Diamond faces stern Irish Derby opener but Im Here looks solid
THE 2026 BOYLE Sports Irish Greyhound Derby, in which every race in every round is live on sisracing.tv, begins at Shelbourne Park tonight with the opening 12 first round heats over the 550 yards course.
Clash of the night, and perhaps the whole round, comes in heat 10 at 9.54 where Graham Holland's 2024 champion Bockos Diamond faces a really stern test with the opposition headed by kennelmate Bockos Gold, Juvenile Derby winner Getup The Boy and last year's finalist Glengar Silent.
Perhaps a race to savour rather than get too heavily involved in and Shelbourne commentator Ian Fortune looks elsewhere for his two best bets of the evening.
His nap is Peter Cronin's recent Puppy Derby winner Im Here in heat 9 at 9.40, while his next best is high-class syndicate-owned bitch Silent Noelle in heat 4 at 8.18.
Fortune's full heat by analysis can be obtained via the link below, while there is also ante-post advice at the bottom of this page in the first of our weekly previews.
Jonathan Kay
Sticking with Ireland, at Mullingar, Billy Kenny's Ardevan Hawk appeals in the morning opener at 11.13 with other picks there being John Dore's Liffeyside Cloda (12.04), Vincent Lynch's Killeshil Callie (12.21) and David O'Neill's Shrewd Prospect (1.12).
There is evening action at Kilkenny where second round heats in the Boylesports A3 Bitch 525 can go to Murt Leahy's Away Zoomey (9.01) and Droopys Sami (9.31) plus Pat Buckley's Glengar Robin (9.18).
Harlow has a morning/evening double-header with Paul Clarke's Rathmeehan Judi (11.54) and Di Jinks' Townsend Abby (8.18) the suggestions, while Ken Kennedy's Dorotas Diamond (4.37) can close afternoon proceedings at Star Pelaw with a sprint victory.
Im Here (nap)
T6 Shelbourne Park 9.40
Jonathan Kay
Minimum strike rate requirement - 10 runners during the previous 14 days