The all-important confirmed entry list for the 2026 English Greyhound Derby has now been released by Star Sports and the excitement is quickly building for the 6-week event held at Towcester Racecourse.
In total there was a final entry list of 166 greyhounds, with 18 of those going through the Greyhound Trader sales in all different ways.
Below is a greyhound-by-greyhound preview of each of our entries with prices thanks to Star Sports:
[1] TEEJAYS BUDDY (ex Droopys Painting)
Sep’23 Droopys Flytline – Droopys Meteor
Tr: Paul Young
Ow: Mr.T.L.Nichols & Mr.A.J.Williams
Sold for £19,000 at the 2026 Towcester Pre-Derby sales despite posting no official time in his trial after it was unfortunately halted at the 4th bend due to mechanical issues. Buddy has since impressed however with two winning trials in clocks of 29.09 and 28.86 around the same venue. His previous winning form at Shelbourne Park of 29.34 over 550y and 28.13 for 525y puts him up there with the very best of the Irish challengers and we look forward to seeing him as the leading flag-bearer of our sales graduates. Wider than ideal draw in his opening round.
(50/1)
[2] THIS APPROACH
Oct’23 Grangeview Ten – Mystical Luna
Tr: Ricky Holloway
Ow: Mr.R.J.Holloway & Mr.L.P.Ponder
Sold for £19,250 at the 2026 Towcester Pre-Derby sales after clocking a fastest time of the day 28.71. Approach came to the sales with high-class Irish form being a former 28.22 winner at Limerick and he has since won all of his qualifying trials before winning on UK racing debut at Towcester where he made all in a Derby trial stake to win by 5 1/4 lengths in 28.95. Is still a relatively blank page.
(66/1)
[3] GROUCHOS COSSIE
May’24 Ballymac Cooper – Ballymac Wisdom
Tr: Diane Henry
Ow: Mr.J.G.N.Head
Sold for £12,000 in the 2026 April Online Auction and was quickly transported over to the UK in time to qualify for the Derby. Another with high-class Irish form having made the final of the prestigious Clonmel ON1 stake. But it is over extended distances where he excels having won over 575y at Shelbourne Park and he has also posted DD0 form over 6-bends. A strong running type who recorded 29.34 on his only trial at the venue.
(100/1)
[4] RADICAL STORY
Mar’24 Ballymac Cashout – An Cailin Alainn
Tr: Craig Morris
Ow: Mr.C.R.Morris
Sold for £8250 in the 2025 November Online Auction having qualified unraced at Cork in a super 28.44. He has won on his only race at Towcester which was over 6-bends and he caught the eye with a fantastic 28.69 winning trial against Droopys Trade. This time would see him in with a squeak of the second half of the competition if he were able to do it consistently. That is the big question that he is going to have to answer.
(100/1)
[5] RAPIDO BENNY
May’24 Dorotas Wildcat – Spooks Me
Tr: Ricky Holloway
Ow: Mr.H.J.Jakobsen
Sold for £12,200 at the 2025 Oxford sales having clocked 26.86 in a near 20 length trial win back in October. He has proved a good purchase with a hugely successful victory in the recent £5000 Puppy Cup final at Hove. He clocked a fair 29.16 in a trial here ahead of that competition and should have plenty of confidence coming into this.
(100/1)
[6] SHUDACUDAWOUDA
Apr’24 Drumantine – Pennys Lauren
Tr: Brendan Matthews
Ow: Mr.G.Williams
Sold for £12,000 in the 2026 April Online Auction after his elimination at the Quarter-Final stages of the Kirby at Limerick. Staying with trainer Brendan Matthews for the duration of the Derby, he impressed on his first look at Towcester with a 28.83 trial. With little experience to date from just 8 races he is going to need some luck to get through that opening round but could build into the competition if he can.
(100/1)
[7] BOMBAY HAWK
Jul’23 Ballyhimikin Jet – Galadriel
Tr: Tom Helibron
Ow: Mr.A.B.Tait
Sold for £6100 in the 2026 Towcester Pre-Derby sales after his 29.11 winning trial. He was beaten in his first trial at Newcastle but then returned to Towcester where he came out on top again in 29.17. Hawk’s win over 550y at Waterford in 29.93 stands out and he also made the final of an unraced stake at Enniscorthy but was knocked over in a race where Glengar Kane (who has been the subject of plenty of ante-post support) broke the track record. An unexposed type who shown enough in trials to have a squeak but he has to take on Bockos Diamond in the opening round.
(125/1)
[8] TEEJAYS CHELMS (ex Mystical Jet)
Dec’22 Ballymac Cashout – Mystical Luna
Tr: Paul Young
Ow: Mr.T.L.Nichols & Mr.P.W.Young
Sold for £25,500 at the 2025 Towcester Pre-Derby sales as the top lot having won his sales trials in 28.78. His UK race debut was in the 1st round of last year’s Derby where he won in 29.07 beating some high-class names such as Hello Diego, Keefil Maverick and Bockos Buster. Unfortunately has had a long lay-off since but has been back trialling at Towcester with 29.14, 29.27 and 29.24 attempts. A dog with plenty of early pace who is a half-brother to 2026 sales top lot This Approach. It’s hard to know exactly what to expect of him going into the competition.
