Lenson Bocko’s Odds For BoyleSports IGD Title Slashed

The 2019 BoyleSports Irish Greyhound Derby finalists have been revealed and what a stunning line up to look forward to this coming Saturday for the €140,000 prize.

Lenson Bocko
Lenson Bocko has held on tight to his ante post favouritism with his odds slashed into 8/11 from 11/8 following his 29.32 effortless display. This Graham Holland star will race from trap five in the final and he looks very hard to beat after a blistering 3.36 split in his heat on Saturday night.

The evening was full of excitement and drama with Magical Bale not making the final, the major shock. One greyhound that has taken a massive price cut is Mucky Brae who is now 4/1 from 12/1 to land Michael O’Donovan another derby title. Mucky Brae landed the second semi-final along with Our Surprise in a thrilling dead heat. Our Surprise showed his massive pace coming from behind to land on the finish line with Mucky Brae as the pair booked their spot in the final.

Mucky Brae
Mucky Brae produced a career best to record an identical time to Bocko in 29.32 and his sectional of 3.34 is also an improvement on recent weeks. He is getting better and stronger with each run and this Produce Stakes finalist can put it up to the favourite if he can come out of the traps like that once more in the final.

Our Surprise
Our Surprise has been trimmed into 10/1 from 16/1 and races from trap four as the only middle seed. His trainer Laurence Jones told RTE2 after the result was confirmed that his superstar is lucky to be alive as he was born hours after the last pup and was very weak, so much so that Laurence bottle fed him for the first few vital weeks. His nickname is Sambo and he is a pet around the kennels. It would be a big surprise if this dog lands the final to give his trainer his first derby victory.

Killmacdonagh
Killmacdonagh is the only bitch in the final and she qualified in dramatic fashion by beating Ballydoyle Valor by a head to grab the last qualifying place. She needs to start breaking from the traps better if she is to become the first bitch in twenty years to win the famous derby classic. She races from trap one in the final which is very positive as she won her first-round heat from this trap in her best clock of the competition, 29.39. She also won the Sporting Press Oaks back in June from trap one. Her odds have seen a slight cut into 4/1 from 9/2.

BoyleSports King
BoyleSports King will race from trap six in a bid to land sponsor John Boyle his first ever derby title. What a marvellous victory this would be for a great ambassador of the industry. His odds have drifted out to 10/1 from 6/1 due to his lack of early pace. He will need some traffic problems up front if he is to collect the top prize as he only starts to race from the third bend. He hasn’t won any of the heats in this derby, but you never know what might happen in a final.

Run Happy
Run Happy has a beautiful draw in trap two for Pat Buckley who was successful at HQ back in 2009 when the great College Causeway won the derby. Run Happy is in super form and ran a big race in his semi-final to qualify in second spot, three and a half lengths off Bocko for the third week in a row. He was second in the BoyleSports Champion Stakes from trap two after taking a flyer from traps. His odds remain unchanged at 14/1.

*Prices correct at time of publication