Bockos Diamond still the one to beat as Irish Greyhound Derby draw made

The first 12 heats take place on Friday night and the second 12 on Saturday night. 

Bockos Diamond's performances in last year's Derby were record-breaking and record-equalling. Pic: ©INPHO/Nick Elliott

The draw for the first round of the BoyleSports Irish Greyhound Derby, which gets underway this Friday, August 22, took place on Monday morning at Shelbourne Park and reigning champion Bockos Diamond heads the list of 144 runners.

After a remarkable sprint trial in Cork, where Graham Holland’s dog went lengths below the track record, he trialled in Shelbourne but much went wrong as he recorded a modest-by-his-standards 28.44. Back in Cork on Saturday night, this time for a 525 trial, he didn’t impress onlookers with his 28.23 run, but there is no great reason for concern just yet.

His performances in last year’s Derby were record-breaking and record-equalling, and he found a way to win the decider despite not being paw-perfect. He remains the one to beat, and that is reflected in the sponsor’s book, in which he is the 4-1 favourite.

They make kennelmate Cheap Sandwiches, who was runner-up last year, the 14-1 second-favourite, but he has some questions to answer following his most recent efforts. Callaway Knegare, who finished third last year, is next up in the betting, at 16-1. In total, four of last year’s finalists return, the other being Boylesports Bob, a 50-1 chance.

Recent Bar One Irish Sprint Cup runner-up Droopys Patriot is as short as 16-1, the same price as Bombay Pat, who was unlucky not to reach the final in 2024. At available odds, the last-named makes most appeal at this stage.

Former English Derby champion De Lahdedah is having his third crack at the Irish Derby and is 20-1 to lift the prize, while veteran performer Seven Beach has had the most remarkable year, but surely taking the Derby crown is a bridge too far for the terrific tracker. Odds of 33-1 may tempt his faithful followers.

Magical Major has the ability and there have been signs that he may be beginning to put it all together. Odds of 16-1 may not excite anyone but he has the potential to go all the way.

Proper Heiress underperformed in the English Derby, but it is great that connections have seen fit to send him over to compete. He has the gears to go a long way. Of the six runners with the famous Ballymac prefix, Ballymac Stud is shortest in the betting, but Ballymac Tibet makes most appeal.

The first 12 heats take place on Friday night, the last 12 on Saturday, and four runners will qualify from each to give us 96 runners going into round two. After that, it will be three to qualify, all the way to the final, which will be held on September 27.

BoyleSports’ betting: 4 Bockos Diamond, 14 Cheap Sandwiches, 16 Callaway Knegare, Bombay Pat, Lennies Desire, Magical Major, Droopys Patriot, 20 De Lahdedah, 25 Faypoint Ranger, Ballymac Stud, Proper Heiress, Carrick Scholesy, Rural Pest, Ballinabola Joe, 33 bar.

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Draw for round one (four to qualify) 

