Is the 2022 Greyhound Derby Ballinabola Ed’s for the Taking?
Only 24 dogs remain in the 2022 Star Sports & TRC English Greyhound Derby. Ballinabola Ed, courtesy of three impressive victories, is now 7/4 in the outright competition betting. Ten of the remaining runners in contention for the £175,000 winner’s prize are trained in Ireland. This number includes the ante-post favorite.
Lautaro broke Towcester’s track record in the opening round of the 2022 Greyhound Derby. Is he poorly drawn on Saturday night? ©Steve Nash
Four quarter-final contests take place at the 2022 Derby venue, Towcester, on Saturday evening. The first three greyhounds in each race will proceed to the semi-final stages seven days later. Ballinabola Ed goes in the second Derby quarter-final. It is due off at 7.30 pm. In what appears an excellent opportunity – wearing the orange vest of trap five – he is 4/9 to win the contest.
Chapman Knows the Derby Odds
Martin Chapman, greyhound odds compiler for Derby sponsor StarSports, believes Ballinabola Ed’s outright odds are justified. “Ballinabola Ed fully deserves his position at the head of the betting,” he told Online-Casinos.com. “He could easily go through the competition unbeaten, and this was a Derby that saw the betting markets open at 20/1 the field.”
The form expert continued to give his opinion of all of the weekend’s four quarter-finals beginning with Ballinabola Ed’s assignment. “He has been flawless so far. Trapping is not his strong point, but he has searing early pace. I expect him to have a decisive early lead reaching the opening bend.”
“Ballymac Fairone, who goes from trap-1, was a finalist in last year’s competition. But Faughan Rebel, drawn in trap-6, is a fairytale dog that I’d love to see qualify. He was injured in a late stage of this competition last year and he also contested the 2020 Derby at Nottingham.”
Boss and Sally Have Clear Opportunities
The opening quarter-final, scheduled for 7.10 pm, is a “minefield” according to the expert. “This is a tricky race,” says Chapman. “Traps three and four will probably battle things out until the opening bend, but I’d not like to make a prediction after that. If forced into placing a bet, I’d opt for the four-dog, Cape Cloud, at the prices.”
Chapman, a recognized greyhound racing authority, has firmer opinions on the remaining two quarter-finals scheduled for 7.48 pm and 8.05 pm. “Lautaro began the competition as a railer and he now goes from trap-six. I’m not sure that draw will suit him in the third quarter-final. Derrinasafa Boss from trap-five is my idea of a potential winner here. With trap-four being a slow starter, he could lead the inside runner early on and win at a big price.”
The fourth and final quarter-final represents a good opportunity for 2021 Irish Derby runner-up, Singalong Sally, according to Chapman. “I can see Signet Goofy leading from trap-five but with slow starters on her inside, Singalong Sally should get a clear run and pick him up. In behind, Mickys Barrett could snatch third from trap-six and progress to the final for his enthusiastic bunch of owners,” he concluded.
What Are the odds?
The best online betting sites offer early prices on all Greyhound Derby quarter-finals. The markets show Derrinasafa Boss can be backed at a tasty 20/1. Singalong Sally is a considerably shorter price, 5/4. Chapman’s tentative selection in the opening quarter-final, Cape Cloud is 3/1 to win the 7.10 pm contest.
