Liam Dowling’s defending champion De Lahdedah once again stamped his authority on the Star Sports English Greyhound Derby with an outstanding heat victory, posting not just the fastest time in the second batch of first-round heats on Friday night, but ultimately the fastest time of the entire first round.

His pillar-to-post standard-setting 28.50sec (normal) success in heat 14 was achieved off the back of a fast start and and a runaway eight and a quarter lengths win over the keeping-on Clona Curly (Diane Henry), with the defence of the famous title beginning in the best possible way.

Friday night had begun with another popular victory courtesy of Derek Knight’s Newinn Benni.

Last year’s Coral Sussex Cup champion unleashed his trademark burst of early pace to seize the initiative early in heat 11 before holding running-on Missile One (Seamus Cahill), his trackmate at Hove, by a neck in a great tussle. The winner clocked 29.15sec (normal).

The Graham Holland bandwagon which had started on Thursday with a trio of successes continued on Friday as Faypoint Susie and Faypoint Harvey notched a double for the Co. Tipperary-based handler as his quest for a third English Derby victory ramped up a notch.

Faypoint Susie led early in heat 13 to score by a length and a half from Droopys Suprstar (Mike Burton) in 29.05sec (normal), while Faypoint Harvey was even quicker away in winning heat 15, clocking 28.99sec (normal), albeit was led early by Romeo Steel (Patrick Janssens). However, the eventual winner proved the stronger as the race unfolded to lead round the last bend for a length and three-quarters success.

Other Irish successes were notched by Peter Cronin’s Sole Mio, whose burst of early pace saw him get first run on fast-finishing March On Freddie (David Mullins) for a half a length victory in in heat 17 in 29.02sec (normal), while Paul Hennessy’s Dynamic Force sparkled in heat 18 when blasting out for a three and a half lengths win over Antigua Kestrel (Kevin Hutton) in 28.86sec (normal).

English Greyhound Derby-winning trainer Patrick Janssens was at the double with back-to-back victories in heats 19 and 20.

Romeo Empire was first up, finishing well to lead on the run for home for a length and a quarter success over Ballymac Lucia (Maxine Locke) and the latter’s kennelmate Indian Bonnie in 29.04sec (normal), while Slick Sentinel was slick to stride in the very next heat before holding Scooby The Boss (Nathan Hunt) by a head in 29.01sec (normal).

Third here was the winner’s popular kennelmate Romeo Command, the 2023 English Derby runner-up, who is into the second round once again.

Other Friday night heats went to Esther Driver’s No Better Feelin (29.32sec) who led home Hopes Ompaloompa for a one-two for the Nottingham raider, Phil Milner’s Keefill Goose (28.90sec), who held off a strong challenge from Ireland’s pair of Singalong Molly (Pat Buckley) and Boylesports Blue (Paul Hennessy), while Newcastle trainer Brian Fairbairn’s supporters raised the roof in heat 21, the final heat of the night.

His Slingshot Sam soon led here before crossing the line a short-head in front of the fast-finishing bet365 Hunt Cup finalist Burrows Eclipse (Jason Heath) in 29.05sec (normal).

 

Photos: © Steve Nash