Greyhounds
Irish Greyhound Derby Round Two Tips: Friday & Saturday Naps
William Hill ambassador Dani Jackson provides her tips and predictions for round two of the Irish Greyhound Derby, which takes places across Friday and Saturday at Shelbourne this week.
Friday, Shelbourne
LOW PROFILE is my NAP in round two of the Irish Derby after dotting up in the round one heat by three lengths. He should be able to lead, hold his good pitch on the rail, and power to victory. He has five wins in Open class, including an English derby trial stakes where he bolted up by eight lengths. He didn’t fare well in the opening round and was only fourth, ending his campaign far sooner than connections expected.
This is his second tilt at a big competition and he’s started perfectly. His time was decent with a 29.46s, and with him only having had twenty runs in his career, I think he’s still got a lot more to come.
Graham Holland knows how to win a derby, either here or in Ireland, and this lad couldn’t be in better hands. I think he’s landed in an easy enough heat and if he splits like last week, he’ll be tough to beat.
Saturday, Shelbourne
SLEIGHT OF HAND is my NAP on night two of round two of the Irish Greyhound Derby. He recorded a lightning-fast time in the first round of 29.10s, matching that of the far more exposed ante-post favourite, Bouncing Monarch. He’s still a puppy and has only had nine runs in his career. He’s won five of those, and all five have been very cosy.
Sleight Of Hand has done it both ways, by making all and coming from off the pace so has shown a real knack for racing and seems to have an instinctive racing brain. He doesn’t seem to care which box he’s in and has won from one, three and six so far. This lad should be able to dominate on the inside again and will be looking to use his nearly thirty-five kilo bulk to fend off any challenges. In fact, we have seen him overcome trouble and win comfortably in the past. I really like him and think he could put on a show again.
