View From The Terraces – R1 Saturday Review

Greyhound racing enthusiasts and the Dublin social scene made the weekly trek to Shelbourne Park on Saturday night

for the second session of the Boylesports.com Irish Derby first round with ante post Derby favourite Droopys Nidge the star attraction…

Racing opened in dramatic fashion with weak in the market UK entrant Holdem Spy getting collared by the Liam Dowling trained Vulturi.

Holdem Spy supporters were dumbfounded as the latter looked home and hosed off the penultimate corner in the lead but fitness took its toll and Vulturi (5/1-5/2) swept to the front in the closing stages to land an opening race coup for shrewd supporters.

Fifteen minutes later the Paul Young handled English Derby runner up Droopys Ward (6/4) proved he is going to be a force to be reckoned with over the coming weeks after a display of sheer pace to come from what appeared an impossible position to score…

Terraces 2 Bookmakers 0…

Punters and patrons held their breath when ante post Derby favourite Droopys Nidge (1/3) entered the parade area for the third race as bookmakers screamed odds on the winning distance…Nidge obliged but tongues wagged with more questions than answers…Jury out!

Ante post markets ignored General Wolf (6/4) but this Graham Holland handled greyhound just keeps answering his critics, ruthlessly disposing of his opponents in heat fifteen…

Terraces 4 Bookmakers 0…

Undoubtedly the plunge of the evening was Droopys Daylewis (12-7/2) in heat sixteen but the latter found his stride all too late and couldn’t reel in the trap to line winner Farloe Quest (4/1)…

Bookmakers breathed a huge sigh of relief…

Supporters of Shopping Basket (5/2-6/4) punished the layers sorely a race later when leading in the closing strides to collar Razldazl Al (5/1)…

Terraces 5 Bookmakers 1…

Galway handler Gerry Holian rarely misses the target with his select track performers and European Queen (3/1) duly obliged in heat eighteen proving too strong for Priceless Lassie – both have big futures!

Fellow Galwegian PJ Fahy was bidding to give the west a quick double courtesy of Tyrur Sugar Ray (5/4) but the latter had no response to a flying Deanridge Pennys (4/1), the former a miraculous qualifier in 4th…

Owners dream Mind The Net (1/2) is bidding to reach his third derby final in six months having contested the Scottish -English deciders and after a slick exit pulverised the opposition by six lengths in 29.49…

Terraces 6 Bookmakers 3…

Punters were now singing in the stands and when the Peter Cronin handled Borneo (9/4) bolted from traps to land heat twenty one bookmakers started to raise the white flag. This Kilkenny Kennel is in serious form.

Fast track and fast dogs ensured the momentum continued and it was all one way traffic for punters as Vanfrankie (2/1) held off Green Prince (6/4) to claim the penultimate heat and just like Thursday night the best was kept to last…

Tipperary trainer Michael O Donovan is no stranger to big race success and the derby winning handler (Judicial Pride 2000) has a seriously fast contender in the form of Laughil Blake (2/1) who blitzed his opponents to post a personal best 29.43…

Final score: Terraces Hoarse, Bookmakers Silent.

See you Thursday…