The English Greyhound Derby is the most prestigious greyhound race anywhere in the world and preparations have begun by all the trainers set to feature runners in 2022. One of those is the talented Explosive Boy, who has won 15 of his 31 races so far.
Trained in Ireland by Patrick Guilfoyle, Explosive Boy established him as a Derby contender in 2021. He had a deep run in the Irish Derby, finishing fourth in the final. The experience of that competition will help him ahead of his bid to win the English Classic this year.
Explosive Boy is the +2000 favorite in the greyhound betting for the 2022 English Greyhound Derby. He has held that position since the bookmakers opened betting on the race at Towcester. Guilfoyle’s runner is expected to be part of a strong list of Irish entries this year.
The English Greyhound Derby favorite is no stranger to big competition wins. He has already been successful in the National Produce Stakes and Race Of Champions. In both of those finals, he showed impressive speed, particularly in the second half of his races.
Explosive Boy is set to face strong competition from Brookside Richie at Towcester. He is one of the leading British-trained dogs taking part. David Mullins’ runners have an impressive strike rate on the track, as he has won 12 of his 18 races so far.
Brookside Richie has the advantage of having already raced at the English Derby venue. He won an Open race at the course earlier this year. The Romford regular has featured at Towcester on three occasions now, so he will be very familiar with the track when he takes part in the competition.
Irish Dogs Have Excellent Record In English Greyhound Derby
In the last three years, two of the English Greyhound Derby races have been won by Irish-trained dogs. In 2019, Priceless Blake gave Paul Hennessy success when he scored at Nottingham with a time of 29.32.
Hennessy joined some of the greatest trainers in history who have won the Derby more than once. His maiden victory came in 2016 when Jaytee Jet justified favoritism to score at the last final to be held at Wimbledon.
In 2020, it was Pat Buckley who lifted the trophy for Ireland. His dog Deerjet Sydney prevailed in the final in the competition. Ireland’s bid for a hat-trick of wins was denied in 2021 when Thorn Falcon gave Towcester trainer Patrick Janssens his first Derby win.
Earlier Heat Dates in 2022
The English Greyhound Derby is scheduled slightly earlier this year in the sporting calendar. The opening round of the competition will take place between 19-21 May. Heats will then continue across the next four weekends until the six finalists are known. The 25th of June is scheduled for the final at Towcester. It will be the second consecutive year that the greyhound track has played host, following
