Stage set at Towcester for sport's biggest night of year

Restaurant and hospitality boxes could have been sold 'a few times over' as all-Irish line-up for world's greatest greyhound race creates history

TOWCESTER is ready to rock.

The stage has been set for the final of the Star Sports & Orchestrate Ltd. English Greyhound Derby and final preparations are being made at the Northamptonshire track for greyhound racing's biggest night of the year.

An all-Irish final - the first time that has happened - for the £125,000 first prize will ensure even more interest than usual from across the Irish Sea with Ireland set to win the famous race for the seventh time in the last 11 years.

Doors open at 3pm with the first of 15 races due off at 5.18pm.

The Star Sports & Orchestrate Ltd. English Greyhound Derby Final itself takes place at 9.18pm and will be live on the Sky Sports Racing and the Premier Greyhound Racing service via attheraces.com.

Barking Mad Betting will be at Towcester with all the action from 5.10pm via YouTube with Ryan and Joe Conneely set to give viewers a taste of what is happening at the track throughout the night.

The restaurant plus executive and hospitality boxes have been sold out for weeks and the word from Towcester is that these could have sold "a few times over".

James Chalkley, Towcester's director of racing, said: "Final night is popular every year but hopefully those who've been here in recent weeks have seen the improvements and changes which have been made.

"We have advised people to buy tickets in advance but walk-ups can still pay at the door. Entry is £35 with £10 for U16s.

"We also have a marquee - our VIP Enclosure - close to the track with its own private area. Tickets for this are £85.

"General admission will give racegoers access to the bars, fast food outlets and pop-ups which are all now on-site."

Racing manager Danny Rayment is overseeing his first English Greyhound Derby and is looking forward to the night.

"We have a card stacked-full of talent, a superb supporting programme to the main event," he said.

"It's been incredibly busy but an honour to oversee it - and we're set. We've been racing twice on Saturdays for the duration of the Derby, with a morning meeting before the evening action.

"We're just racing once on final night with a split kennelling across the 15 races.

"Obviously it would have been nice to see a UK runner reach the final, but Liam (Dowling), Paul (Hennessy) and Pat (Buckley) are regular visitors here for the English Derby every year so their runners are always supported anyway.

"And while it was unfortunate to receive the call about Lennies Tank's withdrawal, I'm not sure it makes it any easier trying to work out who wins - it's wide open - and should be a great night all-round ending, as is tradition, with the Fox Sports Surfacing Dorando Marathon over 942m."