Star Sports Derby Round 1 - Thursday with head-ons

IT was certainly alright on the night as the 2024 Star Sports/TRC English Derby got off to a great start at Towcester on Thursday.

There were six UK-trained winners in the ten heats with four from Ireland, the raiding party accounting for the quickest in the shape of Liam Dowling's De Lahdedah who clocked 28.78sec for the 500m, and arguably also the most impressive in Paul Hennessy's curtain-closing Boylesports Bob (28.87sec).

Interestingly, stopwatch guru Ray Bourne reports Richard Rees' Kilara Roberto to have posted the fastest halfway sectional with a 13.83sec split, just two spots quicker than Edwards and The Other Kobe who both recorded 13.85sec.

De Lahdedah's best work came late on after a 14.06sec halfway, even more so Boylesports Bob who went through the split point in an approximate 14.21sec.

Perhaps tellingly, there were five winners from trap three, three from trap two and one apiece from traps five and six. Trap one again proved a tough box as did four.

Post-race interviews by Joe Conneely and courtesy of Star Sports. Head-on footage from Ayozat.

Ht 1 - 1st T3 Jaytee Etienne (28.85sec), trainer Paul Hennessy (Ire)

Ht 2 - 1st T3 Crafty Shivoo (29.33sec), trainer Mark Wallis

Ht 3 - 1st T3 Edwards (28.98sec), trainer Patrick Janssens

Ht 4 - 1st T2 Unreal Bruiser (28.91sec), trainer Diane Henry

Ht 5 - 1st T5 Kilara Roberto (29.03sec), trainer Richard Rees

Ht 6 - 1st T3 The Other Kobe (29.23sec), trainer Graham Holland (Ire)

Ht 7 - 1st T3 Nowitsmyturn (29.17sec), trainer Richard Rees

Ht 8 - 1st T2 De Lahdedah (28.78sec), trainer Liam Dowling (Ire)

Ht 9 - T2 Cooliogold (29.14sec), trainer Maxine Locke

Ht 10 - T6 Boylesports Bob (28.87sec), trainer Paul Hennessy (Ire)