Druids Say Go is the firm favourite to win the 78th East Anglian Greyhound Derby Final, sponsored by Click Competitions, on Wednesday at Yarmouth. After a dominant performance in the semi-finals, where she replicated her heat win, Druids Say Go is in top form. However, local favourite Murrow Inkosi enters the £15,000 final as the fastest semi-final winner, which could set up an exciting showdown.
Trained by Richard Fitch, Murrow Inkosi, along with Druids Say Go and Swift Depot, remains unbeaten in the competition. Clocking a time of 27.55 seconds, Murrow Inkosi set the benchmark in the semi-finals, ensuring his place as a key contender in Wednesday’s final.
In the third semi-final, the June 2022 offspring of Pestana and Lemon Stacey took an early lead, setting a strong pace. Although Getup Me Son, trained by Carol Weatherall, briefly gained ground on the final bends, Murrow Inkosi regained control to secure a victory by one and a quarter lengths.
Swift Depot, a versatile greyhound known for success in six-bend open races, put in another strong performance for John Mullins in the first semi-final. After early competition from Trumpers Bobcat (Kevin Cobbold) and Bramble Linton (Steve Anderson), Swift Depot powered past in the closing stages to win by one and three-quarter lengths in 27.68 seconds.
Druids Say Go further strengthened her position as the pre-race favourite with an impressive win in the second semi-final. The Patrick Janssens-trained Coral Golden Sprint finalist quickly took charge from the inside, securing a comfortable two-and-a-quarter lengths victory over Nowhere To Go, a runner from Swindon, in a time of 27.72 seconds.
Yarmouth Stadium’s director, Simon Franklin, expressed his excitement for the biggest event of the year at the seaside venue. This year’s final will be part of the inaugural Gone To The Dogs – Live! broadcast, which will stream live on YouTube. Franklin highlighted that the new broadcast initiative adds extra buzz to an already thrilling race night.
"We’re thrilled to support this new initiative," Franklin commented, noting that the broadcast will bring even more attention to the venue’s largest race of the year. He also mentioned the bustling atmosphere due to the Eastern Racing Festival, which draws in crowds for both horse and greyhound racing. The restaurant has been fully booked for weeks, and the all-open race card has fans eagerly awaiting a fantastic evening.
Trap Draw for Wednesday’s 78th East Anglian Greyhound Derby Final:
1. Druids Say Go
2. Trumpers Bobcat
3. Murrow Inkosi (m)
4. Nowhere To Go (m)
5. Swift Depot (m)
6. Getup Me Son (m)
The highly anticipated race, featuring a lineup of top-tier competitors, is set to be a thrilling contest from start to finish!