Behind Enemy Lines - Derby lowdown from the layers

Dave Clark asks the questions to those compiling the odds for this year’s Star Sports & Orchestrate English Derby at Towcester.

Gerard McGrath - Bet365
Q1 Have you dodged any bullets after the first round?
We dodged two Scud missiles being top price 20-1 both Bockos Diamond and Ballymac Setanta, who were both at the top of our liabilities list.

Q2 Who is your biggest liability left in the competition?
We went 25-1 top price Underground Gold after two mediocre trials and the puppy is up there with Soapy Suds, who was well backed at massive odds after her 26.52sec trial at Oxford. We don’t want her in the final or winning it!

Q3 What has business been like so far?
We were very pleased with the overall spread in the heats and outright, which we made available the week after last year’s final, and we’ve taken steady business when flashy runs and times have occurred both sides of the Irish Sea.

Q4 Who are you out to lay in round two and outright?
Hackney Corner does seem to have a lot of pace either side of him and he’ll need to do it right  at odds-on. Outright, Ballymac Deniro might be getting wide traps going forward like this Friday and if he keeps trapping inconsistently, could find things tougher.

Q5 Your fancy to win it and a lively outsider?
Scooby The Lady was my main fancy before the heats along with Hackney Corner and Ballymac Duffle. Droopys Bookem looks each-way value.

Declan Kilkenny - Betfair
Q1 Have you dodged any bullets after the first round?
Romeo Tomcat was one of the best backed greyhounds in our book at fancy prices early in the year and we were glad to see the back of him, but the majority of our main ante-post liabilities remain intact after the first round.

Q2 Who is your biggest liability left in the competition?
Scooby The Lady is our worst result. Put up by many prior to the competition, we saw relentless support throughout the weeks leading into the Derby.

Q3 What has business been like so far?
There has been a steady flow of business across many selections. In the first round results appeared to be going the bookmakers way only for the last three favourites to win on Friday night and punters saw that trend continue on the Saturday night.

Q4 Who are you out to lay in round two and outright?
Ballymac Deniro is one we will look to take on in heat one, with stars such as Proper Heiress in against him, Deniro won’t have things as handy as he did in round one. Ante-post favourite Ballymac Duffle is now at a price where we have to be looking at taking him on.

Q5 Your fancy to win it and a lively outsider?
Ballymac Stud is the one we have kept onside. He has been quietly campaigned by Liam Dowling and looks to be back to his brilliant best. Droopys Alldeway has strengthened up since finishing second in Romford’s Puppy Cup and at 66-1 he is a lively outsider.

Damian Lonergan - Boylesports
Q1 Have you dodged any bullets after the first round?
No big bullets have been dodged unfortunately. Ballymac Setanta was a nasty result in the book outright along with Romeo Tomcat, but there are a good few more above them on the red list!

Q2 Who is your biggest liability left in the competition?
Hackney Corner is the worst result and that won’t be changing!  We didn’t give him enough respect when pricing the ante-post early in the year and paid the price. His kennelmate Glengar Kane is also a thorn in our side.

Q3 What has business been like so far?
Ante-post really revved up in the last month when the Irish trainers started to go over. Apart from the aforementioned two dogs there has been a nice spread of money. I can see business on the heats taking off this week now punters have got a look at them all.

Q4 Who are you out to lay in round two and outright?
I think Underground Gold is next year’s dog so I’m happy to be top price him ante-post. Of the shorties in this week’s heats I think I’d rather be on Proper Heiress than Ballymac Deniro,  Deniro was sensational in round one but he meets a true professional in Proper Heiress.

Q5 Your fancy to win it and a lively outsider?
Lennies Tank ran an awesome first and second bend last week after a bump. If he starts adjusting to the traps/hare there he’s capable of going up with the best of them. A lively outsider would be Getup The Boy. At 66-1 or bigger I wouldn’t put you off!

Dan Jordon - Coral
Q1 Have you dodged any bullets after the first round?
Unfortunately not, but now we have only three qualifying you think there might be one or two big guns going out this week.

Q2 Who is your biggest liability left in the competition?
Glengar Kane is our biggest loser. Backed from 40-1 into 22-1 before the heats, he now sits around the 12-1 mark.

Q3 What has business been like so far?
We have been very pleased with the business and I do think it helps we have had the ante-post and heat betting available on our betting shop terminals. We have also seen our derivative markets popular as customers look at different ways to bet their selections.

Q4 Who are you out to lay in round two and outright?
Scooby The Lady, a strong favourite for heat 14, looks to have a tricky race with Carrick Scholsey and Bubbly Hogan in opposition. Glengar Silent would be one I’d oppose ante-post. His trials were decent, but I wasn’t overly impressed in a fairly soft heat on Friday.

Q5 Your fancy to win it and a lively outsider?
Ballymac Deniro completely fell out of the boxes but was very impressive afterwards and is very lightly raced so could be the real deal.  For an outsider I’d play each-way on Slick Skylark around the 100-1 mark. She looks like she really enjoys Towcester.

