CRAFTY SHIVOO and King Memphis kept the home flag flying high with victories in the hottest heats on a stunning third round night of 2024 Star Sports & TRC English Greyhound Derby action at Towcester on Saturday.

In front of a good crowd at the Norhamptonshire circuit, the race for places in Saturday’s upcoming quarter-finals of the £175,000-to-the-winner Classic was fierce with Crafty Shivoo again posting the fastest time after her near track-record run in the second round – and once again it was her brute all-round pace which sealed the deal.

Up against defending champion Gaytime Nemo (Graham Holland), the Irish Oaks champion broke in front and crucially got first run at the turn – albeit the fast-breaking De Lahdedah (Liam Dowling) looked a huge threat off the second bend.

However, Mark Wallis’s Empress Stakes winner was ultra-game in front and withstood the challenge from last year’s Irish Derby semi-finalist in what proved one of the races of the night – if not the Classic itself. Keeping on really well up the home-straight, De Lahdedah got to within a neck of the  winner, with Crafty Shivoo clocking a superb 28.62sec (normal).

Gaytime Nemo qualified in third here to maintain hopes of becoming a rare double Derby winner – and hopes were also high for kennelmate Swords Rex in the following heat seven and, while Holland’s brilliant campaigner did finish third and qualify, there was disappointment for connections following his withdrawal on Monday morning.

King Memphis proved a superb winner of this contest – another outstanding heat – as the Olympic champion utilised his devastating turn of foot into the turn to turn in pole position inside fast-starting Ballinabola Ed (Pat Buckley) before stretching out down the back-straight to win by three and three-quarter lengths from that rival in 28.74sec (normal).

The third round kicked off with Irish Derby champion The Other Kobe striking for Graham Holland in solid front-running style in 28.77sec (normal) as he railed into the lead off the second bend to take advantage of the wide-running tactics of kennelmate Clonbrien Treaty which ultimately cost the Easter Cup winner a place in the quarter-finals.

Up front The Other Kobe was not for catching as he went on for a two and a half lengths win over running-on compatriot Hawkfield Blue (John McGee snr) and last year’s Derby Plate champion Whyaye Man (Mark Wallis), who also finished well.

Other Irish victories on the night were notched by John Byrne’s Grouchos Duke in heat five  as he led early for a one and three-quarter lengths win over Edwards (Patrick Janssens) and Ballymac Gizmo (Liam Dowling) in 28.98sec (normal) and Liam Dowling’s Ballymac Slick who raised the roof for backers in the concluding heat eight.

Led almost throughout by Cooliogold (Maxine Locke), it was not until close home when the strong-running son of Ballymac Cooper and Ballymac Merkle, a half brother of the likes of Garfiney Blaze and Ballymac Taylor, grabbed the Romford raider for a half a length success in 28.97sec (normal), with Hawkfield Abbie (John McGee snr) qualifying in third.

The victory delighted winning trainer Dowling who told Emily Wallis for Star Sports: “He’s a good trapper which got him into a position. He might have been chopped for middle pace, but he’s strong and finishes well. His mum (Ballymac Merkle) has thrown a lot of staying dogs, of course, and he showed lots of promise himself in Ireland.

“He’s a gutsy dog who was running well so we thought we’d give him a crack at Towcester – I thought the track would suit this dog and so far, so good. He’s won two rounds of the English Derby which is not bad for his CV.”

Droopys Pivotel, the youngest runner left in the Derby, had earlier struck for Maxine Locke in all-the-way-fashion in heat two, winning by two lengths from evergreen Ballymac Finn (Liam Dowling) and Boylesports Bob (Paul Hennessy), the latter overcoming a badly missed break before grabbing the all-important third qualifying position late on. The winning time for the Romford raider was 28.93sec (normal).

The Richard Rees-trained Churchfield Syd proved a popular and well-backed winner of heat three as the Hove raider raced clear early before holding running-on Coss Tokyo (Maxine Locke) by a neck in 29.19sec (normal), with Bockos Thunder (Kevin Boon) securing a place in Saturday’s quarter-finals in third.

Patrick Janssens was also on the mark as his solid 2024 Derby continued with victory for Droopys Doughnut in heat four as a better exit saw the speedy soon of Pestana soon dominating on the wide outside for a two and a half lengths win over Ireland’s Superfast Gorden (Pat Buckley) and Beatties Sparkle (Kim Billingham) in 28.93sec (normal).

Results: https://www.gbgb.org.uk/meeting/?meetingId=411701&raceId=1043134

Trap draw for Saturday’s quarter-finals: https://towcester-racecourse.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Towc-Sat-15-Jun-Derby-Qtr-Final-Form.pdf