What Makes a Towcester Derby Finalist?
Living deep within the intricacies of greyhound pedigrees, Phil Milner delves into the statistics behind the 30 greyhounds that have reached a Towcester Derby final.
Breeders aim to produce a dog with the speed, strength, stamina, and desire to endure the grueling six-week Derby course. But what makes a finalist? Here are some revealing statistics:
Average Weight: The average weight of a Towcester finalist is 34.48 kg.
Average Age: The average age of a finalist is 33.6 months.
Youngest Finalist: Mr Chelm, followed by Ballymac Fairone.
Oldest Finalists: Hiya Butt, Hello Hammond, and Priceless Jet share this title.
Training Background: 15 finalists have been English trained, and 15 have been Irish trained.
Gender: No bitches have reached a Derby final in the 5 runnings at Towcester.
Coat Colors:
- Black: 21
- Brindles: 3
- White and Black: 2
- Blue and White: 1
- Black and White: 1
- Blue and Brindle: 1
- White and Brindle: 1
Whelping Months:
- January: 2
- February: 2
- March: 3
- April: 2
- May: 3
- June: 5
- July: 5
- August: 4
- September: 2
- October: 1
- November: 1
- December: 0
Preparation: The average number of prep runs close to the first round is 2.7. No dog has reached the final without a run around Towcester before the start.
Pedigree: From the last 3 finals (18 dogs), only 5 don’t have Brett Lee in their first five generations.
Weight Extremes:
Lightest Finalist: Astute Missile (followed by Tyrur Shay)
Heaviest Finalist: Thorn Falcon (followed by Cochise)
Trainer Stats:
Graham Holland: 20% of the finalists (6)
Patrick Janssens: 10% of the finalists (3)
Other Trainers: Cronin (2), Hennessy (2), Dowling (2), Wallis (2), Cahill (2), Rees, Green, Grey, Henry, Buckley, Hutton, Harrison, Lister, Fahy, Boon, and Keighley have all trained a finalist.
Breeding Coefficient: The finalists have an average breeding coefficient of 15.52%.
Dams' Class:
25 dams were open class.
4 dams were unraced.
Coolavanny Pearl was dam to both Clona Duke and Newinn Session.
Special Mentions:
Mr Chelm’s dam ran only once, finishing behind Unlock Unlock.
Mickys Barretts’ dam, The Other Tessa, won on the coursing field in the Knockgraffon Oaks Trial Stake.
These statistics paint a comprehensive picture of what it takes to become a Towcester Derby finalist, offering valuable insights for breeders, trainers, and enthusiasts alike.