The 2026 English Greyhound Derby Has Attracted 166 Entries
by Roy Brindley,
23 April 2026
Irish Derby winners Bockos Diamond and Cheap Sandwiches will return to Towcester in pursuit of English Greyhound Derby glory during the month ahead.
Towcester will host the Greyhound Derby for the eighth time during the coming five weeks. © Getty Images
Key Facts:
- The 2026 Greyhound Derby attracts 166 greyhounds, including star names.
- Three greyhounds share ante-post favouritism; two are UK-trained.
- First round Derby action will get underway on April 30.
166 greyhounds have been entered for the 2026 Star Sports & Orchestrate Ltd English Greyhound Derby. The trap draw for the £125,000 to-the-winner competition will be made on Friday, April 24, at Towcester Racecourse, which hosts the famous contest.
Last year’s winner, Droopy’s Plunge, will not be present to defend his title. However, there is no shortage of superstars in the field. It includes the 2024 Irish Greyhound Derby winner and 2025 English Derby runner-up, Bockos Diamond.
Another, Cheap Sandwiches, the winner of the 2025 Irish Greyhound Derby, will seek to reach his fourth Derby final. The Irish-trained greyhound reached the English Derby decider last summer and was previously runner-up in the 2024 Irish version.
14/1 the Field in a Wide-Open Derby
Irish handler Liam Dowling, who won the 2024 Greyhound Derby with De Lahdedah, has nine greyhounds in the competition. Co-favourite Ballymac Setanta spearheads his squad. A finalist in last year’s Laurels, this greyhound recently finished runner-up in Limerick’s prestigious Con & Annie Kirby Memorial.
The other 14/1 co-favourites are Underground Gold and Proper Heiress. The former, who will maintain his puppy status until August, impressively landed last month’s Ladbrokes Puppy Derby final at Monmore for Romford handler Paul Young.
Five Category One titles – the Winter Derby, Kent Plate, Sussex Cup and Olympic at Hove, and Eclipse – plus an appearance in the Irish Derby final, secured Proper Heiress the 2025 Greyhound of the Year accolade. Derby glory would see him join the list of all-time greats.
His trainer, multiple-champion Mark Wallis, also handles Strike It Skye. Lightly raced but registering some sensational times, could she be the first female to win the English Greyhound Derby since Sarah’s Bunny in 1979? online betting sites quote her chances at 20/1.
It’s official — the English Greyhound Derby is coming back to Towcester Racecourse!🏆🏁
From iconic victories to unforgettable moments, the English Greyhound Derby continues to define the very best of the sport and 2026 promises to be bigger, faster, and more exciting than ever.… pic.twitter.com/rEGt7eHoND
— Towcester Racecourse (@TowcesterRaces) November 7, 2025
UK’s Irish-Based Holland Has Biggest Entry
Numerically, Irish-based Englishman Graham Holland has the biggest Derby squad with 11 entries. Liam Dowling’s nine hopefuls all carry the Ballymac prefix. Paul Young, who has yet to win a Derby, also has nine greyhounds entered.
The 2026 Derby entry consists of 108 railers, 31 middle seeds and 27 wides. Statistical results from previous Derbies raced at Towcester suggest that greyhounds that race middle-to-wide will enjoy a slight advantage.
It should also be noted that since the Greyhound Derby left Wimbledon Stadium in 2016, a betting favourite has never won the final. The first Towcester Derby went to Astute Missile – a 28/1 shot on the night. Last year’s winner, Droopys Plunge, returned at odds of 10/1.
English Greyhound Derby 2026 Schedule
- First Round: Thursday, April 30 – Saturday, May 2.
- Second Round: Friday, May 8 – Saturday, May 9.
- Third Round: Saturday, May 16.
- Quarter-Finals: Saturday, May 23.
- Semi-Finals: Saturday, May 30.
- Final: Saturday, June 6.
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