A record prize of £250,000 awaits the winner of the 2015 William Hill Greyhound Derby final this Saturday, live on Sky Sports.
Two hundred and sixty greyhounds started on the road to the final at Wimbledon Stadium a month ago and the final six will target a prize which could equate to an incredible £9K a second, with the track record set in this year's competition by Eden The Kid at 27.95 seconds for the 480 metres of the Plough Lane venue.
Favourite is the Irish runner Farloe Blitz, aiming to be the first winner from the Emerald Isle since Seamus Graham's Loyal Honcho won in 2008. He is trained by Owen McKenna, whose late father Ger won the English Derby twice, in 1981 and 1989.
TRAP ONE: Rio Quattro
Owner: Danny Riordan
Trainer: Danny Riordan
Realises a long-held ambition for trainer Riordan after semi-final near-misses with Droopys Corleone (twice) and Rio Riccardo. Rio Quattro has reached Derby finals at Henlow and Yarmouth, plus a Puppy Derby at Monmore. Incidentally, at Henlow he broke the track record when berthed in the same trap one jacket he has here for the semi-finals, only to draw trap five in the final. A brother of fellow leading open-race stars Droopys Jarrow and Jaytee China, he aims to be the third red-jacketed Derby champion in the last five years with his all-round pace a threat to all.
TRAP TWO: Farloe Blitz
Owner: Paul Ellis
Trainer: Owen McKenna, Ireland
Sky Bet odds: Evens
Assumed the mantle of Derby favourite after the first round and aims to become the first unbeaten greyhound in the Classic since Westmead Hawk’s second triumph in 2006. Hoping also to become the first Irish champion since Seamus Graham’s Loyal Honcho in 2008, last year’s Irish Puppy Derby finalist Farloe Blitz carries the name McKenna on the racecard, a legendary name in greyhound racing. Owen’s late father Ger won the Derby in 1981 (Parkdown Jet) and Lartigue Note (1989) and the trainer himself is an Irish Derby-winning handler. He leads, he wins?
TRAP THREE: Making Paper (m)
Owners: Thanks For Coming Syndicate
Trainer: Diane Henry
Sky Bet odds: 7/1
Yorkshire-based Diane Henry is the first of two female trainers bidding to become the first woman since Dolores Ruth in 1996 to win the Derby, and the progress of Making Paper has been something of a revelation and he produced a fantastic effort in the semi-finals when making all. However, those who know the two-year-old well will point to open-race wins from 280m to 500m, underlying the required mix of speed and stamina. Trainer Henry has enjoyed major success with King Kane, Ten Large Down and Honey Trampas, and is the youngest handler to make the final.
TRAP FOUR: Eden The Kid (m)
Owners: KSS Syndicate
Trainer: Liz McNair
Sky Bet odds: 4/1
The youngest runner in the £250,000 showdown, Eden The Kid is another Derby finalist for the husband and wife team of Rab and Liz McNair, with the Kent-based Scottish couple brilliantly guiding the puppy to the final given the fireworks he produced in the first round when setting a new track record of 27.95sec. Bought out of Newcastle from his breeder Craig Dawson, he is the sole British-bred finalist for which Dawson wins £2,000 and is a son of one of greyhound racing’s greatest stars in Westmead Hawk (Derby winner 2005/06).
TRAP FIVE: Millwards Davy (m)
Owners: Dave Conway, Mitch Millward, Shaymus Ryan, Paul Young
Trainer: Paul Young
Sky Bet odds: 20/1
The fairytale story of this year’s Derby, having started the six-round competition as the 1,250/1 outsider of a 270-plus entry. But given his Essex-based trainer Young has trained the runner-up in each of the last two Derbys in Droopys Ward and Airlie Impact, perhaps it should be no surprise. Made the semi-finals of the Northern Puppy Derby at Newcastle last year and represented his handler at the Trainers’ Championship meeting earlier this year. Each round a big price, each round he has finished first or second. Same again?
TRAP SIX: Tynwald Bish (w)
Owner: Terry Corden
Trainer: Peter Cronin, Ireland
Ireland’s second chance of glory, Tynwald Bish ran in last year’s Derby only to stumble from the boxes and exit at the first round stage. This year, however, he has been almost foot-perfect. Eight wins in Ireland have included sprint successes and it is that early pace which has impressed. Trainer Cronin sent out Crokers Champ to finish third with a similar front-running style 12 months ago, while owner Corden has tasted Derby success with Ballinderry Ash in 1991 and was part of the team involved with 1994 runner-up Ayr Flyer. He owns Nottingham Greyhound Stadium.
You can watch the 2015 William Hill Greyhound Derby final on Saturday at 7pm on Sky Sports 2.