Yorkshire Derby Returns with British-Bred Triumph

Doncaster's racing manager, Craig Day, aims to build on the success of Saturday’s thrilling double-feature event, which showcased the 2024 Yorkshire Derby Final alongside the BGBF British Bred St. Leger, drawing a lively crowd to the South Yorkshire track.

This year’s Yorkshire Derby revival proved especially fitting, as a British-bred star claimed the title in the 483m race. Tom Heilbron’s Greenwell Coe, thanks to a lightning-fast start, took control early and powered through for a comfortable win in the £8,000 Category Two event. Clocking a swift 4.09-second sectional, the July 2022 offspring of Droopys Sydney and Killieford Kody completed an unbeaten three-round journey, finishing six and a half lengths ahead of Ballymac Lineout, trained by Jimmy Fenwick, with Barry Denby’s Bellmore Ozzy close in third.

With a final time of 28.96 seconds (+10) – the quickest of the event – Heilbron continued his stellar year. The Newcastle trainer now ranks fourth in the Trainer of the Year standings, further boosted by his victory the previous evening at Romford with Links Maverick and another win at Perry Barr with Silverhill Ben, owned by Kenny Glen, who also owns Greenwell Coe.

Day praised Heilbron’s achievements, commenting that Heilbron has “cemented his place among the best” and commended the hard work put in by the Heilbron team to reach this level of success. He noted that Greenwell Coe’s impressive 28.96-second finish, the fastest for 483m that night, was a testament to the greyhound’s peak performance.

Looking ahead, Day expressed plans to elevate the Yorkshire Derby to Category One status next year, crediting the Watson family’s support as essential for this upgrade. He mentioned that while they would likely reschedule the BGBF British Bred St. Leger to avoid overlap with the St. Leger itself, the combined event this year delivered an exciting experience for fans and competitors alike.