THORN FALCON, the Patrick Janssens-trained Star Sports/TRC Events & Leisure 2021 English Greyhound Derby champion, is the RPGTV/GWA Greyhound of the Month for July.

As the Classic hero, the Keith Allsop, Mark Harrison and Chris Osborn-owned star is an automatic choice for the award, voted for by Greyhound Writers’ Association members, having famously led home a one-two for Janssens in the £175,000 showpiece at Towcester.

Bred by Joe Devlin in Co. Wexford and bought by Janssens for the Two Dragons And A Lion syndicate, Thorn Falcon is a February 2019 son of Dorotas Wildcat and Hey Delilah – which meant the 2018 English Derby champion has now sired a Derby champion himself.

Victory for Thorn Falcon made it three English-trained winners in Towcester Derbys following successes for Astute Missile (2017) and Dorotas Wildcat (2018) and came after Irish domination of the event at Nottingham in the previous two years.

Thorn Falcon had been nominated for the monthly award in May after winning the KAB Maiden Derby winner, but now automatically receives the honour – much to the delight of champion trainer Janssens.

He said: “That’s fantastic and is certainly a real bonus for us all. Winning the Derby was a dream come true but couldn’t have been achieved without the support of the team here -Cheryl, Ria, Luke, Chloe and Ron Mills.

“I’m also delighted for the owners – in particular Keith (Allsop). We’ve known each other for many years and he’s done most things in greyhound racing – but this topped the lot for him, as it did us!

“We always felt ‘Big Bill’ might be something special after he beat Seaglass Smokey five lengths in a sprint trial at Towcester – and he just seemed to get better and better round Towcester.

“Things didn’t quite go to plan in his comeback race at Hove. We wanted to be involved in the memorial race for Bockos Doomie because it was such a nice thing for the track to do – and I have to thank the owners for their support here.

“He didn’t come away well and then got crowded out, but Nottingham and the Select Stakes (August 30) was always the plan. He trialled there on Monday (30.21sec) and definitely needed the run. We’ll either head back to Notts for another trial or a race.”

Clive Lawrence, RPGTV’s executive producer, said: “I know the GWA automatically hand the monthly award to the Derby champion – and that’s absolutely right. It’s the pinnacle of a greyhound’s career – and a trainer’s too!

“So Patrick’s feat in training the one-two in the Derby is right up there with some of the best achievements in the game. I was at Wimbledon in 1986 when Tico led home Master Hardy for an Arthur Hitch one-two. It’s a rare feat – so well done to him, Cheryl and all the team.

“And for us at RPGTV, being able to tell the story, was brilliant. I think throughout the Derby the rivalry between the Irish and English-trained runners was a superb sideshow and talking point. Ireland dominated at Nottingham but the English had the last laugh at Towcester. But next year could be a whole different ball game and we’re looking forward to bringing every race and every round of the Derby to RPGTV viewers again in 2022.”