Three flying the flag for Tipperary as five greyhounds just half a minute away from glory ahead of Derby final
Run Happy, Mucky Brae and Lenson Bocko will be flying the flag for Tipperary going into Saturday’s Boylesports Irish Greyhound Derby final, worth €140,000 to the winner.
Run Happy, trained by Pat Buckley, is looking to give Cappawhite handler Pat Buckley his second Derby victory following his 2009 success with College Causeway. Mucky Brae, who has won 3 of his 5 Derby starts, is 1 of 2 representatives for Golden trainer Graham Holland, along with bookies’ favourite Lenson Bocko. Bocko has won his last three starts in the Derby and is set to leave the traps an odds-on shot.
Several thousand spectators are expected inside Shelbourne Park Greyhound Stadium for the finale of a competition that boasts an overall prize fund of €300,000.
The semi-final action saw identical winning times in both races, with Lenson Bocko winning the first semi in 29.32 from trap 5, with Michael O’ Donovan’s Mucky Brae following up with the same time from trap 2 in the second semi.
Killmacdonagh, Run Happy and Boylesports King, owned by the sponsors’ founder John Boyle, make up the field of 5. Our Surprise is a non-runner despite having made it through the semi-final stage.
Representing connections of Run Happy at the traditional pre-Derby final lunch in Dublin on Monday, Jimmy Buckley, brother of trainer Pat, said: “There won’t be a child washed for at least a week if Run Happy wins on Saturday! It’s fantastic for owner Tom Quinn and connections, they come over every year from the US. It’s wonderful to be involved with a Derby finalist.”
Mucky Brae’s owner, Mike Bandurak, commented: “We’re just very pleased to be there. We were lucky enough to be here in 2017, the butterflies are starting to form again. He was bought on his finishing times, but he’s now running out the traps really quickly and is a real stayer.”
Member of the Lochead-Ponder-Whelan syndicate, owners of Lenson Bocko, Graham Bocko, added: “Whatever he did this year was a bonus because of his age, he’s very young. The dream started but we never expected it to get to this. Hopefully this will be our year. The dream is on.”
Racing Manager with the Leinster Racing Office, Derek Frehill, commented: “The Boylesports Irish Greyhund Derby final is the biggest night of the year in the Irish greyhound racing calendar. It’s been high quality and high drama in a feast of racing action in the last five weeks, with 156 dogs being whittled down to our finalists. The final promises to be a very open race and a true spectacle for all racing fans. I have no doubt that this weekend will live up to its billing and the winner will certainly have earnt their prize. I want to wish the very best of luck to all finalists and their connections on Saturday.”
Lenson Bocko is the current favourite to take the Derby crown with sponsors Boylesports placing him as an 8/13 chance. Both Killmacdonagh and Mucky Brae, are 4/1, with Boylesports King and Run Happy rounding off the betting at 10/1 and 14/1 respectively.
The 2019 Boylesports Irish Greyhound Derby final will be broadcast live on RTE2 from 9pm on Saturday as well as online on the RTE Player.