SOLE MIO saved the best for last as Irish-trained runners held the advantage in the third round of the Star Sports/TRC English Greyhound Derby at Towcester on Saturday.

The Peter Cronin-trained runner blasted to a 28.64sec (-10) victory in heat eight of the £175,000-to-the-winner Classic to set the standard at the crunch last-48 stage and secure his place in Saturday’s quarter-finals of the famous event.

Quickly away, the July 23 son of Coolavanny Hoffa showed older rivals a clean pair of heels into the turn, crucially getting first run on the likes of Dynamic Force (Paul Hennessy) and Churchfield Syd (Richard Rees), and keeping the former at bay all the way to the wire for a three-quarters of a length success.

Victory for Cronin’s runner made it five wins on the night for Irish-trained runners against three from the home guard – and the Irish were certainly celebrating as Bockos Diamond and Cheap Sandwiches lit up Towcester with a thrilling tussle in heat four.

Rightly billed as the heat of the night, the clash of the BoyleSports Irish Derby first and second lived up to the hype with a superb head-to-head between Graham Holland’s pair with Bockos Diamond again underlining his canine superstar status.

Out-trapped by Cheap Sandwiches, Bockos Diamond, who slightly faltered on exiting the boxes, unleashed that now familiar and devastating burst of early pace which saw the September 22 son of Dorotas Wildcat take up the running into the first bend and look to stretch out his rivals in behind.

However, Cheap Sandwiches was up to the challenge and kept up the pressure all the way down the back and closed up the run-in, drawing alongside his Classic conqueror on the line, losing out by the minimum margin in a winning time of 28.84sec (-10). Third here was Droopys Bookem (Tom Heilbron).

Earlier, the defending English Derby champion De Lahdedah powered to victory in heat two as his grip on the famous trophy tightened still further.

The October 2021 son of Lenson Bocko was quick to stride and came through a tremendous battle with Ballinabola Joe (Pat Buckley), the pair going head to head down the far side, before a coming together saw the latter stumble and lose his position and the winner kick on for a three-and-a-quarter lengths success in 28.83sec (-10).

Quarter-final qualifiers here were No Better Feelin (Esther Driver) and March On Freddie (David Mullins), the latter looking a threat to all before becoming embroiled in third bend scrimmaging before rallying to secure his place in the quarter-finals.

Third round night had kicked off with victory for Slick Sentinel as Patrick Janssens’ runner, last year’s Juvenile Classic winner, initiated a double for the Derby-winning handler with a pillar-to-post victory in heat one.

Well away and soon in charge, the August 22 son of Droopys Sydney never looked in danger as he ran out a four and a half length victor over One Slick Jamie (Paul Marchant) and Newinn Benni (Derek Knight) in 28.92sec (-10) for the 500m trip.

The Janssens double was later completed by Droopys Trade, the joint-youngest runner left in the English Greyhound Derby, who roared into a first-bend lead in heat six and then held on from the fast-finishing Hello Diego (Paul Hennessy) and Tiffield Tarquin (Roy Peckham) by a short-head and three-quarters of a length.

In winning, the July 23 son of Droopys Sydney posted 28.98sec (-10) and followed the victory of another July 23 whelp in Droopys Aladdin as the son of Serene Ace unleashed his own customary burst of early pace to make all in heat five, crossing the line a length clear of the always-handy Keefill Maverick (Phil Milner) and Prince Naseem (Maxine Locke). The winning time for Mike Burton’s star was 29.08sec (-10).

Ireland’s third round challenge was kick-started by heat two winner Bubbly Charger as Brendan Matthews’s Kirby Memorial finalist burst to the bend and took the notable scalp of Bombay Pat (Graham Holland) in doing so.

Making all the running, the May 2023 son of Ballymac Bolger kept up the gallop all the way to the wire to cross the line two lengths clear of his compatriot, the 4-7 favourite, and running-on Droopys Plunge (Patrick Janssens) in a slick 28.79sec (-10).

The remaining heat seven went to Singalong Molly who struck for Ireland’s Pat Buckley and now takes her chance as the sole bitch in Saturday’s quarter-finals.

The September 2022 daughter of Dorotas Wildcat was always on the premises and ran on well for a half a length win over Faypoint Harvey (Graham Holland) and fast-finishing Romeo Empire (Patrick Janssens) in 28.86sec (-10).

*Trap draw for Saturday’s quarter-finals of the £175,000 Star Sports/TRC English Greyhound Derby: https://towcester-racecourse.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Q.pdf

*Saturday’s quarter-finals of the £175,000 Star Sports/TRC English Greyhound Derby at Towcester will be broadcast on SIS and Gone To The Dogs – Live! via the GTTD’s YouTube channel youtube.com/@gonetothedogs-live