S.P. Read Esq: Star Sports Greyhound Derby Final

Our daily columnist and pundit S.P. Read Esq. looks ahead to Saturday’s STAR SPORTS GREYHOUND DERBY FINAL  and finds the best opportunities available on Star Spreads, the home of sports spread betting.

It will all come down to 30 seconds. Or, to be more precise, the 28.80 seconds which I am predicting will see trap 1 HIYA BUTT crowned 2017 Star Sports Greyhound Derby Champion.

It’s a superb line-up for the final – full of intrigue and Towcester can be rightly proud of the show they have put on in their inaugural Derby year.

OK, so Wimbledon had the history but times change and the venue had sadly become dilapidated. Towcester have brought a fresh approach and sewn the seeds for the future of the race. It might not be inside the M25 but it is bang centre in the middle of the country and the back-drop would give the likes of Goodwood a run for their money.

The conspiracy critics thought that outside traps couldn’t win or you could’t come from behind – both theories were quashed in the early stages of the competition.

It’s not just about the Derby tonight – it’s a bonanza, Star Sports backed, 13 race programme which gets underway at 6.26pm and a card which the Racing Post’s Jonathan Kay described as the ‘best collection of races’ he has seen in his career. Praise indeed.

I’ve produced a set of ratings for the final with predicted finishing times for each dog.

TRAP 1 Hiya Butt 28.80
TRAP 2 Droopys Acrobat 28.99
TRAP 3 Clares Rocket 28.83
TRAP 4 Astute Missile 28.96
TRAP 5 Tyrur Shay 28.85
TRAP 6 Murrys Act 29.10

Shuffling those into predicted order of finish:

TRAP 1 Hiya Butt 28.80
TRAP 3 Clares Rocket 28.83
TRAP 5 Tyrur Shay 28.85
TRAP 4 Astute Missile 28.96
TRAP 2 Droopys Acrobat 28.99
TRAP 6 Murrys Act 29.10

The key really does look to be the draw (as pulled out the drum by Ben Keith). Hiya Butt showed what he can do from the one box in the semi-finals with an all the way win.

He won his opening four rounds last year at Wimbledon and broke well from trap 5 in the final and only got caught close home.

Another year of experience plus the number one box could make the difference. Also like the fact that his semi-final was his first win of this year’s competition and it might just be a case of his form being timed to perfection.

It’s hard to dismiss Clares Rocket given his unbeaten run and if he’d drawn one I’m convinced he would be odds-on – the break will now be even more crucial for his chances.

Tyrur Shay is the likely closer. The course record holder will need luck navigating his way through but has taken to Towcester well but will need every bit of the extra 20 metres of the ‘new’ Derby trip.

Towcester offering more, in more ways than one.

I’m a Hiya Butt buyer on the Star Spreads 60 Index with built in Ben Ten Bonus – see below. The market makes up as: Win=60pts, 2nd=40pts, 3rd=30pts, 4th=20pts, 5th=10pts, 6th=5pts.

CLICK FOR STAR SPORTS GREYHOUND DERBY FINAL MARKETS ON STAR SPREADS

RECOMMENDED BETS (scale 1-100 points)

BUY HIYA BUTT for 20 points at 36 with Star Spreads

PROFIT/LOSS SINCE JAN 1 2017: PROFIT 2940.00 points

• Any spread prices quoted are indicative and as always prices are subject to fluctuation.
• Please note the opinion, views and forecasts above are of the author and not of Star Spreads.