English Greyhound Derby Betting Guide 2023: Odds, Tips & Predictions
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The history of the English Greyhound Derby can be traced all the way back to 1927, when this iconic race was first run at White City Stadium in London. This year, Towcester Racecourse will host the 92nd iteration of the English Greyhound Derby, after five gruelling preliminary qualifiers that start on Friday, May 25th. To help you navigate the event and its various betting markets, I’ve created this handy English Greyhound betting guide packed full of tips, insights and the latest odds!
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💯 English Greyhound Derby 2023 Betting Odds
With the first round of qualifying getting underway on May 25th, English Greyhound Derby betting odds are available from the best betting sites. At this stage, 192 greyhounds will be in contention for finals day on July 1st and a winners’ cheque of £175,000.
| Runner |  | .png) |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swords Rex | 11.00 | TBC | 9.00 | 9.00 | 9.00 | 11.00 |
| Fromposttopillar | 9.00 | TBC | 9.00 | 8.00 | 9.00 | 9.00 |
| Clona Duke | 15.00 | TBC | 15.00 | 13.00 | 15.00 | 13.00 |
| Ballymac Marino | 21.00 | TBC | 21.00 | 17.00 | 21.00 | 17.00 |
| Romeo Command | 19.00 | TBC | 17.00 | 17.00 | 21.00 | 17.00 |
| Ballymac Finn | 21.00 | TBC | 21.00 | 17.00 | 21.00 | 17.00 |
| Romeo Magico | 21.00 | TBC | 21.00 | 21.00 | 21.00 | 26.00 |
| Maree Champion | 29.00 | TBC | 34.00 | 26.00 | 34.00 | 34.00 |
| Bradys Bullet | 34.00 | TBC | 34.00 | 29.00 | 41.00 | 26.00 |
| Distant Podge | 41.00 | TBC | 41.00 | 34.00 | 41.00 | 26.00 |
| Brookside Ritchie | 41.00 | TBC | 41.00 | 34.00 | 41.00 | 41.00 |
| Droopys Fidget | 41.00 | TBC | 41.00 | 29.00 | 34.00 | 41.00 |
| Ballymac John | 51.00 | TBC | 51.00 | 51.00 | 51.00 | 51.00 |
| Ballymac Johnjo | 51.00 | TBC | 51.00 | 34.00 | 51.00 | 51.00 |
| Hurry Up Jordan | 41.00 | TBC | 41.00 | 34.00 | 34.00 | 51.00 |
| Arklady | 41.00 | TBC | 51.00 | 51.00 | 34.00 | 41.00 |
| Romeo Hanzo | 67.00 | TBC | 67.00 | 67.00 | 67.00 | 67.00 |
| Bombay The Best | 67.00 | TBC | 67.00 | 51.00 | 51.00 | 67.00 |
| Whyaye Man | 67.00 | TBC | 67.00 | 41.00 | 67.00 | 67.00 |
| Tullig Raven | 51.00 | TBC | 51.00 | 51.00 | 51.00 | 51.00 |
🔮 English Greyhound Derby Racing Predictions
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A surge in English Greyhound Derby 2023 betting has seen significant backing for Swords Rex, with the Graham Holland-trained runner having seen his price fall in recent days. There’s good reason for this too; with Swords Rex having set a new track record at the recent Easter Cup, clocking a blistering 28.76 over the 500m trip during the Derby Trial Stake.
This superb win certainly underlined his deserved status as the English Greyhound Derby favourite, while it also saw Swords Rex earn a 17th career victory in just 31 starts. The runner has also claimed 24 top-two finishes during a stellar career, and while he’ll be pushed close at Towcester, my 2023 English Greyhound Derby prediction is that he’ll prevail ahead of his rivals.
Other contenders include Clona Duke, who’s also part of the talented Graham Holland stable and achieved his own Derby Trial success in the Select Stakes. Here, he achieved first place in a rapid time of 28.97 and will arrive at Towcester in tip-top form. He certainly offers value as an each-way greyhound betting wager, especially with 14 top three finishes in 15 career outings.
In terms of outside contenders, you should look no further than last year’s Greyhound Derby winner Romeo Magico, who can be backed to retain his crown despite a relatively impressive run of recent form. Another Graham Holland runner, he has won three of his last four outings, while he overcame a sluggish start to trail Bellmore Cricket by just a single length at Towcester last week.
