English Greyhound Derby 2023: Who Will Claim the Crown?

Sports | February 27, 2023, Monday // 07:56
Bulgaria: English Greyhound Derby 2023: Who Will Claim the Crown? Herbert Aust от Pixabay

One of the most iconic events on the greyhound racing calendar, the English Greyhound Derby is on the horizon. The meet gets underway on the 25th May with 192 dogs competing in the opening rounds. The final takes place on 1st July, where one greyhound will earn the prestigious title and the mammoth £175,000 prize. 

Dating back to 1927, the English Greyhound Derby has a rich history. Initially held at the White City Stadium, the meet has since had a number of homes, with the Towcester Greyhound Stadium becoming the latest host in 2021.

History of English Greyhound Derby Winners

Betting on greyhound racing has grown in popularity over the decades. The short distance and pace make it a scintillating watch – one which is sure to get your heart racing! The increase in attention, and thus prize money, has allowed breeders and trainers to push this sport to the absolute max. Every English Greyhound Derby winner in the 21st century has registered a time under 30 seconds.

The reigning champion is Graham Holland’s Romeo Magico, who won the 2022 event at odds of +250 with a winning time of 29.95 seconds – the quickest since 2018. However, it has been a very rare occurrence for any greyhound to be named Derby champion more than once.

Only four dogs – Mick the Miller, Patricia’s Hope, Rapid Ranger and Westmead Hawk – have won the event twice. Westmead Hawk was the latest to do so, claiming the crown in back-to-back events in 2005 and 2006. Greyhounds often only race for a couple of years, making victory at this event three times almost impossible.

British greyhounds have traditionally enjoyed more success at the English Derby, but the winning dog in three of the previous four Derbies has belonged to an Irish trainer. If you’re looking to pick a winner for this year’s event, it’s also worth noting that the favourite rarely comes out on top. In the 23 races since the turn of the millennium, the favourite has only won six times, the last of which was Jaytee Jet in 2016.

 Source: Pixabay

English Greyhound Derby 2023 Odds

Romeo Magico will race again this year, with the reigning champion a +4000 underdog to retain his crown. The three-year-old has plenty of experience on the sand but is expected to come out short by bookmakers.

Tied as favourites prior to the commencement of the English Greyhound Derby are Fromposttopillar and Romeo Command. The pair can be backed at around +1600. Fromposttopillar has an incredibly strong record in his short career thus far, but it remains to be seen if he can make the step up.

Romeo Command is even younger – born in January 2021 – and is trained by Patrick Janssens. The Belgian knows what it takes to succeed on the biggest stage, tasting victory as recently as 2021 with English Derby champion Thorn Falcon.

Thorn Falcon will also be racing two years on from that impressive run but opens up as a +5000 underdog prior to the event.

If you’re looking for pace, power and action, be sure not to miss the 2023 English Greyhound Derby.

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