Rachel Holland's Derby blog - 22 May 2025

Rachel Holland's Derby blog

We were absolutely delighted with how things went last week. It’s never easy at this stage of the Derby, so to have the team performing like they did was brilliant. Of course, we were disappointed to lose Val Tashadelek but we knew it was a tough draw going in. Here’s a closer look at how they all got on and what’s ahead this weekend. 

Bombay Pat – Heat 2  

Mars broke a little better last week; his 4.00 split was a step in the right direction. Prince Naseem ran a big race alongside him and the overall time of 28.53 was very fast on the night. He’s in Heat 2 on Saturday and as the competition tightens, he’ll need to be sharp at the boxes again. It’s another tough heat this week, with Bubbly Charger - a Con & Annie Kirby finalist – who’s has taken well to Towcester and Droopys Plunge, who was runner-up in the Juvenile both in the mix. As always, it’s all about qualifying.  

Bockos Diamond – Heat 4 

We were pleased with Wildcat’s run last week - it was a strong performance and visually impressive to the eye. He clocked 28.51 and he’s looks like he’s getting back to full fitness now. It’s a shame to have both him and Cheap Sandwiches drawn in the same heat this week, but they’ve ended up the right way around in terms of the draw. There are some classy types in the race, but all being well, both of ours should be in with a shout of qualifying. 

Cheap Sandwiches – Heat 4 

Sambo continues to impress. He’s just so consistent and professional and ran another strong race last week, clocking 28.65. We’d expect him to get stronger as the competition goes on. It’s a tricky heat this week though - Jaytee Craze has a lovely draw in trap 1 and will finish strongly, while Salacres Senan in trap 3 looks to be running into some nice form, at the right time. As mentioned, Bockos Diamond is in Trap 5 - the last time the pair ran against each other was in the Irish Derby Final and we’d happily take that result again!  

Faypoint Susie – Heat 5 

We were over the moon with Susie last week, she used the draw in trap 1 to her advantage and showed her class. That was only her third run back, so we’d hope there’s more improvement to come. That said, she’s in a very tough heat this time and drawn out in trap 4. There’s a lot of early pace around her - Prince Naseem, Droopys Aladdin and Romeo Tomcat all break well, and then on her outside she has Keefill Maverick She’ll need to absolutely ping the lids to get into it, but she’s such a true professional, you can never rule her out. Her and her pup Midnight have seemed to capture the hearts of many on social media and we’ve no doubt that a lot of people will be behind her on Saturday night.  

Faypoint Harvey – Heat 7 

Harvey is nicely drawn again in trap 1 and he ran a massive race behind Cheap Sandwiches last week. We were really pleased with how he ran from trap 1 last week and the draw gives him every chance again here. Although, Romeo Empire in trap 2 is a very strong dog and looks like he’ll be major contender in six-bend competitions going forward, while Singalong Molly ran a big race last week too. Still, with his draw and current form, we’d be hopeful Harvey can go very well and make it through. 

The competition is really starting to heat up now and every round brings a new challenge, but we’re thrilled with how the dogs are running. Hopefully, we can keep the momentum going this weekend. Best of luck to everyone still involved!