My Prediction - Swords Rex to Win!
⚡ Top English Greyhound Betting Sites
Now that you’ve compared the latest English Greyhound Derby odds, the next step is to identify the best value prices and place your bets. Here’s six of the best English Greyhound Derby betting sites where you can wager your cash!
| ☘️ Best Greyhound Derby Betting Site: | |
| 🎁 Best Free Bet Offer: | Unibet |
| 📈 Best Stats & Tips: | |
| 💯 Best Odds Guarantee: | |
| 📡 Best In-Play Betting & App: |
1️⃣ BoyleSports
I’ll start with BoyleSports, which remains the number one betting brand in Ireland and one that’s home to more than 40 different sporting categories (including greyhound racing). In fact, BoyleSports provides coverage of greyhound races all year round, including premium events such as the English Derby.
It also offers an immersive and rounded gambling experience to customers, with a broad range of ante post and in-play betting markets and a superb live-streaming platform.
The site also offers highly competitive and guaranteed odds, while its current welcome offer rewards you with €40 in free bets when you place a qualifying wager of €10. The qualifying bet must be placed on outcomes with minimum odds of 2.00, while competitive wagering requirements of 5x the total bonus value are also in play here.
2️⃣ Betway
No English Greyhound Derby preview of this type is complete without a reference to Betway, which is one of the market leaders in Ireland and on the continent of Europe.
Arguably, Betway is the best Greyhound Derby betting site from the perspective of in-play wagering, whether you consider its range of live markets and live-streaming platform or its highly responsive odds and extensive cash-out features. You can certainly cash out relatively early with Betway, which affords you greater control over your in-play betting experience and bankroll.
As for Betway’s welcome package, there are a couple of offers to keep you interested. Firstly, you can wager a minimum of €10 and receive up to €30 free bets in the form of a 100% deposit match, while the site is also offering a risk-free wager of up to €50 when your first sports bet loses!
3️⃣ Luckster
While Luckster may not be a household name in the same vein of BoyleSports, Ladbrokes or William Hill, it offers access to 34 sports categories, exceptional greyhound racing coverage and a generous ‘Acca Booster’ promotion.
This can increase the value of your accumulator bet payouts by up to 77%, and this may be of interest if you want to bet on the winner of the English Greyhound Derby as one of several selections in the same wager.
When you register for a new Luckster account and make a qualifying wager of €10, you can also qualify for a €10 free bet. Your qualifying wager must be staked on outcomes with minimum odds of 2.00, while the bonus must be used within 14 days of it being credited to your account.
4️⃣ William Hill
Next up is William Hill, which boasts a similar market presence to Ladbrokes and claims a huge market share both in Ireland and the UK. When it comes to English Greyhound Derby betting, William Hill should arguably be your first port of call, with the site offering a broad range of ante post and in-play markets relating to the event.
What’s more, William Hill regularly runs guaranteed odds promotions, enabling you to access the best real-time prices across a range of leading sportsbooks. The site also makes provisions for up to six places when engaging in each-way betting, increasing your chances of banking a return on your stake.
William Hill’s welcome offer is accessible to new mobile customers who make a qualifying wager of €10, while this will unlock €40 in free bets. Your qualifying wager must be placed on odds of 1.50 or greater, with the bonus comprising four separate €10 bets.
5️⃣ Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes is another market leading high street and online betting brand, and one with a significant presence in Ireland. This site offers a similarly large range of sports betting markets to punters, although it’s less likely to live stream races than some of their rivals.
Ladbrokes is perhaps best-known for its generous range of so-called ‘Price Boosts’, with four daily offers of this type available to customers. At least one of these odds boosts can be deployed on your choice of English Greyhound Derby markets, enabling you to potentially back short-priced favourites at extended prices.
Then there’s the brand’s welcome offer, which comprises €20 in free bets when you place a qualifying wager of €5. The qualifying wager must be placed on odds of 1.50 or greater, while the bonus will be awarded at four separate €5 free bets.
6️⃣ Unibet
Lastly, we come to Unibet, which is another betting brand with a huge presence in Ireland and Europe.
Unibet also offers one of the most generous welcome promotions on the market, as players who deposit €10 into their new accounts and wager this amount will earn up to €40 in bonus funds if the bet is unsuccessful. On top of this, you’ll earn a €10 casino bonus, although your initial qualifying wager must be placed on odds of 1.40 or higher.
