2016 Irish Greyhound Derby

2016 Irish Greyhound Derby
Location	Shelbourne Park
Start date	11 August
End date	17 September
Total prize money	€240,000
←  2015 2017  →

The 2016 Boylesports Irish Greyhound Derby started on 11 August and culminated with the final held on 17 September at Shelbourne Park. ^[1]

The prize money on offer was €240,000 of which €125,000 went to the winner Rural Hawaii. The competition was sponsored by Boylesports.

Produce Stakes & Champion Stakes winner Clares Rocket headed the ante-post lists at a very short 5–1. ^[2] Other leading contenders included the defending champion Ballymac Matt, Kirby Memorial Stakes & Dundalk International champion Droopys Roddick and the 2016 English Greyhound Derby winner Jaytee Jet.

Final result

At Shelbourne Park (over 550 yards):

Position	Name of Greyhound	Breeding	Trap	Sectional	SP	Finish Time	Trainer
1st	Rural Hawaii	Head Bound - Duck Fat	6	3.40	4-1	29.65	Graham Holland
2nd	Holycross Leah	Shaneboy Lee - Good Sarah	1	3.46	7-1	29.72	James Melia
3rd	Sonic	Knockglass Billy - Vickis Dream	4	3.51	1-1f	29.79	Graham Holland
4th	Escapism	Paradise Madison - Killacolla Glory	5	3.60	8-1	29.93	Owen McKenna
5th	Ballymac Matt	Tyrur Big Mike - Ballymac Scarlet	3	3.50	10-1	30.10	Liam Dowling
6th	Sidarian Pearl	Vans Escalade - Rockburst Pearl	2	3.43	9-2	30.11	Graham Holland

Distances

1, 1, 2, 2½, short-head (lengths)

Competition race report

The first round consisted of 21 heats and the fastest heat winner was the 2015 Irish Oaks champion Ballydoyle Honey who recorded 29.49. ^[3] Before the second round there was a major shock with the withdrawals of ante-post favourite Clares Rocket ^[4] and the English Derby champion Jaytee Jet; both had picked up minor injuries in the first round.

During the second round Laughil Duke set the fastest time of 29.43 but leading contenders Droopys Roddick, Ballydoyle Honey, Peregrine Falcon and track record holder Tyrur Van Gaal all failed to progress. ^{[5] [6]}

The elimination of favourites continued in round three as Laughil Duke and Farloe Joey both went out. Defending champion Ballymac Matt finished second in his heat to make the quarter-final stage and Sonic provided the fastest heat win in 29.36. Only Lenson Rocky and Rural Hawaii remained unbeaten. ^[7]

Sonic beat Ballymac Matt and Rural Hawaii in a very strong quarter-final and Sidarian Pearl recorded 29.71 to register the fastest winning heat. Roxholme Barkley and Gyp Rosetti completed the heat wins but Lenson Rocky failed to make the semi-finals.

In the semi-finals Sonic justified short odds after defeating Escapism in 29.40 with defending champion Ballymac Matt taking third place to qualify for the final and set up an attempt to secure a second successive title. The second semi-final went the way of Rural Hawaii who won from Holycross Leah and Sidarian Pearl which resulted in three Graham Holland trained runners in the final. ^[8]

Rural Hawaii became the 2016 champion after leading from the traps. ^[9] Holycross Leah ran on for second with favourite Sonic taking third place.

Quarter finals

^[10]

Heat 1 (Sep 3) Pos Name SP Time 1st Roxholme Barkley 4-1 30.01 2nd College Paradise 12-1 30.22 3rd Patricks Castle 9-2 30.43 4th Droopys Tee 7-1 30.60 5th Urban Gossip 4-1 30.74 6th Highview Event 5-4f 00.00

Heat 2 (Sep 3) Pos Name SP Time 1st Sonic 4-5f 29.91 2nd Ballymac Matt 2-1 30.08 3rd Rural Hawaii 9-2 30.09 4th Jo Jo Fantasy 7-1 30.16 5th Vivaro Swift 16-1 30.37 N/R Skywalker Rory

Heat 3 (Sep 3) Pos Name SP Time 1st Sidarian Pearl 5-4f 29.71 2nd Holycross Leah 3-1 29.75 3rd Ela Alecko 10-1 30.44 4th Aghaburren Lola 12-1 30.48 5th Slippery Louise 5-1 30.55 6th Doctor Zhivago 5-1 29.37

Heat 4 (Sep 3) Pos Name SP Time 1st Tynwald Gap 5-1 29.73 2nd Farloe Rumble 7-1 29.97 3rd Escapism 3-1 30.11 4th Lenson Rocky 1-1f 30.12 5th Combo Sidney 8-1 30.13 6th Droopys Ford 8-1 30.34

Semi finals

^[11]

First Semi-final (Sep 10) Pos Name of Greyhound SP Time 1st Sonic 1-1f 29.40 2nd Escapism 3-1 29.61 3rd Ballymac Matt 6-1 29.75 4th Ela Alecko 10-1 29.92 5th Patricks Castle 8-1 29.93 6th Farloe Rumble 6-1 30.00

Second Semi-final (Sep 10) Pos Name of Greyhound SP Time 1st Rural Hawaii 5-2jf 29.58 2nd Holycross Leah 5-2jf 29.75 3rd Sidarian Pearl 3-1 30.03 4th College Paradise 10-1 30.17 5th Roxholme Barkley 4-1 30.49 6th Tynwald Gyp 4-1 30.73

See also

• 2016 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year

References

1. "The Irish Greyhound Board has published the classic & feature events calendar for 2016". Irish Greyhound Board. Archived from the original on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
2. "Clares Rocket favourite to shoot to success". Boyle Sports.
3. "result". Irish Greyhound Board.
4. "Holland on Clares Rocket". Greyhound Star. 15 August 2016.
5. "result". Irish Greyhound Board.
6. "20 Aug results". Irish Greyhound Board.
7. "27 Aug results". Irish Greyhound Board.
8. "10 Sep results". Irish Greyhound Board.
9. "Saturday's round-up: Hawaii lands Irish Derby". Racing Post.
10. "Quarter-final results". Irish Greyhound Board.
11. "Semi-final results". Irish Greyhound Board.