It has been quite a week for the greyhound industry this far with the three splendid days of sport at Clonmel and then the highly encouraging figures released by the Irish Greyhound Board.

THE Tyrur McGuigan @ Stud Open 575 has provided some wonderful racing to kick of the New Year at Shelbourne Park over the past three weeks and next week’s final looks hugely intriguing following Saturday’s semi finals.

THE Joe Dunne Memorial Puppy Stake will be run as a 24 dog event at Shelbourne but the traditional early season classic trial has plenty of quality and the four heats when added to the semi-finals of the Tyrur McGuigan Open 575 will make Saturday’s card at headquarters another high class affair.

HAVING gone almost overboard with my reaction to his early puppy runs at Shelbourne, I was pleased to see the Pat Buckley trained Slick Seattle finally live up to the rating with a superb 28.16 run in Monday’s unscheduled third session of the Pat Hennerty Sales Irish Laurels at Curraheen Park.

PATRONS should get to Shelbourne Park early 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.

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.

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.

THE BIG question mark in advance of Saturday’s Sporting Press Irish Oaks final is whether Skywalker Queen can hit top form at just the right moment to win the bitch classic for the second year on the trot.

The Williamhill.com English Derby will reach the semi-final stage next Saturday when the third round is run at Wimbledon and hopes of an Irish victory in the classic are sky high following another very successful weekend for the raiding party.

IMPRESSIVE in the opening round, Kryptonite can strike again in heat one of the second round of the Cashmans Irish Laurels at Curraheen Park tonight.

IRISH eyes were smiling at Wimbledon on Saturday night as our grip on the Blue Square English Derby got even stronger.

THE Irish continued their fine run of form in the opening round of the English Derby on Friday and Saturday at Wimbledon.

TWO impressive trials had indicated Derby champion Razldazl Billy was as good as ever, but he sent out an even more emphatic warning on Saturday night when starring in the opening round of the Donal Reilly Easter Cup at a packed Shelbourne Park.

THE long awaited sub 28 second run by a dog for the standard trip at an Irish track may be imminent after Ardkill Jamie set the Cashmans Bookmakers Irish Greyhound Laurels alight with a spectacular 28.03 national record run in heat 10 on Saturday night.

MINEOLA FOREMAN posted easily the fastest time so far in the Kudos Catering Super Sprint at Curraheen Park on Saturday night when going within five spots of the track record with a sizzling 17.45 effort in heat 2.

KNOCKNA KIRKA canenhance his Guinness Trophy claims at Curraheen park tonight by landing the second semi-final.

TYRUR TED can consolidate his favouritism in the ante-post market for the Cashmans Irish Laurels by taking heat seven at Curraheen Park tonight.

ASHVILLE KATIE initiated a double for Tralee handler Liam Dowling in the opening session of the first round of the Cashmans Bookmakers Irish Laurels at Curraheen Park, making all in 28.58.

PREMIER FANTASY and Legal Moment were honoured last night as the Irish trackers of the year at the National Greyhound Awards Gala staged at the Osprey Hotel in Naas.

MINEOLA FARLOE has hardened to 7/4 (from 3/1) with the sponsors after turning in another very impressive performance when winning the first quarter-final of the Cashmans Irish Laurels at Curraheen Park on Saturday night.

ONE of the best ever line-ups goes to traps for the quarter -finals of the €35,000 to the winner Cashmans Irish Laurels at Curraheen Park tonight.

BOHERDUFF LIGHT, who did us a favour last week, again features in a big match-up when the Cashman Bookmakers Laurels second round heats are decided at Curraheen Park tonight.

TWO of the leading contenders for outright honours go head-to-head when the first round of the Cashman Irish Laurels is completed at Curraheen Park tonight.

PAUL HENNESSY may have had a blinder at Shelbourne but the opposite was the case at Curraheen Park where he had a mini disaster in the McCarthy Insurance Group Cork Oaks semi-finals.

IF trial times are anything to go by, then we are in for a very fast session in the opening round of the McCarthy Insurance Group Cork Oaks at Curraheen Park tonight.

THE guessing game goes on and for owner Eddie Ryan and trainer Michael O'Donovan it must be a frustrating time as Serene Rumble remains on the doubtful list for Saturday’s Paddy Power Derby quarter finals at Shelbourne Park.