THE 2013 ETS IRISH DERBY.....

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RPGTV on Sunday night will show Saturday's Shelbourne semis

JUST half a length separated the two ETS Irish Derby semi-final winners on Saturday, with Graham Holland taking the honour of fastest through Cabra Buck (29.83sec)

Tyrur Sugar Ray (29.87sec) won the opening semi for Conor Fahy, battling through for a three lengths success in a thriller where rank outsider Carrowgarriff, a 33-1 chance, pinged from trap three and she took them along.

Tyrur Sugar Ray cut in from trap four, while Slippery Robert showed pace on the outside to get into a challenging position alongside fast up Isabels Boy. At the threequarters there was little to choose between the leader, Slippery Robert and the running on Tyrur Sugar Ray, but rounding the last, Slippery Robert went very wide and Carrowgariff began to flag, effectively handing the race to the gallant Tyrur Sugar Ray who, once he got on the rails, ran a cracker.

Holland was unlucky here as his Hawaii Kinsale, the sole pup left in the Classic, missed out by half a length in fourth.

However, kennelmate Cabra Buck brought consolation in the other semi, zipping into a clear lead from trap six.

Ballymac Vic, showing more fire than last Saturday when under a cut leg injury cloud, went up fast and, ominously for rivals, seems to be coming back to his best when it matters. He was two lengths second - and now gets trap one in Saturday's decider.

Favourite Kereight King got a particularly rough passage from trap four, taking a wallop on the second bend, but once he got onto the inside, his pace appeared to take him safely into third qualifying spot - although that was to go to a photo when Borna Gem rallied after the trouble, and it was to prove desperately close short-head decision.

In a massive body blow for the connections, Kereight King was afterwards reported to have sustained a serious toe injury.

Draw for Saturday's final:

1 Ballymac Vic
2 Tyrur Sugar Ray
3 Carrowgarriff
4 Kereight King
5 Cabra Buck (m)
6 Slippery Robert (w)

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Massive blow as injury intervenes and rules out Kereight King


Kereight confirmed as out of Irish Derby final


A huge cloud was cast over the ETS Irish Derby late on Saturday night when it emerged that Kereight King had sustained a serious toe injury and will miss next Saturday’s final of the classic at Shelbourne Park.

This means it will be a five-dog race with trap four vacant and the immediate reaction of the firms was to make Ballymac Vic the best priced 2-1 favourite despite finishing second in his semi-final to Cabra Buck.

Pat Curtin, the trainer and joint owner of Kereight King, was devastated by the injury. Speaking yesterday as he made his way to Croke Park to cheer on his native Clare in the All-Ireland Hurling final, Curtin said, “It was terrible. One moment we were in the Derby final and I said to Gerry (Hughes, fellow owner) ‘we’ll win the Derby now’. Then Bridget (sister) said to me that there was a problem.

“I knew straight away that the Derby dream was over. The bone was sticking out of the skin on the toe and the vet said it was the worst toe break he had seen in 50 years at the track. He was a very brave dog to qualify in the circumstances but I don’t want to dampen the final for the other owners and trainers. This is part and parcel of sport and we wish them the very best of luck in the final”.

Kereight King will be operated on by Brian Jones this morning and hopefully we will see the brilliant tracker back in action in 2013.

There is also a slight cloud over Ballymac Vic as Liam Dowling revealed that the dog’s paw opened again. “It’s not as bad as it was and he will definitely run unless he picks up an infection. The poultice is back on but he has now missed three weeks’ work but there is nothing we can do about that, our hands are tied”.

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Published on 8 Sep 2013


Watch the semi-finals of the 2013 ETS Derby from the middle of the track, Maria Dagg has a word with Liam Dowling, PJ Fahy, Sean Mullins, Graham Holland, Robert Gleeson, Ted Hegarty gives us his prices for the final, and we also have a word with Phil Meaney, Chairman of the Irish Greyhound Board.

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THIS YEARS ETS IRISH GREYHOUND DERBY FINAL

WILL BE SHOWN LIVE ON THE RACING POST TV CHANNEL.....

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The Semi-Final action from Shelbourne Park for the ETS Irish Greyhound Derby 2013.



Published on 10 Sep 2013
On the Monday before the big Final, the connections of the finalists gather in Shelbourne Park to chat and enjoy some friendly rivalry over lunch.

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Tyrur Sugar Ray; Can power home in tonight's feature


Sugar Ray all set to KO his ETS Derby final rivals

 

Final live on RPGTV at 9.12pm



THE fact that just five runners will go to post for tonight’s ETS Irish Derby final at Shelbourne Park will not detract from the unique atmosphere of a very special occasion.

With bookings at an all-time high, a massive attendance is expected for a 13-race card starting at 7.03.