The site also has its own ‘Unibet TV’ platform, which streams live content and updates and provides extensive coverage of the English Greyhound Derby. This is ideal if you want to access the site’s generous range of in-play betting markets.
✔️ English Greyhound Derby Betting Tips
No matter which betting site you choose to wager with, it’s important that you’re able to identify value in the relevant markets and get the most out of your bankroll. So, I’ve prepared some expert English Greyhound Derby betting tips to help you on your way!
📌 Check Out the Latest Form
In any sports or English Greyhound Derby betting guide, one of the first recommendations is that you check out the latest form of the competing runners.
However, it’s important that you’re able to analyse the latest form statistics and highlight the most relevant datasets, including the distance ran during a particular race, the ground and the quality of the competing field.
Similarly, you should calculate each runner’s average time over the relevant distance, with the English Greyhound Derby final covering 500m on sandy ground. Remember, Swords Rex clocked a record-breaking 28.76 over 500m during the recent Derby Trial Stake, with his electric pace over the distance just one of the reasons why he’s such a revered favourite.
Overall, you should look to review a broad range of datasets before placing your bets, as this will help you to arrive at the most informed decision possible.
📌 Bet Early and Decisively Where You Can
Although there are 192 contenders to win the English Greyhound Derby and the final is scheduled to take place on July 1st, there are already a few frontrunners who have emerged as the most likely victors.
It’s important to review these odds in detail now that they’ve been published, as being able to bet early and decisively on the outright winner will enable you to access the best possible prices. After all, the ante post odds tend to drift and shorten as the event draws closer, as bookies receive an influx of wagers on the early favourites. We’ve already seen this occur in the case of several runners, while the trend will continue in the coming days.
So, be proactive when analysing the form and bet as soon as you can on your projected outright winner, while the same rule also applies when placing each-way wagers on runners who you think may finish in the top five (or six when wagering with William Hill).
📌 Manage Your Bankroll Carefully and Responsibly
If you do intend to place a type of bet such as outright or each-way wagers when engaging in English Greyhound Derby betting, it’s important that you plan your activity and organise your bankroll accordingly.
Remember, you should never wager more than you can afford to lose when betting online, so you’ll need to finalise your bankroll ahead of the English Greyhound Derby and determine precisely how you intend to spend during the event.
For example, it’s important that you tailor each stake amount to suit the odds associated with a particular outcome and its implied probability, so that you can simultaneously minimising risk while maximising your returns.
As a general rule, remember to stake a smaller amount when backing outcomes with extended odds that are less likely to occur, while increasing your outlay on short-price favourites who are expected to win or at least place well.
🎁 Top Free Bets Offers for the English Greyhound Derby
A quick glance at Betinireland’s recommended sportsbooks shows that all of them are home to some pretty spectacular free bets promotions. Below, you’ll find a table with the best English Greyhound Derby free bets and welcome bonuses ahead of the event!
| Betting Site | Offer | Claim |
|---|---|---|
| Bet €10 and get €40 in Free Bets | |
| Get up to €50 in Free Bets | |
| Bet €10 Get €40 in Free Bets | |
| Bet €5 Get €20 in Free Bets | |
| Bet €10 Get €40 in Free Bets Plus a €10 Casino Bonus | |
 | Bet €10 and Earn a €10 Free Bet |
📑English Greyhound Derby Format
The Category 1 English Greyhound Derby will culminate with a 500-metre final at the Towcester Stadium on July 1st, in which six runners will compete for the first prize of £175,000. Each of these runners will have to qualify from an initial field of 192 and over the course of five gruelling qualifying rounds, however, the first of which takes place on Friday, 25th May. A large number of runners are eliminated in the first three rounds, and while outright betting may be considered risky at this stage, it also offers access to the most competitive ante post odds.
