2017 English Greyhound Derby

The 2017 Star Sports Greyhound Derby took place during June and July and the final was held on 1 July 2017 at Towcester Greyhound Stadium.

2017 English Greyhound Derby
Location	Towcester Greyhound Stadium
Start date	1 June
End date	1 July
Total prize money	£175,000 (winner)

It was the first time since 1984 that the event was held away from Wimbledon Stadium and the first time in its history that it was held outside of London.[1] The competition was sponsored by bookmaker Star Sports for the first time with a winner's prize of £175,000.[2] The winner was Astute Missile who was the outsider at 28-1, [3] his owner Geoff Hill won £175,000.[4]

Final

At Towcester (over 500 metres):[5]

Position	Name of Greyhound	Breeding	Trap	Sectional	Race comment	SP	Time	Trainer
1st	Astute Missile	Kinloch Brae - China Doll	4	5.18	VQAw,Bmp&Led3	28-1	28.92	Seamus Cahill (Hove)
2nd	Tyrur Shay	Big Daddy Cool - Black Eyed Boss	5	5.28	RanOn	7-4	28.98	Patrick 'PJ' Fahy (Ireland)
3rd	Clares Rocket	Confident Rankin - Lemon Madrid	3	5.27	EP,Bmp4	6-4f	29.35	Graham Holland (Ireland)
4th	Murrys Act	Tullymurry Act - Brave Meave	6	5.44	VSAw	14-1	29.46	Kevin Boon (Yarmouth)
5th	Droopys Acrobat	Tullymurry Act - Droopys Blossom	2	5.28	Blk2&3	8-1	29.60	Seamus Cahill (Hove)
6th	Hiya Butt	Hondo Black - Hather For Pat	1	5.23	Led1To3,Bmp,Bmp4	9-2	29.64	Hayley Keightley (Private)

Distances

¾, 4½, 1¼, 1¾, ½ (lengths)
The distances between the greyhounds are in finishing order and shown in lengths. One length is equal to 0.08 of one second.[6]

Race Report

Astute Missile broke very well from the traps alongside Hiya Butt, who produced his trademark early pace, to lead from the first bend until the third bend. Astute Missile then forced his way inside Hiya Butt at the third bend, the latter received a small bump at this stage and then tired into last place. Astute Missile went on to win from a strong finishing Tyrur Shay and the previously unbeaten Clares Rocket finished third after failing to make the fast start that was expected of him.

Semi finals

First Semi Final (Jun 24, £5,000) Pos Name of Greyhound SP Time Trainer 1st Hiya Butt 5-2jf 29.17 Keightley 2nd Droopys Acrobat 6-1 29.23 Cahill 3rd Murrys Act 10-1 29.25 Boon 4th Droopys Buick 10-1 29.37 Harrison 5th Bruisers Bullet 5-2jf 29.54 Wallis 6th Forest Con 11-2 29.68 Cahill

Second Semi Final (Jun 24, £5,000) Pos Name of Greyhound SP Time Trainer 1st Clares Rocket 10-11f 28.83 Holland 2nd Tyrur Shay 13-8 28.96 Fahy 3rd Astute Missile 20-1 28.98 Cahill 4th Sallows Ford 50-1 29.25 White 5th Swithuns Brae 9-1 29.42 Cronin 6th Coolavanny Mason 10-1 29.56 Buckley

Quarter finals

Heat 1 (Jun 20, £1,000) Pos Name SP Time 1st Clares Rocket 13-8f 28.99 2nd Astute Missile 12-1 29.35 3rd Bruisers Bullet 7-4 29.69 4th Shaneboy Freddie 13-2 29.78 5th Fweshfromthesesh 7-1 29.89 6th Ballinakil Clare 10-1 29.96

Heat 2 (Jun 20, £1,000) Pos Name SP Time 1st Swithins Brae 9-2 29.29 2nd Forest Con 2-1 29.63 3rd Droopys Buick 5-4f 29.66 4th Newinn Blitz 20-1 29.69 5th Crossfield Hugo 20-1 30.13 6th Carn Brea 7-1 30.16

Heat 3 (Jun 20, £1,000) Pos Name SP Time 1st Droopys Acrobat 4-1 29.02 2nd Sallows Ford 12-1 29.28 3rd Murrys Act 4-1 29.49 4th Danzey Exception 5-2jf 29.55 5th Cable Bay 6-1 29.97 6th Pacey Bambi 5-2jf 30.01

Heat 4 (Jun 20, £1,000) Pos Name SP Time 1st Tyrur Shay 4-5f 29.02 2nd Hiya Butt 3-1 29.07 3rd Coolavanny Mason 6-1 29.09 4th Airport Jumbo 50-1 29.33 5th Jaytee Jet 9-2 29.36 6th Slaheny King 25-1 30.05

See also

• 2017 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

References

1. "Towcester set for green light to stage Greyhound Derby". Racing Post.
2. "Four against the field". At the Races. Archived from the original on 2017-06-19. Retrieved 2017-06-25.
3. "Missile strikes at 28-1". Greyhound Star.
4. "There's no place like home as Towcester triumphs on Derby debut". Racing Post.
5. "The 2017 Greyhound Derby final". Greyhound Star.
6. Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing (Timekeeper) p310. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 0-7207-1804-X.