Best Derby of modern era gives greyhound racing a real chance
RARELY has a Star Sports/TRC English Derby been more eagerly-awaited than the 2025 renewal and it is fair to say that the Towcester Classic fully lived up to the billing.
From the first night on 8th May when leading fancies and subsequent finalists Bockos Diamond and Cheap Sandwiches both won, right through to the quite brilliant final on 14th June, it was by common consent the best Greyhound Derby of the modern era.
Talk beforehand, during and right up until the home straight in the £175,000 final was of how strong the initial 30-plus Irish challenge was with odds of 1/3 at competition start just about the best price available about the trophy heading to the Emerald Isle for a fourth year in a row.
What price that would have been at three-quarters in the decider when the sole UK hope Droopys Plunge - trained it has to be said by an anglicised Belgian in Patrick Janssens - was fourth behind Graham Holland's three-strong final team?
Droopys Plunge, though, might be renowned as nervous to the extent that a kennelmate subbed for him at the rowdy presentation, but he showed the heart of a lion to force himself through on the inside at the final turn.
From therein, there was a sense of inevitability about the outcome and Droopys Plunge remarkably won going away in the end by a length and a half over the Irish Derby champion Bockos Diamond, with 2024 English Derby winner De Lahdedah going out on his shield in third having flown home from an impossible position.
Serious resources were thrown at the marketing of the event by Greyhound Racing UK, set up as a not-for-profit entity by leading greyhound owner and massive enthusiast Mike Davis, and, while not everything worked by any stretch of the imagination, much was learned and there was a genuine feelgood factor on the big night suggesting plenty of the initiatives did have a positive impact.
And when the Greyhound Derby final features as a segment on BBC1's flagship Breakfast TV programme, you can be sure that the sport's slow march back to the mainstream public consciousness is underway.
Roll on 2026, but not too soon. Let's savour this for a while.