Battle lines drawn as formidable Irish contingent hits Towcester

THE 2026 Star Sports & Orchestrate English Greyhound Derby begins with first round heats over 500m at Towcester on Friday and Saturday and a reduced first prize of £125,000 has done little to lower the quality.

As ever, there is a formidable Irish challenge and sisracing.tv's Jonathan Kay and Ian Fortune will keep tabs on each country's progress over the next six weeks.

In episode one, there was a gentle reminder from the 'home' side that having five of the six runners in the final does not guarantee victory.