Third time lucky for Sandwiches as Holland registers his fifth title
CHEAP SANDWICHES enshrined trainer Graham Holland in the history books with an authoritative performance to land the €125,000 final of the BOYLE Sports Irish Greyhound Derby over 550 yards at Shelbourne Park.
In doing so, the 4/5 favourite credited Holland with a fifth victory in Ireland's most important race taking him one ahead of Tom Lynch and Gay McKenna in that regard.
Rank outsider Barefoot On Song ripped up the form guide by pinging from trap three and led into the first bend but was quickly challenged by fast up Cheap Sandwiches, while a coming together between Proper Heiress and Magical Mag saw the last-named take a tumble although she was quickly back on her feet.
Cheap Sandwiches, owned by the Bark Wahlberg Syndicate, swept into the lead off the second bend and went on to effectively settle the issue in a matter of strides.
Barefoot On Song stuck to the task really gamely but it was a hopeless pursuit and Cheap Sandwiches came home three lengths to the good in 29.37sec with Glengar Silent passing a tiring Proper Heiress four lengths back in third.
It was a second successive win in the Classic for Holland who landed it in 2024 with Bockos Diamond, who had been chased home by Cheap Sandwiches on that occasion before the pair also made the English Derby final at Towcester.
The winning syndicate comprises Dan Brassil and his son Ger, Dave O’Brien, Eoin Sweeney, Keith Daly, Eoin O’Goilligan, Dara Lundain, Kevin O’Donovan, Rob Hanley, Fergal O’Donnell and Jim O’Brien.
Semi-finals
CHEAP SANDWICHES dominated a night of semi-final drama at Shelbourne Park.
The straightforward report is that Graham Holland's star, second to kennelmate Bockos Diamond in the 2024 final and then fourth behind Droopys Plunge in the English version at Towcester in June, demolished his rivals in the opening semi of the 550 yards event.
In charge from the off, he powered right away to win by fully 12 and a half lengths from Oreo Ollie in a competition-best 29.14sec with Barefoot On Song a short-head back in third and UK champion Proper Heiress tiring, apparently eliminated, in fourth after a bumpy run rounding the first couple of bends.
However, Oreo Ollie and Barefoot On Song got very close as the line loomed and it was judged that the Jack Kennelly-trained Oreo Ollie had over-stepped the mark resulting in his suspension and meaning, under Irish rules, that Proper Heiress was promoted into the third qualifying position for the €125,000 decider.
The second did not have the same level of incident but saw a fine performance all the same with Pat Buckley's Glengar Silent collaring Magical Mag at the third bend and going on to beat Droopys Deploy by two lengths in 29.26sec with the early leader a length back in third.
Quarter-finals
CHEAP SANDWICHES firmed as favourite for the Irish Greyhound Derby after a superb display in the opening quarter-final.
Graham Holland's dog was led initially by Unanimous Leo but ran a great first bend to assert before the second and proceeded to draw right away.
At the line, he was seven lengths to the good of Droopys Deploy in clocking 29.27sec which proved easily the best of night. Callaway Five short-headed Unanimous Leo for the third qualifying position.
Mark Wallis' Proper Heiress battled to a 29.78sec victory over an again eye-catching Glengar Silent with Pat Guilfoyle's Magical Mag and Tom O'Neill's Ballyhooly Bruno (both 29.69sec) taking the other quarter-finals.
Round three
EVEN in the absence of the apparent leading man, withdrawn reigning champion Bockos Diamond, Cheap Sandwiches and Proper Heiress produced the race of this year's Irish Derby.
Cheap Sandwiches was a strongly-supported 1/2 favourite for heat three of the third round but his backers had reckoned without UK star Proper Heiress with Mark Wallis' charge producing by far his best run of the competition to date.
A decent start proved key as Proper Heiress held the inside line and led into the back straight with Cheap Sandwiches on his shoulder and straining every sinew to challenge.
He got alongside at three-quarters but that was as good as it got and Proper Heiress powered on for a length victory in a best-of-night 29.27sec.
Shock of the night was the elimination of Bombay Pat who could finish only fourth behind Liam Dowling's Ballymac Stud (29.35sec) in heat four after early travails, while Karol Ramsbottom's Cheque For Cash emulated Proper Heiress by maintaining his unbeaten record in the Classic with a 29.58sec heat seven victory,.
That matched the time of Pat Buckley's Unanimous Leo in the opener, the trainer immediately doubling up when the newly-renamed Singalong Curly took heat two in 29.52sec.
Other heat winners were Kieran Lynch's Shanahee Boomer (29.42sec), Pat Guilfoyle's Magical Mag (29.51sec) and Robert Gleeson's Droopys Deploy (29.91sec).
Round two
BOCKOS DIAMOND got back on the winning trail after his first Shelbourne defeat a week earlier when setting the standard on the first night of round two action in the Irish Derby.
Graham Holland’s reigning champion produced a dominant performance in heat four, leading early and drawing right away to beat kennelmate Faypoint Harvey by fully eight lengths in a best-of-night 29.40sec for the 550 yards.
Holland completed a double when Cheap Sandwiches powered clear from halfway in heat eight to beat Brunch Pal by five lengths in 29.49sec.
The Pat Guilfoyle-trained Magical Mag justified strong support from an opening 2/1 into an SP of 11/10 when just holding off 2024 English Derby champion De Lahdedah by a neck as she clocked 29.42sec in heat three.
The Saturday session saw BOMBAY PAT produce the fastest run of the competition to date with a superb 29.17sec victory in heat nine.
Graham Holland's star was flat-footed at the start but quickly recovered and was in control by the first bend, going on to beat an ultra-game Prince Naseem by two lengths.
Training honours on the night went to Paul Hennessy who landed a double courtesy of 22/1 shock winner Priceless Romeo (29.63sec) and Barefoot On Song (29.90sec), while Mark Wallis' UK raider Proper Heiress overcame a scare at the start to ultimately win comfortably in 29.88sec just as the heavens opened and likely impacted track conditions.
Round one
BOMBAY PAT was the opening night standard-setter as the 2025 BOYLE Sports Irish Derby got under way at Shelbourne Park.
The middle leg of a Graham Holland treble bookended by Cheap Sandwiches and Swords Style - although the trainer's reigning champion Bockos Diamond did have to settle for sec0nd behind Epic Ace in what was a first ever Shelbourne defeat - Bombay Pat landed heat six in a superb 29.27sec for the 550 yards.
One race later, Mark Wallis's UK star Proper Heiress put down a marker of his own with an impressive 29.45sec success.
Rolo Tokyo starred on night two with a dominant heat 19 victory. Fourth in the recent Maiden Derby over the course and distance, Damian Maginn's charge was always in control and came home seven lengths to the good of Cushie The Best in clocking 29.29sec.
Next quickest was another Maiden Derby finalist in the shape of Paul Hennessy's Lennies Dream (29.37sec), while there were doubles for trainers Pat Buckley (Hopes Teddy and Unanimous Leo) and Pat Guilfoyle (Magical On Fire and Magical Sapphire).