📅 English Greyhound Derby 2023 Schedule
There are barely five weeks between the first qualifying round and the English Greyhound Derby final on July 1st, so the event features an unusually packed schedule in 2023. As part of this English Greyhound Derby preview, I’ve published the dates of the upcoming qualifying rounds that will take place prior to the final.
| Round | Days | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| First Round | Thursday, Friday and Saturday | 25th, 26th, and 27st of May |
| Second Round | Friday and Saturday | 2nd and 3rd June |
| Third Round | Saturday | 10th of June |
| Quarter Finals | Saturday | 17th of June |
| Semi Finals | Saturday | 24th of June |
| Final | Saturday | 1st of July |
🏁 English Greyhound Derby History
The first ever English Greyhound Derby took place at the White City Stadium in 1927, with the venue having been previously constructed for use in the 1908 London Olympics. Entry Badge won the inaugural race and earned a £1,000 prize on behalf of their trainer Jo Harmon, while the talented ‘Mick the Miller’ became the first runner to win multiple Derbys just two years later.
The Second World War saw a five-year break in activity, while the 1940 final was held at Harringay Stadium due to the outbreak of conflict in Europe. In 1973, the race earned its first commercial sponsor in the form of ‘Spillers’, while the runner ‘Patricia’s Hope’ also became just the second dog to win the Derby on more than one occasion (after Mick the Miller).
Under the sponsorship of Spillers, the event grew as a commercial entity and offered a prize fund of £35,000 in 1980, before The Daily Mirror took the helm three years later. It was around this time that White City Stadium was closed, ushering in the end of an era in the sport of greyhound racing as Wimbledon Stadium took over hosting duties in 1985.
Towcester hosted its first English Greyhound Derby in 2017, and it’s fair to surmise that the race remains one of the most difficult to win in the UK calendar. To this end, there’s still no dog who has won the race more than twice, with Rapid Ranger (2001) and Westmead Hawk (2006) having achieved this most recently.
🏅 English Greyhound Derby Winners
But who are the English Greyhound Derby winners from the last five years? Below, I’ve listed the most recent English Greyhound Derby results, along with the starting odds of the successful runner and their final time.
| Year | Name of Greyhound | Odds | Time | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Dorotas Wildcat | 2/1 | 28.85 | Kevin Hutton |
| 2019 | Priceless Blake | 6/1 | 29.32 | Paul Hennessy |
| 2020 | Deerjet Sydney | 11/4 | 29.38 | Pat Buckley |
| 2021 | Thorn Falcon | 7/2 | 29.06 | Patrick Jansenns |
| 2022 | Romeo Magico | 5/2 | 28.95 | Graham Holland |
❓ Frequently Asked Questions About the English Greyhound Derby 2023 Betting
To bring this comprehensive English Greyhound Derby betting guide to a close, I’m going to answer some of your most frequently asked questions about this iconic event!
What Time is the English Greyhound Derby?
After five challenging rounds of qualifying, the English Greyhound Derby final will take place on July 1st. Currently, the decisive race is scheduled to start at around 20:30 GMT.
Who is the Most Expensive Greyhound?
The record for the most expensive track sale in the UK was recently broken in September 2022, when Drumcrow Mini sold for a staggering £16,300 at auction. The previous record, which has been paid the previous October, had stood at £13,230.
How Does the English Greyhound Derby Work?
While it’s the English Greyhound Derby final on July 1st that dominates the headlines and betting activity, there are also five qualifying rounds scheduled to start on May 25th. This process whittles a starting field of 192 down to just six!
What are the Odds for the English Greyhound Derby 2023?
Odds are central to any sports betting experience, and you’ll notice that the ante post prices for the English Greyhound Derby have been slashed significantly for some runners in recent weeks. This means that Swords Rex is now the bookmakers’ favourite, while Fromposttopillar is not far behind. Find a table of the odds here.
Who is the Favourite to win the English Greyhound Derby?
Swords Rex and Fromposttopillar are the current favourties to win the 2023 English Greyhound Derby, while Clona Duke has also seen his price tumble dramatically to 15.00 in recent weeks (from a starting point of 34.00).
Where to Bet on the English Greyhound Derby?
You can safely wager on the English Greyhound Derby at any of Betinireland’s recommended sportsbooks, while these sites also offer you access to generous promotions and competitive odds. To ensure that you choose the right sportsbook for you, I’d recommend that you check out Betinireland’s comprehensive bookmaker review and compare operators in more detail.
Lewis Humphries iGaming and Sports Betting Expert
Lewis Humphries is an experienced sportswriter and tipster from the UK. He writes regularly about greyhound racing and sporting events from across the UK and Ireland, including the Irish Grand National, the Cheltenham Gold Cup and multiple golf and other race meetings. He’s also providing extensive coverage of multiple sports betting events through 2023.
