Can we have a Northern winner of the Star Sports/TRC English Greyhound Derby this year?

Northern runners in the 2025 Star Sports/TRC English Greyhound Derby

On the eve of the Star Sports/TRC English Greyhound Derby getting underway at Towcester on Thursday, the usual England versus Ireland banter is in full swing.

The Anglo-Irish battle is always a big talking point in the Classic and this year is no different, with the home team bidding to stop the rot after De Lahdedah completed a hat-trick for the visitors when scooping the £175,000 first prize in 2024.

Headed by the Time Greyhound Nutrition Juvenile one-two, Proper Heiress and Droopys Plunge, the English challenge looks a strong one this year, but what about the chances of those from the North?

It seems a long time ago that the all-conquering Charlie Lister landed the last of his seven Derby victories with Sidaz Jack in 2013, but Wicky Ned could give the Northerners plenty to cheer about this time around.

Jimmy Fenwick’s star failed to beat a rival home behind Proper Heiress in the aforementioned £10,000 shoot-out over this course and distance, but don’t read too much into that. It was only his second outing of the year and he was severely impeded by Droopys Plunge heading for the rails on his outside early doors.

The August 2022 son of Droopys Sydney picked up a spectacular four Category One events in his first season, earning him the Greyhound of the Year crown and making him a serious Derby contender in the process.

The Northumberland raider went out in the first round of the Derby last year but was still very inexperienced, and a dominant success in the Genco Puppy Invitation Trophy on final night allayed any fears about him potentially not handling the Northamptonshire circuit.

A trio of hot pre-Juvenile trials confirmed his well-being and he’s available at 25/1 with the sponsors. He takes on ante-post favourite Bockos Diamond in heat six at 8.06 on Thursday evening.

Other Northern raiders

 Having recently retired the brilliant Links Maverick, fellow north-east trainer Tom Heilbron will be hoping one of his seven representatives can provide him with a new superstar.

The most likely of his team to provide that may be Droopys Bookem, who mixed good company in Ireland and ran out a very impressive winner of a Derby trial stakes on his British debut last month.

After three withdrawals, Diane Henry will be sending six runners down from her South Yorkshire base. All are available at triple-figure odds, but she famously guided Savana Beau to the final at a huge ante-post price in 2022 and Clona Curly, who won a heat of last year’s Derby, could be her main hope.

Doncaster handler Phil Milner is noted for getting the best of his small string of British-bred runners and his trio of entrants could surprise a few people. Avongate Venus went unbeaten through a red-hot Empress Stakes at Towcester in September, while her kennelmate Keefill Goose was beaten less than two lengths by leading ante-post fancy Cheap Sandwiches in a trial stakes recently.

Mickys Barrett and his army of noisy fans reached the decider three years ago for Jason Gray, and the Nottinghamshire-based trainer bids to repeat the dose with Loxleys Troy and Toolmaker Quick. The latter is a former Robert Gleeson inmate and showed enough promise as a youngster to warrant a second look.