2025’s Greyhound Derby Has Been Punter-Friendly
Irish-trained dogs dominate the English Greyhound Derby betting as the competition enters its third round.
Wide runners have fared well in this year’s Greyhound Derby. © Steve Nash
Key Facts:
- Bockos Diamond has strengthened in the Star Sports/TRC Greyhound Derby betting.
- De Lahdedah is still in contention for back-to-back Derby wins.
- So far, the Derby has been ‘punter-friendly’.
- The big guns are set to clash in Saturday’s third round heats.
Defending champion De Lahdedah and the 2024 Irish Greyhound Derby winner, Bockos Diamond, remain in contention for the 2025 Star Sports/TRC Greyhound Derby – a competition that will enter its third-round stage on Saturday.
Following the shock elimination of Proper Heiress, the top five in the betting for the £175,000 to-the-winner competition are all trained in Ireland. De Lahdedah, currently top-priced 12/1 (from an opening 33/1 quote), and Bombay Pat (8/1 from 16/1) have been the biggest movers in the betting.
Can One of the Big Two Do the Derby Double?
Boasting 17 wins from his latest 18 career starts, Bockos Diamond is the competition’s longstanding betting favourite. Successful in the 2025 Greyhound Derby’s opening two rounds, he is two steps closer to emulating Toms The Best in winning both the Irish and English Derby.
That feat came in 1997/1998 and was the first and only time the cross-channel ‘Derby double’ has been achieved. De Lahdedah can potentially join Westmead Hawk (2005/2006), Rapid Ranger (2000/2001), Patricias Hope (1971/1972) and Mick The Miller (1929/1930).
A cut above: Market leader Bockos Diamond on his way to a fastest of @StarSports_Bet TRC Derby 2nd Round 28.51. Drawn alongside kennelmate Cheap Sandwiches in next Saturday's unmissable 48 stage @TowcesterRaces @RiversideKenne #GreyhoundDerby2025 pic.twitter.com/JbtP06W7A5
— SteveNashPhotography (@SteveNashPhotos) May 19, 2025
Short Odds and Wide Running Winners
While some short-priced runners have been beaten, this year’s Star Sports/TRC Greyhound Derby has been ‘punter-friendly’. None of the 32 first-round heats or 16 second-round races have provided a double-digit winner.
Beyond a pair of 6/1 winners and a 9/2 scorer, the biggest-priced winner of the remaining 45 races was just 7/2. Another standout statistic is the success enjoyed by greyhounds drawn in wide traps.
Of the 16 second-round races, ten winners were drawn in traps 5 or 6. There was no winner from trap 2; only three winners started from traps 3 or 4. Five of the top six in the current betting are classified as ‘wide’ runners.
Latest Greyhound Derby Betting
- Bockos Diamond 3/1
- Cheap Sandwiches 6/1
- Bombay Pat 8/1
- De Lahdedah 12/1
- Ballinabola Joe 14/1
The best UK online betting sites currently offer each-way terms of 1/4 odds for a 1-2-3-4 finish in the June 14 Derby final.
Two Red-Hot Third Round Heats This Saturday
Third-round Greyhound Derby action begins at 7.10 pm on Saturday at Towcester Racecourse. The action will be broadcast live on sisracing.tv and can be watched on the Gone To The Dogs – Live! YouTube channel.
The standout third-round heats include a red-hot 7.46 pm where Britain’s leading hope, March On Freddie, meets defending champion De Lahdedah and exciting youngster Ballinabola Joe, who is two-from-two at Towcester.
Twenty minutes later, the top two in the betting, Bockos Diamond and Cheap Sandwiches, will go head-to-head in a contest featuring Irish St Leger finalist Jaytee Craze and the strong-staying Droopys Bookem.
