Remember When - The biggest priced winners of the Greyhound Derby

Roughly one Derby winner in every eight can be classified as a ‘turn up’. For the sake of this article, we are talking about a winner whose SP is priced in double digits. Here are a couple that spring to mind. 

The biggest of them all – ASTUTE MISSILE 2017 

There has only been one big priced Derby winner at Towcester, and he emerged in their first year of staging the event. In fact, to date, Astute Missile, who also happens to be the biggest priced winner in the history of the English Derby at 28/1. 

Of the many fast hounds to have gone through the hands of Seamus Cahill it seems unlikely that Astute Missile would be rated quicker than the likes of: Loughteen Blanco, Forest Con, Rayvin Giovanni, Maree Champion and Droopys Clue - to name but five. 

But if you are an owner of one of the lesser rated hounds in the 2025 Derby, Astute Missile might prove an inspiration. 

Generally rated as a lightly raced minor open racer going into the 2017 event, his best middle distance performance was either a 29.90 for Central Park’s 500m or a 28.58 run over Swindon’s 480m trip. Both ‘decent’ though not sparkling. 

In fact a month before his Derby attempt, Missile had finished third in a Romford Friday night final over 575 metres. 

He reached the Derby final following runs of 3rd, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd with the latter being the only time that he broke 29.00. 

The Cahill runner was drawn between the two Irish hotpots and track record breakers in the final. Clares Rocket (Best 28.77 6/4f) was drawn in three. Tyrur Shay (Best 28.72TR 7/4) wore the orange. 

But on the night that it mattered,  it was all about the Missile 

Sadly, Astute Missile broke a hock in a solo trial a couple of weeks after his big win. Trainer Cahill reckoned “it was as bad as they get.” 

In fact the 31 kilo black did return to the track and clocked some very decent times including a 28.16 for Towcester’s old 480m course. 

Unfortunately, he didn’t stay sound and was retired without winning another race. 

25/1 in a 5 runner race? – TARTAN KHAN 1975 

To simply view the result of 1975 gives no insight into the drama behind it. Viewed without context, a 25/1 winner in a five runner field, might suggest abject mediocrity.  

Nothing could be further from the truth. 

At the time, and even with the benefit of hindsight, it looked an exceptional Derby. It was the first time that the event was staged over 500 metres at White City and throughout, there was huge attention on the Irish duo Lively Band and Shamrock Point and the brilliant Manchester White City based star, Myrtown. 

The Fenton Kirwan-owned, Eddie Moore-trained Myrtown had finished runner-up to Jimsun in the 1974 Derby Final over the 525 yard course, and was still Britain’s ‘talking dog’. 

Lively Band was the reigning Irish Derby and St.Leger champion. Shamrock Point was arguably the biggest star in a Ger McKenna raiding team that were like the Harlem Globetrotters. 

But then the drama began in the semi-finals. Lively Band led up with Shamrock Point in pursuit but coming around the last bend, Band fought Point, pushing him wide, allowing Foreign Exchange and Sallys Cobbler to come through and qualify. 

Lively Band held onto third place ahead of Point. However, it didn’t take long for punters to realise that following Lively Band’s deserved disqualification, and bearing in mind the change in rules following Camira Flash’s promotion to the final seven years earlier, the unlucky Shamrock Point would not get an invite to the final. 

With the two big names gone, all looked in favour of Myrtown in the other semi. Now four years old, the chocolate brindle duly dominated with a new track record of 29.23. Future Oaks winner Pineapple Grand followed him home with Tartan Khan in third. 

Khan had been bought as a sapling, with a litter brother by permit trainer Derek Law. 

After being reared by Derek and schooled at Henlow, when the youngster showed plenty of promise in his early opens the Northamptonshire breeder had sent the dog to Dave Kinchett where he was singularly unimpressive in eight graded races at White City. 

Derek was convinced that he had a Derby dog, but given the licensing restrictions at the time, he was forced to put the dog, ‘in the name of’ his good friend and popular professional trainer Gwen Lynds. 

Derek remained actively involved in the dog’s preparation and a newspaper story at the time showed Derek and his dog on the platform of Cheddington Station as the trains roared past. 

With an anticipated crowd of 40,000 due on final night, Derek reckoned it was the ideal preparation for the Derby roar. 

Genius or coincidental matters not but the fact is, Tartan Khan broke better than usual on 28 June 1975 and disputed the early lead with the 3/1 second favourite Sallys Cobbler. 

Cobbler moved off at the second bend and Gwen Lynd's runner took up the running. He was never going to be caught once in front and he held on to win by a length and a quarter in an ‘okay’ 29.57. 

There the story might have ended with a big priced outsider simply getting it right on the night. 

Except for the fact that when the performances were calculated at the end of the year, Tartan Khan had only won four of his 14 races. They also included the 1975 English St. Leger Final where he also set a new track record for Wembley’s 655m. 

His winnings for the year were £21,279 – equivalent today of around £299,942. Though even that is rumoured to be far less than the sum that his owner won in ante post bets.