Deerjet Sydney aiming to make history in Greyhound Derby at Towcester
Held during a weekend of top-class sporting events in the UK, Saturday’s Derby final will see six of the nation’s finest canine athletes take to the track and compete for the £175,000 winner’s prize.
After last weekend’s hotly contested semi-finals, the race is wide open and will draw the attention of greyhound fans and enthusiasts across the world.
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Hide AdOne of the contenders for this year’s title is reigning champion Deerjet Sydney, who has won seven out of his past 10 races for trainer Pat Buckley and owner Kenny Glen.
Following Monday afternoon’s trap draw, Deerjet Sydney will be starting in Trap 2, with the bookies’ favourite, Ballymac Fairone, racing on his outside in Trap 3.
If he secures the win, three-year-old Deerjet Sydney will solidify his place in the greyhound Hall of Fame, joining the ranks of only four other racers who have won the prestigious English Greyhound Derby twice.
These are Westmead Hawk (2007 and 2008), Rapid Ranger (2000 and 2001), Patricia’s Hope (1972 and 1973) and Mick the Miller (1929 and 1930).
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Hide AdElsewhere in the world of greyhound racing, a number of supporting category two finals are taking place on Saturday, including the BGRF British Bred Champion Stakes, the Madri Exceptional Cup and the RPGTV Watling Street Sprint.
Tickets for the final can be purchased at www.towcester-racecourse.co.uk.
For those who cannot attend in person, all the action can be viewed live on Racing Post Greyhound TV (Sky Channel 437).
Towcester Racecourse spokesman Nathan Corden said: “Congratulations to the connections of all Saturday’s finalists!
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Hide Ad“Throughout the weekend we’ve got finals aplenty here at Towcester and aim to create a festival feel with pre and post race entertainment.
“The Derby final will be the highlight of a great card, with the heats of the Juvenile Classic on Friday night and then Saturday’s gala.
“All of us at the stadium, and indeed across the sport, are really looking forward to this weekend’s final, which is the pinnacle of our greyhound racing calendar.
“We cannot wait to celebrate the stars of our sport, and ultimately see who will be crowned the 2021 Derby champion.”
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Hide AdKim Sanzone, executive assistant at Star Sports, said: “On behalf of Ben Keith and everyone at Star Sports I would like to wish each and every one of the finalists the very best of luck for Saturday night. It’s been a superb competition from start to finish and it really is a classy line up for the final.
“On a personal note, I would like to thank Nathan Corden and Cat Jones at Towcester for all their help and assistance in ensuring things have gone as smoothly as they could in these trying times. I’m sure Saturday night will be a roaring success.”