Ballymac Deniro (T4) caught the eye of many with a superb winning victory for Liam Dowling at Towcester Credit: Steve Nash

Jamie McBride - Hills
Q1 Have you dodged any bullets after the first round?
We were happy to lay our fair share of Bockos Diamond given the sands of time were moving against him; he was the worst overall ante-post result.

Q2 Who is your biggest liability left in the competition?
Hackney Corner has now assumed the position of our worst ante-post result. Track-record breaker Ballymac Duffle is another significant loser, as is Droopys Bookem.

Q3 What has business been like so far?
Offering eight places prior to the first round certainly had a positive effect on turnover and we will definitely take more on the competition this year. Whether it was a profitable decision remains to be seen!

Q4 Who are you out to lay in round two and outright?
Wide seeds struggled to get involved in the first round so Glengar Silent changing seed to a wide runner is an interesting move unless the playing field becomes more level. Scooby The Lady looks a vulnerable favourite in my opinion in heat 14.

Q5 Your fancy to win it and a lively outsider?
It was impossible not be impressed by the run of Ballymac Deniro last weekend and he is just about clubhouse leader in my opinion. Kranky Drake could be a lively outsider as he could be just the type of strong finisher who will keep qualifying.

George Smith - Ladbrokes
Q1 Have you dodged any bullets after the first round?
Bockos Diamond, Ballymac Setanta and Romeo Tomcat’s exits were all good results ante-post wise. During the heats Scooby The Lady’s defeat was the best result.

Q2 Who is your biggest liability left in the competition?
Underground Gold, Glengar Kane and Ballymac Duffle all look to take out similar amounts with Bubbly Hogan not far behind at a big price.

Q3 What has business been like so far?
There has been plenty of action on the ante-post book and it was especially lively during the week on heat betting. Specials proved popular, especially our UK/Irish-trained winner market.

Q4 Who are you out to lay in round two and outright?
Swords Style and Proper Heiress look to be ones to take on, with Slippery Brian and Ballymac Deniro looking worthy respective rivals. Ante-post we have gone top price on Hackney Corner with a far from straightforward heat ahead.

Q5 Your fancy to win it and a lively outsider?
Ballymac Deniro looks a serious dog after his win with the missed break. Ballymac Axel looked good and at a big price could go deep.

Cillian Landers - Paddy Power
Q1 Have you dodged any bullets after the first round?
Bockos Diamond was a bogey who had been popular since the markets went up last year and with him out it is one less to worry about.

Q2 Who is your biggest liability left in the competition?
Three Irish dogs are our main concern, and they all come from the Pat Buckley kennel. Irish Derby finalist Glengar Silent, Glengar Kane – who has seen unrelenting support since going unbeaten in a puppy stake – and Hackney Corner have been very popular.

Q3 What has business been like so far?
Getting Scooby The Lady beaten when she looked home and hosed early Friday night broke down lots of the short-price multis, but some smart judges were availing themselves of some superb heat value in the first round early in the week.

Q4 Who are you out to lay in round two and outright?
Lennies Tank in heat five is one we’re laying. We have seen sustained support since prices went up Monday morning. It will be difficult for Ballymac Duffle to maintain his record-breaking run throughout the competition and he’s one we won’t mind laying too.

Q5 Your fancy to win it and a lively outsider?
Ballymac Deniro looks the most likely at the front of the market, but the competition really is wide-open this year. Ballymac Ralf is available at 66-1 and is one we’re looking to stay under. I think there’s plenty of value there with six places still on offer.

Kaan Hughes - Star Sports
Q1 Have you dodged any bullets after the first round?
One of the many missiles aimed at us has exited the competition in the shape of Romeo Tomcat, who we’d been laying since last year at prices of 40-1 and down and stood us with a red figure of around £60k. So to get one of them out early was a nice help.

Q2 Who is your biggest liability left in the competition?
Every year we have a dog that sits at six figures. By a country mile this year Hackney Corner is our biggest liability. He was laid at 40-1 and down prior to the opening round. I do think we will lay a few more this week but I’d be surprised if any get to his figure – it’s very red!

Q3 What has business been like so far?
Business had been very good on Friday, but on Saturday the weather ruined things on course during the early races.The dropping of Thursdays worked well for trainers with less travelling. If we had a bigger entry I believe Friday/Saturday/Sunday would work.

Q4 Who are you out to lay in round two and outright?
We don’t mind, the prices are there to be bet, and we will let the book take its own shape. In the heats the same applies. The proper business gets going from the third round where you can make a proper book.

Q5 Your fancy to win it and a lively outsider?
Carrick Scholsey impressed me with his all-round pace. I thought Epic Ace ran a superb bend – I do love a dog who runs a bend as hard as a straight. Ballymac Deniro was simply breathtaking and Glengar Kane was like a seasoned pro. It’s still all to play for.

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