We had a fantastic spectacle of open racing last weekend to kick off the Irish Derby.
Friday was certainly a night for favourites with nine winners (including one joint-favourite).
Saturday was the opposite with only two successes (also one J-F). Traps 1, 2 and 6 were popular with seven, six and five wins respectively.
Although four from each heat qualified, those losing out at the first hurdle included Flashing Lilac (marked awkward), Magical Major and Lennies Desire.
Faypoint Ranger only came fifth but was upgraded following Boylesports Bob’s misdemeanour on the run-in.
Commanding wins
Proper Heiress and Ballymac Axel flying the flag for Britain showed improvement following their previous trials and both won well in commanding style.
The draw for the second round was carried out after racing on Saturday.
Due to the randomness of the procedure, connections of greyhounds in heat 8 must feel a little aggrieved as five winners were drawn out together.
Contrastingly, heats 11, 13 and 14 on Saturday consist of not a single winner between them!
Positive outcome
Seeding-wise, it delivered a positive outcome as all middle qualifiers were placed in trap 5 and wide runners in either 5 or 6.
It’s now three to qualify for every race right up to the final so good luck to all 96 taking part in the next round.
Similar to the first round, all ratings are calculated on an individual race basis until we get to the third round.
However, at this early stage of the proceedings, Bombay Pat leads the way, closely pursued by Droopys Patriot.
The latter could be a smart addition to your investment portfolio, though it may be prudent to wait until all confirmed runners are declared over the coming weekend, especially as Untold Rufiyaa has now been withdrawn from heat 5.
Friday’s Heats
Saturday’s Heats