The final will be the ninth race with the unusually early time of 9.12 pm due to it being screened, not just on RPGTV, but in betting shops across the UK and Ireland.

This five-runner affair is the first since 1972 when Bedehust was an absentee from a final won by Catsrock Daisy, but one less runner hardly makes it any easier for punters.

Ballymac Vic just shades favouritism on the morning of the race from Tyrur Sugar Ray and Cabra Buck, but chances are that Conor Fahy’s Tyrur Sugar Ray will go off favourite as confidence grows in the dog who made the final 12 months ago.

There remain genuine doubts about Ballymac Vic’s fitness.

He has got the okay to run, but is hardly in a position to do himself full justice, not having had a gallop for three weeks. He incurred a cut paw almost three weeks back and has since had two races on it. Liam Dowling’s dog has performed heroically in reaching the final, but the fact remains he needs the work.

However, it would still be no surprise to see Ballymac Vic flash out of the inside box, move slightly to his right and lead around the bend. But will he have the strength in his legs to hold off the inevitable late rush from Tyrur Sugar Ray?

Kereight King’s unfortunate absence certainly eases Cabra Buck’s task in leading to the turn. Graham Holland’s lovely tracker is flying to the bend and produced a sensational first split last week. A repeat of that will see him lead, although he still needs to clear the fast-starting outsider Carrowgarriff and Ballymac Vic to get clear.

Cabra Buck tends to run straight to the bend but this middle seed then dives inwards at the corner. It there is anything in his way, there could be trouble.

It would be unfair to dismiss the Ollie Curtin and Sean Mullins-trained Carrowgarriff as she has contributed handsomely to this Derby. She has improved out of all proportion, goes up fast and stays well – 40-1 is surely too big each-way.

Due to the legendary betting exploits of owner Larry Dunne, Slippery Robert will be a shorter price on track than with the firms this morning. He is the youngest finalist and, only a 2011 whelp, his breaking is inclined to leave him with too much to do.

Nevertheless he almost matched Tyrur Sugar Ray down the back last week, but couldn’t cope with the latter’s tight railing and powerful finish up the straight. If he could make one of his flying starts he might take some beating.

Tyrur Sugar Ray was the selection in these columns 12 months ago, and I don’t see any reason to change this time. Things have fallen in his favour and he can prove to be superb value today to provide PJ Fahy with his third Derby and 25-year-old son Conor with a second Derby training success.


*THOSE fixed-odds layers that were betting each-way six places early on for the ETS Irish Derby have, in general, decided to pay on the unfortunate Kereight King, who reached tonight’s final but had to be withdrawn injured.

Technically, the bet would have required the dog to have actually run tonight, but a straw poll conducted by RPGTV this week found all bookmakers contacted said they were paying out.

*Racing Post's free greyhound app is more than just 'an app'. With cards, form, tips, results, stats, the Predictor, easy-to-use betting and updated news and previews, it's everything you need to help beat the bookies.

Available on iphone, android or mobile, go to www.racingpost.com/mobile/ to download onto your device today!

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A packed house saw Slippery Robert battle through to Derby victory


A MASSIVE Shelbourne crowd witnessed an epic running of the ETS Irish Derby final - from the second bend they must have known that Slippery Robert (5-1) was on his way to a quite remarkable victory

All the money came for Tyrur Sugar Ray and he closed at 6-4 favourite. Cabra Buck was also strongly supported as Ballymac Vic drifted. And Larry Dunne’s presence in the race meant that Slippery Robert wasn’t going to be a wild price.

When traps opened Cabra Buck and Carrowgarriff were first to hit the ground with Ballymac Vic. They raced to the bend and this is where the final was effectively decided. Cabra Buck cleared the corner but Ballymac Vic held up Tyrur Sugar Ray and he actually had to shift out and lost valuable ground.

Cabra Buck led into the back by just a length from Slippery Robert which had run a terrific bend. The writing was on the wall and Slippery Robert duly hit the front on the third bend before storming clear up the straight to win by two lengths from Cabra Buck in 29.49sec with Tyrur Sugar Ray getting a run late to finish another two lengths back in third.

It was a fantastic triumph for owner Larry Dunne who has been such a staunch supporter of Irish greyhound racing - he bred this son Hondo Black and Steamy Windows at his own Dundalk kennels.

For quietly spoken 25 year old trainer Robert Gleeson it was a moment he will never forget. With his first finalist he had become a Derby winner. As Larry Dunne saidten days before the final, “he’s a great chap, the best young fellow in the country with a dog”. He certainly lived up to that rating.

[hayley2992]

OI OI THE SLIPPERY

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SteveNashPhotography ‏@stevenashphotos 13h
ETS Irish Derby pix from last night @shelbournepark published on this link: bit.ly/19UMBwT #SlipperyRobert

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ETS Irish Derby Final