Starting next week is the 2023 Greyhound Derby competition, where 192 greyhounds will compete for the title of English Greyhound Derby Champion, along with a cool winner's check of £175,000 (roughly $208,000). This is the premier greyhound racing event. Who will win this year and take home the title and the prize fund? Let’s take a look and while we’re at it, we’ll name some greyhound betting picks.
- The 2023 English Greyhound Derby is a six week long event starting on Thursday, May 25th, and finishing at the beginning of July
- 192 greyhounds are entered, and all will be competing for a place in the grand final, held at 4.15 pm ET, on Saturday, July 1st
- The defending champion is Romeo Magico, who defeated the +225 favorite, Kildare in the race 12 months ago
Star Sports/TRC Greyhound Derby Final
🥇 T4 Romeo Magico
🥈 T2 Kildare
🥉 T5 Mickys Barrett⏱️ 28.95sec
🏟️ @TowcesterRaces#GreyhoundDerby2022𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗥𝗣𝗚𝗧𝗩 ➡️ https://t.co/Gv627HZycN pic.twitter.com/00tEyo75rH
— @RPGreyhounds (@RPGreyhounds) June 25, 2022
Inaugurated in 1927, the Greyhound Derby is an institution within English sports. Unfortunately in recent years, the event has had to fight for its very own survival. Originally held in London at White City, the race moved to Wimbledon - also in London - in 1985. After years of declining interest in greyhound racing, racecourses began to close. And when Wimbledon shut its doors for the last time in March 2017, it meant there was no longer a circuit in the capital city, and it also meant the Greyhound Derby was homeless.
The competition moved to the Towcester Greyhound Stadium in Northamptonshire, England. But Towcester closed in 2019, meaning the race relocated to Nottingham for 2019 and 2020. Luckily, Towcester has now reopened, and since 2021, the Greyhound Derby has again called this circuit its home.
2023 Greyhound Derby; All you need to know
With a prize fund of £175,000 for the winner, the race now seems to be in safe hands. Last year’s event was oversubscribed with 211 entries, meaning 19 greyhounds had to go on the reserve list, as only 192 could enter.
This year, entries closed on May 15th, with all 192 spaces filled. The surface the dogs will be racing on is sand, and the race length is 500 meters. The competition is a knockout event, with the rounds taking place on the following dates:-
- 1st Round - May 25th, 26th, and 27th
- 2nd Round - June 2nd, and 3rd
- 3rd Round - June 10th
- Quarter-finals - June 17th
- Semi-finals - June 24th
- Final - July 1st
Betting to win the 2023 Greyhound Derby
With still a few weeks to go until the grand final, the betting to win the 2023 Greyhound Derby currently looks very open. The joint favorites are Fromposttopillar and Swords Rex, who are both priced up at +1000 with the best online betting sites.
Next in the betting is Clona Duke at +1200, with Romeo Command, Ballymac Finn, and Ballymac Marino, all at +1600. Last year’s champion greyhound, Romeo Magico is next at +2000, which is great odds if you think he can go back-to-back this year.
The odds start at +1000, and go all the way up to Sehnsa Judge who is +100000. Below is our odds table with the betting for the favorites to win the race.
These odds are taken from the best online sports betting sites, which you can read more about on our sportsbook reviews page. All these sportsbooks are also offering new customer offers, and great perks for existing customers. More information about these offers can be found on our betting bonuses and promotions page.
| Betting to win the 2023 Greyhound Derby |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fromposttopillar | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Swords Rex | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Clona Duke | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Romeo Command | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Ballymac Finn | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Ballymac Marino | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Romeo Magico | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
| Maree Champion | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Bradys Bullet | +2800 | +2800 | +2800 |
| Droopys Fidget | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 |
| Distant Podge | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 |
| Brookside Richie | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 |
| Arkady | +5000 | +5000 | +5000 |
Our Picks
Obviously with a starting field of 192 dogs, we can hedge our bets on this event. But at this stage of proceedings, picking winners is also a bit of a lottery. Plenty can go wrong in greyhound racing. The dog might not feel like it on the day, or it may get a bad draw it doesn’t like. And then there is the possibility of getting bumped by another greyhound, and failing to qualify for the next round.
But what we do know is that if a greyhound like last year’s winner, Romeo Magico, makes it to the final again this year, his odds will be nowhere near the +2000 you can currently get on him to win.
Romeo Magico is also trained by Graham Holland, who not only has last year’s Greyhound Derby win on his Resume, but also three Irish Derby winners. Holland clearly knows what he’s doing, so we feel that Romeo Magico is worth a bet and make that our first pick to win.
Also trained by Graham Holland, is Swords Rex. This dog was +1600 just a few days ago. But that was until it romped to victory at the Derby Trial Stake on Sunday, May 7th, recording a 500 meter time of 28.76. The winning time would have been quick enough to see Swords Rex win the Greyhound Derby in both 2021 and 2022, and this is why his odds have now been cut to +1000.
Long Shot Pick
For our final pick, we’re going for Savana Beau. The Diane Henry trained dog came last in the final here 12 months ago. But just getting to the final was some achievement. Savana Beau has won twice recently at Towcester, recording times of 29.33 and 29.58 in the past two weeks.
He is an outsider, but greyhound odds of +12500 for a racer that reached the final last year has to be taken. Savana Beau is our final betting pick to win the 2023 Greyhound Derby.
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