How times change!

The Betfair 600 decider is one of the most competitive finals ever seen at Shelbourne Park.

There could hardly have been a better line-up for the Betfair 600 final, which will be featured on RTE’s first live telecast of the year on Saturday night from Shelbourne.

The contest of the night at Shelbourne this evening is the opening semi-final of the Betfair 600. Likely favourite Tibetan Skies will need to be sharper at traps than he has been in his last two outings.

Dolores Ruth is the trainer to follow in this evening’s quarter-finals of the Betfair 600 at Shelbourne Park as the Rathangan handler sends out three of the four heats favourites.

Dolores Ruth is the trainer to follow in this evening’s quarter-finals of the Betfair 600 at Shelbourne Park as the Rathangan handler sends out three of the four heats favourites.

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.

Betting exchange company Betfair plan to make a splash with their initial foray into major greyhound racing sponsorship this weekend.

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.

Broadstrand Lad and Tyrur Big Mike may have turned four years of age last weekend, but the two brilliant performers retain every ounce of their ability if their latest displays in the Easter Cup are an accurate indication.

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.

Derby champion Razldazl George will make his seasonal bow this evening when he lines out in the opening round of the College Causeway/Killahan Phanter Easter Cup at Shelbourne Park.

Except for a few high profile absentees most of the big names will be chasing the €25,000 prize when the classic commences at Shelbourne on Saturday.

There should be a fine welcome for recently-crowned Sprinter of the Year Shoemakers Lad when he turns up at Curraheen Park for the semi-finals of the Kudos Supersprint on Saturday.

He may have lost his unbeaten tag but Milldean Panther remains the talk of the greyhound world and he will attempt to get back on the winning rails when he contests the final of the €30,000 SIS Live Shelbourne Gold Cup on Saturday night.

Having bypassed a planned trial spin at Shelbourne on Saturday night, leading Irish tracker Milldean Panther is likely to have his first trial of the year at headquarters this morning.

DOLORES Ruth’s magnificent year continued at Shelbourne Park when she was presented with the Irish Greyhound Review Personality of the Year Award.

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 Ladbrokes.com Irish Derby got off to a tremendous start at Shelbourne Park last night with some fabulous performances.

THE Townviewfoods.com Champion Stakes will come to a conclusion at Shelbourne Park this evening and fireworks are expected in the €20,000 contest.

We are now on the verge of the most important part in the Irish greyhound calendar.

This weekend must rank as just about the busiest of the year, with five major finals for decision and 21 Irish dogs in action in the Williamhill.com English Derby at Wimbledon.

There will be no exporting of greyhounds from Ireland to China, in the near future at least.

IT has been a mixed week for PJ Fahy and his son Conor but they can reap the benefit of their Wimbledon controversy in tonight’s opening round of the Hegarty Bookmakers Open 600 at Shelbourne Park.

It’s another very exciting week with top class open racing at many venues.

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.

OWEN McKenna had the perfect start to Derby final week when he won Monday’s Catunda Harry Champion Stakes final at Youghal with the Lorraine Moore owned Pablo Supreme.

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.