Friday, August 22 

Heat 1

1 Desert Flower 

2 Hackney Tango 

3 Darraghs Sydney 

4 Ballyhimikin Rio 

5 Flight Club (w) 

6 Cheap Sandwiches (w) 

Heat 2 

1 Toolmaker Josepe 

2 Brickhill Mona 

3 Danzig Rebel 

4 Drogon 

5 Lennies Madge (w) 

6 Snazzy Boss (w) 

Heat 3 

1 Faypoint Harvey 

2 Droopys Patriot 

3 Stefans Goal 

4 Westway Rossa 

5 Borna Thyme (w) 

6 Lemon Joey (w) 

Heat 4 

1 Cheque For Cash 

2 Harry Houdini 

3 Droichead Nua 

4 Breaghmore Dice 

5 In Good Time (w) 

6 The Other Wild (w) 

Heat 5 

1 Shanahee Boomer 

2 Epic Ace 

3 Ballymac Lake 

4 Harlequin Gee Up 

5 Manalishi Jet (w) 

6 Bockos Diamond (w) 

Heat 6 

1 Priceless Romeo 

2 Cashout Girl 

3 Southwood Stan 

4 Toolmaker King 

5 Bombay Pat (w) 

6 Hello Diego (w) 

Heat 7 

1 Sunshine Sioux 

2 Proper Heiress 

3 Phoenix Memphis 

4 Misterin Bola 

5 Funintherun (w) 

6 Ballinabola Joe (w) 

Heat 8 

1 De Lahdedah 

2 Ballyhooly Bruno 

3 Oreo Ollie 

4 Bowadis Raven 

5 Sole Mio 

6 Coosane Pickles (w)

Heat 9 

1 Great Morning 

2 Harlequin Paul 

3 Slipalong Duke 

4 Shebetheone 

5 Canya Steve 

6 Seven Beach (w) 

Heat 10 

1 Casements Fort 

2 Ardera Freya 

3 Lookandlep 

4 No More Fiftys 

5 Droopys Slick (m) 

6 Betgoodwin Ben (w) 

Heat 11 

1 Bubbly Charger 

2 Swithins Jim 

3 Bushpark Rodney 

4 Hackey Corner 

5 Ballymac Tibet (m) 

6 So Cool (w) 

Heat 12 

1 Swords Style 

2 Doctor Darcy 

3 De Bono Lad 

4 Drombeg Banner 

5 Blackeyed Turbo (m) 

6 Knockard Hero (w) 

Saturday, August 23 

Heat 13 

1 Callaway Five 

2 Prince Naseem 

3 Maireads Diamond 

4 Badly Behaving 

5 Flashing Lilac (m) 

6 Grouchos Hoffa (w) 

Heat 14 

1 De Bold Rose 

2 Lemon Orla 

3 Barefoot On Song 

4 Headleys Trump 

5 Glengar Silent (m) 

6 Tarnsa Maasai (w) 

Heat 15 

1 Ballymac Kamala 

2 Untold Rufiyaa 

3 Happy Jet 

4 Fahee Phantom 

5 Carrick Scholsey (m) 

6 Kereight Pimple (w) 

Heat 16 

1 Sallagh Curly 

2 Microchip 

3 Hopes Teddy 

4 Magical Major 

5 Town Lucky (m) 

6 Ballinbola Jim (w) 

Heat 17 

1 Magical On Fire 

2 Cagey Billy 

3 Body Mind Spirit 

4 Bartlemy Mainoo 

5 Omey Mist (m) 

6 Rural Pest (w) 

Heat 18 

1 Blastoff Heffo 

2 Ballymac Danica 

3 Ballymac Stud 

4 Denied Access 

5 Rallying Mac (m) 

6 Alva Mist (w) 

Heat 19 

1 Rolo Tokyo 

2 Cloverfield Clan 

3 Barefoot On Fire 

4 Callaway Knegare 

5 Cushie The Best (m) 

6 Upper Horgan (w) 

Heat 20 

1 Magical Keith 

2 Daleroad Duke 

3 Coloursaregreen 

4 Boylesports Blue 

5 Blossom Syd (m) 

6 Magical Sapphire (w) 

Heat 21 

1 Faypoint Ranger 

2 Brunch Pal 

3 Timmys Bucks 

4 Daleroad Devon 

5 Razldazl Kamaria (m) 

6 Boylesports Bob (w) 

Heat 22 

1 Born Braver 

2 Tetra Destiny 

3 Lennies Dream 

4 Da Bold Falcon 

5 Highview Plan (m) 

6 Droopys Deploy (w) 

Heat 23 

1 Cosmonaut 

2 Triangle Brando 

3 Harlequin Coolio 

4 Magical Mag 

5 Droopys Map (m) 

6 Ballymac Axel (w) 

Heat 24 

1 Solo And Go 

2 Unanimous Leo 

3 Drveen Lass 

4 Ventry Faith 

5 Hot Wood (m) 

6 Lennies Desire (w)