(125/1)
[9] CHELMS CHARMER (ex Amazing Charmer)
Jun’23 Ballyhimikin Jet – Billys Diva
Tr: Craig Morris
Ow: Mrs.M.James & Mr.J.Wright
Sold for £8000 at the 2025 Monmore sales after recording a 29.16 trial victory. A super performer on his home track of Yarmouth, already a seven-time winner there this year, those coming form his last 10 starts. Beat kennel companion Cartoonist in a trial at Towcester in a calculated 29.16 but this is going to ask a very different question of him in an opening heat drawn between a pair of very quick Irish dogs.
(200/1)
[10] CROSSFIELD DEAN
Aug’23 Droopys Sydney – Crossfield Linda
Tr: Tom Helibron
Ow: Mr.A.B.Tait
Sold for £7400 at the 2026 Towcester Pre-Derby sales when winning his trial by 5 lengths in 29.36 despite looking to tire on the run-in. A Kingdom Derby finalist last year having been beaten just a head by the super Solo And Go in 28.22 at Tralee in the Semi-Finals. He beat kennel companion Bombay Hawk at Newcastle since his purchase in 28.65 but places reversed on their second look at Towcester. Will need to wear his trapping boots if he is going to make an impression in this competition.
(200/1)
[11] FLASHING FENDER
Aug’23 Ballymac Best – Ballymac Ariel
Tr: Craig Morris
Ow: Mr.A.Wright & Mrs.A.Wright
Sold privately after finishing 3rd in the final of the 2025 Juvenile Classic at Tralee. As a pup he reached the 3rd round of the English Derby last year before winning a heat of the Greyhoundtrader.com stakes in 29.08. Has proved to be a solid performer around Yarmouth with 6 wins and a best time of 27.41. Wins at Sheffield, Romford and Dunstall Park have followed for this early paced greyhound who will have to get things right at the traps in the Derby.
(200/1)
[12] BALLYMAC ODIN
May’23 Ballymac Vic – Ballymac Wisdom
Tr: Laura Pruhs
Ow: Mr.D.S.J.Titterton
Sold for £12,500 in the 2024 Online Auction after qualifying at Tralee in 29.80 at just 13 months old. A dog who boasts plenty of early speed, he was a wide-margin winner of a Derby trial stake in 29.27 in early April. A Greyhound Trader Stakes finalist on Derby final night last year too, he has been given a tough task in the opening round.
(250/1)
[13] THOR ODINSON (ex Da Butchersapron)
Jan’23 Malachi – Love Island
Tr: Laura Pruhs
Ow: Mr.D.S.J.Titterton
Sold for £7250 in the 2024 Online Auction having qualified unraced at Shelbourne Park in a promising 28.87. He is yet to win away from Monmore, but was seen running with credit in a string of trial stakes at Towcester with times of 29.23 and 29.30 recorded and he stays well over this trip.
(250/1)
[14] HAPPY JET
Aug’23 Run Happy – Bobsleigh Jet
Tr: Carol Grasso
Ow: Mr.R.Christie & Mr.K.R.Rogerson
Sold for £7000 in the 2025 October Online Auction having been a semi-finalist in the Irish Derby last year. He has not reached those heights in England so far but he has some solid 29.06 and 29.10 winning form at Towcester. Runner-up to other sales graduate This Approach in his most recent trial stake effort and this greyhounds knows how to sneak through a round or two.
(300/1)
[15] WESTFIELD FORNO (ex From The Ashes)
Feb’24 Grangeview Ten – Florence Cake
Tr: Jason Smith
Ow: Pandoras Minders
Sold for £1500 at the 2025 Doncaster sales despite being beat in 28.89. This superbly bred bitch has proved a shrewd purchase with open class success at Suffolk Downs. She beat her kennel companion Westfield Vicky in a trial at Towcester in 29.58 before finishing 3rd in a Derby Trial Stake in 29.55. Unfortunately has been drawn in one of the toughest heats, so qualifying for round two would be a success.
(300/1)
[16] AERO PUMPKIN (ex Debut Delight)
Mar’24 Good Cody – Dolce Vita
Tr: Richie Taberner
Ow: Aero Racing Syndicate
Sold for £6900 at the 2025 Monmore sales after a 2 length triumph in a calculated time of 28.59. He looked a bright prospect when winning his first two starts in the UK including a 29.40 open race win at Towcester. Has been seen in race action just twice since at Central Park in February. His two recent sprint trials at Towcester have been good with a 15.80 best but is going to need to step up on that to make a significant impact.
(500/1)
[17] EPIC REBEL
Nov’23 Good News – Jaytee Sahara
Tr: Phil Milner
Ow: Mr.B.L.Collins
Sold for £3000 at the 2025 Towcester Pre-Derby sales after being beaten just a length in 29.84. He took his time to come to hand but after his first win in an Open at Doncaster he hasn’t looked back. He was a semi-finalist in the JR Racing Juvenile Classic at Towcester last summer and his most recent 29.01 trial was a fair run. Sole wide in his heat against some decent Irish types.
(500/1)
[18] FARMWAY SHADY (ex Fiftyshadesofblu)
Sep’22 Broadstrand Bono – Foxhill Nancy
Tr: Stuart Maplesden
Ow: Mr.S.Maplesden, Mrs.T.Stillaway & Mr.K.Walton
Sold for £5400 at the 2024 Towcester Pre-Derby sales after a 4 3/4 length sales trial victory in 29.89. A top-grade winner at Hove over both two and four bends, he is yet to have much success on his travels, winning twice on 12 visits to Central Park. Lacks a look at Towcester but hopefully he can give connections something to smile about on their long wait for the final heat of the round.
(500/1)
