GREYHOUND DERBY PREVIEW: The English Greyhound Derby moves onto the semi-finals on Saturday at Towcester. Our expert BARRY CAUL previews both races which will be streamed LIVE on the BETDAQ website.
Memphis Tops the Market in Bid to be Crowned King
Less than ninety seconds of action remain in the 2024 English Greyhound Derby and its King Memphis who continues to head the market. He faces a tricky looking draw in his semifinal this Saturday night but qualifying is the name of the game this weekend as connections eye a place in next weekends £175,000 to the winner decider.
🟪 Semi-Final 1 🟪
1. De Lahdedah
2. Edwards
3. Gaytime Nemo
4. Whyaye Man
5. Coss Tokyo
6. Boylesports Bob
Verdict: The Irish look to have a strong hand in the opening semi of the night with the classy duo of De Lahdedah and Boylesports Bob seemingly well drawn. Defending champion Gaytime Nemo completes the Irish challenge. Boylesports Bob showed all his brilliance in last weekends quarterfinal. Well away from six Bob turned in a menacing position and could be called a winner a long way from home. As we all know by this stage there is no doubting Bob’s pace, it’s just his inconsistency at the traps that can be his downfall. Such is his running style I think its going to be hard to keep him out of the top three and although he was our selection in last weeks heat, for win purposes I will be taking him on in this.
De Lahdedah has many similarities to Boylesports Bob, he is unbeatable when he does things right but is another who has been inconsistent at the boxes. There are some early paced rail runners in this heat and De Lahdedah cam ill afford to throw in a sloppy break. I am going to side with Gaytime Nemo to take this. Last years winner runs this place extremely well. He ran a cracker behind De Lahdedah and Crafty Shivoo a few weeks back and performed a minor miracle to grab a qualifying position last week. Nemo is a strong runner, and as much as I respect the pace and power of Bob and De Lahdedah I can’t see them coming from behind him. Nemo is a much more reliable starter and can fly to the bend on occasions, just like he did when winning the event twelve months ago.
Edwards has run so so well to make it this far but must lead to have a say. The ever-green Whyaye Man is another who runs this place well, he may well qualify but its hard to see him winning while Coss Tokyo will be doing his best work from halfway. Once again, this race is all on the break, but for me the value lies with Gaytime Nemo.
🟪 Semi-Final 2 🟪
1. Ballymac Gizmo
2. The Other Kobe
3. Droopys Pivotel
4. King Memphis
5. Ballymac Slick
6. Churchfield Syd
Verdict: King Memphis currently tops the ante-post list and given his consistency its easy to see why. In his last four runs at the track, he has posted sectionals of 4.03 4.09 4.05 4.06- If you compare that to the other big guns left in the competition it reads well-De Lahdedah 4.13 3.94 4.21 and Boylesports Bob 4.14 4.36 4.08. Memphis seems to give his running most nights and has won fourteen of his last seventeen starts, in fact Memphis has yet to finish out of the first three in his career, thirty races, twenty victories, seven seconds, and three thirds! Surely, he makes the final. There is no doubt it will be a better final with the King in it, but he does have to overcome a tricky looking draw.
The Other Kobe and Churchfield Syd look quicker to the corner than King Memphis. Some people were a little disappointed with Kobes run last week but remember he did something similar on route to winning last years Irish Derby. On that occasion Kobe produced a huge run in the quarters, went back on the clock in the semis but produced a PB to go on and land the final. Do not write Kobe off just yet. He looks a very likely leader.
Churchfield Syd is another who will be looking to make all from a good draw out wide. He should go around prominent but for me he needs to lead Kobe early if he is to qualify. Ballymac Gizmo is yet to win a round, but this lightly raced tracker has already shown us that he has plenty of pace. His kennel companion Ballymac Slick has improved his starting but need a little luck on the opening bends.
Droopys Pivotel is the youngest in the lineup and he looks to have a nightmare draw between Kobe and King Memphis, he will need to do everything right to secure a run. On the trap draw Memphis makes little appeal at evens to win this, Kobe doesn’t look great value either at 3s. Something has to give here, and I wouldn’t put anyone off having a few quid on the outsider Ballymac Gizmo at 33s. Things have not really gone his way so far but he does have a huge engine and he may just turn in a decent position from trap one this weekend.
Good luck
BARRY.
