage of greyhounds to satisfy all the extra racing in Dublin in the build-up to Christmas.

THE second session of the opening round of the Pat Hennerty Sales Irish Laurels dominates tonight's action at Curraheen Park and much of the early focus will be Tyrur Big Mike and how he fares in the first of eight heats.

THERE is less than three and a half minutes of action remaining in the Ladbrokes.com Derby and tonight’s quarter finals at Shelbourne Park will account for two of those minutes.

TONIGHT is the first time this year that all the heats of the Ladbrokes.com Irish Greyhound Derby will be run on the same night and it provides a feast of betting opportunities for punters.

WITH no further withdrawals yesterday, there are 92 dogs standing for tonight’s opening second round session of the Ladbrokes.com Irish Derby at Shelbourne Park.

THE opening round of the Ladbrokes.com Derby will draw to a conclusion at Shelbourne Park this evening and, with twelve heats, there should be no shortage of clues as to the possible outcome of the world’s greatest greyhound competition.

THE race for glory will commence tomorrow evening at Shelbourne Park with 150 greyhounds in pursuit of the €120,000 Ladbrokes.com Irish Derby.

THERE are no major competitions currently in progress at Shelbourne Park but tonight’s card is packed with real quality as many of Ireland’s fastest trackers prepare for their respective targets.

IT HAS been over six months since Tyrur Big Mike raced, but the Derby and Champion Stakes runner-up is hot favourite to lift the Collage Causeway/Killahan Phanter Easter Cup, which starts at Shelbourne tonight.

THE anticipated announcement of the new chairman of the Irish Greyhound Board didn’t materialise yesterday but word is now expected before the end of the week.

LAST weekend’s Hennerty Sales Laurels winner Tyrur Enda will be returning to Munster for his final outings of the season after owner PJ Fahy decided to run the champion in the Red Mills Masters, which commences at Kilcohan Park on Saturday week.

One can already sense the buzz developing around this year’s Pat Hennerty Sales Irish Laurels and the first round action suggested that Curraheen Park patrons are going to be served up some wonderful racing between now and final night.

The two sessions of the opening round of the Laurels were completed at Curraheen Park over the weekend and ante-post favourite Tyrur Enda emerged with his reputation enhanced while his kennel-companion and Derby runner-up Tyrur Big Mike’s suitability to the circuit remains somewhat in question despite a winning start to his campaign.

THE big guns enter the arena at Curraheen Park tonight when the remaining first round heats of the Pat Hennerty Sales Irish Laurels dominate the card.

IT hardly seems like 363 days since that amazing night when College Causeway produced one of the greatest performances ever seen on a greyhound track, but here we are within two days of the 2010 Ladbrokes.com Irish Derby final and anticipation levels are extremely high.

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.

THE Ladbrokes.com Irish Derby only really springs to life on Saturday night as the third round invariably sees the classic move up a few gears.

FOLLOWING the luxury of four qualifying from all first round heats, the pressure will begin in the Ladbrokes.com Irish Derby this evening at Shelbourne when it will be just three to survive to the third round.

THE draw for the Ladbrokes.com Irish Derby was made a Shelbourne Park yesterday morning and it worked out pretty fair for virtually all the leading fancies.

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.

There’s no doubt about the big event on the Irish greyhound calendar this week, it just has to be Saturday’s Town View Foods Champion Stakes final at Shelbourne Park.

Nothing beats a simple story told well, and in this Oscar-winner – Bullock as Best Actress – the strength lies in the lack of frills or bombast … here it is, says Hancock, what it says on the tin.

An obese inmate nicknamed “Big Mike” has been granted early parole because a Canadian prison could not accommodate his 30st 10lb (195kg) frame.