2019 Irish Greyhound Derby

At Shelbourne Park (over 550 yards):

The first night of the first round provided several shock eliminations starting with Easter Cup champion Clona Blaze in the very first heat. Clonbrien Prince and Burgess Bucks and also crashed out and Ballymac Cooper and Ballymac Arminta also lost on the night but progressed. Jaytee Taylor and defending champion Ballyanne Sim both ran well to reach round two.[6][7] The following night saw Wolfe win the first race in a sensational 29.22 and then Kilmacdonagh won in 29.36. Magical Bale and Lenson Bocko sealed their first wins but Lenson Blinder had to settle for a runner-up spot.[8]

The second round started just like the first round with another high-profile elimination when Ballymac Arminta crashed out. Slippy Cian and Lenson Blinder both won their races while Wolfe and Ballyanne Sim progressed despite defeats.[9] Heats 9-16 got underway the following evening (Aug 24) and Totos Park won before a sensational heat 11 saw all three major Derby contenders progress; Kilmacdonagh impressed when beating Magical Bale and Lenson Bocko. Produce champion Grangeview Ten claimed an unusual three dog heat and finally Jaytee Taylor secured a second-place finish and Ballymac Cooper won his heat to see all the big names through on the night.[10]

The third round was held on the 31 August and Lenson Bocko claimed the first heat in a very fast time of 29.27; Jaytee Taylor found trouble and failed to qualify. Slippy Cian took heat 2 before the John Linehan trained Droopys Pension won heat 3 to remain unbeaten. In the next heat Murts Boher surprised at 10-1 beating Lenson Blinder into second place with Droopys Hunch and Totos Park going no further. Heat 5 was mayhem and Grangeview Ten won the race with Wolfe knocked over and eliminated, the stewards failed to stop the race despite a greyhound turning and passing the hare in the wrong direction, luckily no greyhound was injured. Killmacdonagh and Ballymac Copper battled in heat 6 with the fawn bitch coming out on top by a head, Magical Bale bounced back top form with a win in heat 7 and finally Mucky Brae won heat 8 which saw the end of the challenge of defending champion Ballyanne Sim.[11]

One week later the quarter-finals took place and in heat 1 Lenson Bocko posted an impressive 29.27 and propelled himself forward as the new favourite, the brindle dog had also recorded 29.27 in the previous round but this time he beat the field by seven and a half lengths, Run Happy and Deadly Dynamite took the two distant qualifying places with Grangeview Ten last. Heat 2 saw the surprise elimination of Ballymac Copper who ran under par, Sophies Man took the race followed by Boylesports King and Mucky Brae. Magical Bale's class showed once again as he won heat 3 from Ballydoyla Valor and the previously undefeated Killmacdonagh in a very strong race that also saw the end of the challenge from Droopys Pension and Slippy Cian. The final heat was won by Murts Boher from Our Surprise and Music Tooour Ears but Lenson Blinder was eliminated.[12]

In the semi-finals Lenson Bocko consolidated his tag as favourite when winning all the way in heat 1 from the consistent Run Happy with Boylesports King taking the final qualification place. A rare dead-heat in the second heat between Mucky Brae and Our Surprise meant that three greyhounds qualified for the final with a time of 29.32sec because the first heat had also been won in that time. The last to take a place in the final was the dangerous Killmacdonagh who looked so strong in the early part of the competition and with a trap 1 draw in the final looked a real danger to Lenson Bocko; Magical Bale finished fifth and failed to make it through.[13]

The final was a five dog heat following the withdrawal of Our Surprise and as the traps rose it was Mucky Brae that broke best but Run Happy and Lenson Bocko were both gaining ground on the run up to the first bend. Run Happy took the lead on the rails as Mucky Brae and Lenson Bocko impeded each other with latter better placed in second place as they came out of the second bend. Poor starts by Killmacdonagh and Boylesports King left them trailing the leading trio on the back straight. Mucky Brae began to fade by the third bend leaving Killmacdonagh no path to contest and by the third Lenson Bocko was challenging Run Happy sitting about a length behind. As they turned for the home straight it looked like two-way battle for the line but Boylesports King was finishing strongly and was also gaining with every stride. Just a few yards from the finish Lenson Bocko finally reeled in the long time leader and won by a neck, the line came too early for Boylesports King who would have won if the distance had been five yards longer.[3][4]

• 2019 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year