Deniro's starring role at Towcester but Ace still favourite for Classic gold

Better proves best in Derby Plate heats for Driver team

EPIC ACE is now clear 3-1 favourite with the co-sponsors to win the Star Sports & Orchestrate Ltd. English Greyhound Derby after coming through a titanic test in the first quarter-final of the £125,000 Classic at Towcester on Saturday.

On a night compatriot Ballymac Deniro clocked the fastest-time-of-the-night with a flying 28.21 in his quarter-final, and two bitches - Scooby The Lady and Strike It Skye - won their quarter-finals, it was the John Kennedy-trained star who produced the most imperious performance, if not the fastest.

Lining up against Proper Heiress, track record holder Epic Ace (evsF) paced up to lead in a stacked opening quarter-final and, repelling a challenge at the turn from Mark Wallis's GBGB Greyhound of the Year Proper Heiress who burst through on the inside at the bend, Epic Ace went on to score from the staying-on Liam Dowling-trained Ballymac Iroko and Proper Heiress in 28.40sec for the 500m trip - in a race in which young star Underground Gold and Droopys Aladdin both exited the competition.

Fastest quarter-final winner was the Dowling-trained Ballymac Deniro (10-11F) who produced his best break so far in the Derby to take an early grip on the third quarter-final and maintain an advantage from pillar-to-post over Paul Hennessy's always-second Lennies Eddie with the latter's kennelmate Lennies Tank home in third for an Irish one-two-three here.

The winning time was a blistering 28.21, a length off Epic Ace's track record set in the third round.

That run came after the UK landed a one-two in the second quarter-final courtesy of Arc Kent Plate winner Scooby The Lady (7-4) who again trapped smartly to lead her rivals a merry dance from box-rise to score by a length from keeping-on Doncaster raider Sole Focus from Debbie Calvert's kennel in 28.49. Crucially for his supporters, having looked out of the Derby for much of the 500m contest after first-bend crowding, former track record holder Ballymac Duffle (Liam Dowling) showed real heart to finish well and deny compatriot Priceless Romeo (Paul Hennessy) in the shadow of the post for a place in Saturday's semi-finals.

Strike It Skye later followed Scooby The Lady as a bitch winner on quarter-final night by securing her place in the semis with another impressive victory, utilising a huge burst of back-straight speed to reel in leader Hackney Corner (Pat Buckley) at the third bend. Thereafter Mark Wallis's powerful bitch was on her way, although favourite Ballymac Ralf conjured up a huge run to get within a neck of the 28.50 winner to give Liam Dowling a fourth semi-finalist. Third home and into the last-12 stage was Hackney Corner.

Fastest in the greyhoundtrader.com Stakes was the Richard Rees-trained Uncle Freddie (28.77), while other heats were won by trackmates Kerrs Rancher (29.43) for Tony Taylor and This Approach (28.97) for Ricky Holloway, and the David Lewis-trained Alright Precious (29.25).

Fastest in the PricedUp.Bet Derby Plate was Esther Driver's No Better Feelin in 28.65, while other heats went to Patrick Janssens's Romeo Ability (28.71) and Craig Morris's Droopys Trade (28.69).

Star Sports bet on the Star Sports & Orchestrate Ltd. Greyhound Derby: 3 Epic Ace, 5 Ballymac Duffle, Scooby The Lady, 13-2 Ballymac Ralf, 7 Ballymac Deniro, 17-2 Proper Heiress, 10 Strike It Skye, 12 Hackney Corner, 14 Lennies Eddie, 28 Lennies Tank, 33 Ballymac Iroko, 80 Sole Focus.

Trap draw for Saturday's Star Sports & Orchestrate Ltd. Greyhound Derby semi-finals:

First semi: 1 Lennies Eddie, 2 Strike It Skye, 3 Epic Ace, 4 Ballymac Duffle, 5 Ballymac Deniro (m), 6 Ballymac Iroko (w).

Second semi: 1 Sole Focus, 2 Proper Heiress, 3 Scooby The Lady, 4 Ballymac Ralf, 5 Hackney Corner (m), 6 Lennies Tank (w).

Trap draw for Saturday's PricedUp.Bet Derby Plate semi-finals:

First semi: 1 Rackethall Brute, 2 Zenith Pasha, 3 Singalong Polly 4 Romeo Ability, 5 Droopys Berries, 6 Uncle Keith (w).Second semi: 1 Ballymac Dave, 2 The Other Chief, 3 No Better Feelin, 4 Ballymac Blanco, 5 Droopys Trade, 6 Bubbly Charger (m).

Trap draw for Saturday's greyhoundtrader.com Stakes:

First semi: 1 Shudacudawouda, 2 Alright Precious, 3 Kerrs Rancher, 4 Rapido Benny, 5 This Approach, 6 Mystic Batman (m).

Second semi: 1 Ballymac Odin, 2 Teejays Chelms, 3 Droopys Softy, 4 Venetian Mick, 5 Sporting Boogie, 6 Uncle Freddie (m).