2024 Star Sports & TRC English Greyhound Derby, Towcester
THE build-up to the 2024 Star Sports & TRC English Greyhound Derby is under way.
THE build-up to the 2024 Star Sports & TRC English Greyhound Derby is under way.
Towcester's 500m course will stage the most important race in the greyhound calendar for a sixth time building to a £175,000 final on Saturday 29th June.
2024 details
The first key date is a noon cut-off for entries on Monday 13th May with the first round scheduled to be staged over three nights, Thursday 23rd, Friday 24th and Saturday 25th May.
The action continues over five more weekends building through to the £175,000 final night gala on Saturday 29th June.
Every Derby heat will be available to watch live via sisracing.tv
Four of the past five renewals have been won by Irish-based trainers with exiled Englishman Graham Holland on a hat-trick in 2024 after back-to-back successes courtesy of Romeo Magico and Gaytime Nemo. Only Nick Savva - Westmead Hawk (2005 & 2006), Westmead Lord (2007) - has previously trained three-in-a-row.
Derby History
The international flavour of the competition has been apparent from the very early days with Joe Harmon's inaugural local win with Entry Badge in 1927 swiftly followed by a Scottish victory from Tommy Johnston senior's Boher Ash the following year then Paddy Horan's legendary Mick The Miller for Ireland in 1929.
Mick The Miller successfully defended his title 12 months later and, incredibly, was first past the post again in 1931 only for the stewards to invoke a rule in force at the time to void the race due to Ryland R having turned on Seldom Led off the final bend.
A re-run took place later that night and, two days past his fifth birthday, Mick The Miller was understandably not at his best as he finished fourth behind Seldom Led.
Mick The Miller was subsequently joined as a dual winner by Patricias Hope (1972 & 1973), Rapid Ranger (2000 & 2001) and Westmead Hawk (2005 & 2006).
Derby venues
White City, London 1927-1939 & 1945-1984Harringay, London 1940Wimbledon, London 1985-2016Towcester, Northants 2017-2018 & 2021-Nottingham, Notts 2019-2020
Leslie Reynolds trained five Derby winners in seven renewals between 1948 and 1954 with 1952 champion Endless Gossip produced by his 1948 and 1949 winners Priceless Border and Narrogar Ann.
However, the undisputed 'Derby King' is Charlie Lister OBE with a magnificent seven victories starting with Some Picture in 1997, encompassing Rapid Ranger's era and Farloe Verdict who got the 2003 crown on a disqualification through to a final hurrah of three in four, namely Bandicoot Tipoki (2010), Taylors Sky (2011) and Sidaz Jack (2013).
