Irish Greyhound Derby Betting Guide - Odds, Betting Tips & Prediction
The 2024 Irish Greyhound Derby has now reached the quarterfinal stage, with the showpiece final at Shelbourne Park scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 23rd.
But who are the favourites to prevail here, and which Irish Greyhound Derby markets offer optimal value? Find out all this and more in our comprehensive greyhounds guide!
Irish Greyhound Derby Betting Sites in Ireland
18+ | New players only | Min. deposit €20 | Max number of winnings using bonus funds is €10,000 | Bonus validity 14 days from receipt | Free spins given within 5 days from bonus activation, Wagering req. : 6x bonus + deposit | Wagering, banking, T&C apply | Play Responsibly
18+ | New players only | Min. deposit €10 | Max number of winnings using bonus funds is €10,000 | Bonus validity 14 days from receipt | Wagering req. : 16x bonus | Wagering, banking, terms & conditions apply | Play Responsibly
18+ | New players only | Min. deposit €10 | Wagering, banking, T&C apply. | Play Responsibly | www.gambleaware.org
18+ | 1st depositors only. Place a €20 qualifying sports bet which must settle within 7 days of registration & receive €20 in Free sports Bets. | Payment method limitations & wagering req. exist | Cashed out/voided bets do not qualify | Play Responsibly | Terms and Conditions apply. | www.gambleaware.org
18+ | New players only. | Wagering, banking, T&C apply. | www.gambleaware.org
💯 Irish Greyhound Derby Betting Odds - Winner
Let’s start by looking at the latest Greyhound Derby betting odds for 2024. Bockos Diamond is the heavy ante post favourite to prevail, but which other runners are being tipped to do well by Ireland’s best betting sites?
| Runner |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bockos Diamond | 2.38 | 2.25 | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Bombay Pat | 9.00 | 10.00 | 9.00 | 10.00 |
| Cheap Sandwiches | 11.00 | 9.00 | 10.00 | 11.00 |
| March On Freddie | 13.00 | 13.00 | 13.00 | 13.00 |
| De Lahdedah | 13.00 | 11.00 | 12.00 | 12.00 |
| Callaway Knegare | 13.00 | 15.00 | 13.00 | 13.00 |
| Seven Beach | 17.00 | 17.00 | 17.00 | 17.00 |
| Da Bold Falcon | 17.00 | 17.00 | 17.00 | 17.00 |
| Boylesports Bob | 17.00 | 19.00 | 17.00 | 17.00 |
| Ballinabola Jim | 17.00 | 15.00 | 17.00 | 17.00 |
💡 Irish Greyhound Derby Betting Tips
The ante post Irish Greyhound Derby odds imply a 42.01% probability of Bockos Diamond emerging as the outright winner. However, the are other contenders and markets that you can wager on, so here are some Irish Greyhound Derby betting tips to help inform your selections.
Tip #1️⃣ Back to Bockos Diamond to Win the Irish Greyhound Derby
Bockos Diamond is priced at around 2.25 to win the 2024 Irish Greyhound Derby, having won each of his three qualifying heats ahead of the quarterfinals. He has also reeled off 14 consecutive wins since May 10th, while prevailing in each of his five outings over 550 yards.
Incredibly, he also shattered the Shelbourne Park track record over this distance during the third round, finishing in 28.94 seconds and 0.21 seconds ahead of runner-up Carrick Aldo. He also won his second round heat in just 29.03 seconds, which is the next fastest time recorded in the 2024 Irish Greyhound Derby so far.
Since September, he has comfortably defeated several of his Derby rivals over 550 yards, including Cheap Sandwiches, Seven Beach and the aforementioned ‘Aldo’.
Ultimately, this brilliant two year old is the deserved favourite to win outright in 2024, while you can get on Bockos Diamond to win at a price of 2.38 with BoyleSports.
Tip #2️⃣ Pick Bombay Pat to Win Outright
If an alternative runner is to overcome Bockos Diamond, Bombay Pat offers noticeable value at a price of 10.00 with William Hill.
Like Bockos Diamond, he has won all three of his Irish Greyhound Derby heats this year. What’s more, he has performed at a consistently high level throughout, averaging a finish time of 29.39 seconds since the opening rounds. He was particularly impressive last time out, winning in 29.30 seconds and finishing 2 ½ lengths ahead of Short Grip.
This reliable two-year old has won 11 of his 16 career races to date (68.75%), including seven of the eight he has contested over 550 yards.
Bombay Pat is currently on a five-race winning streak since September 21st, and is arguably the most likely runner to stop Bockos Diamond’s title charge.
Tip #3️⃣ Back Carrick Aldo as an Each Way Pick
If you’re looking for an outside pick, look no further than the three-year-old Carrick Aldo. A former Irish Sprint Cup champion, he’s one of the quickest runners left in contention, although he has a relative lack of experience over 550 yards.
Still, he has competed well throughout the three qualifying rounds so far, while he had the distinction of finishing second to Bockos Diamond during his record breaking run last time out. In fact, he also ran superbly to finish in just 29.15 seconds, highlighting his raw speed and ability to compete over the distance.
During the 2024 Irish Greyhound Derby so far, Carrick Aldo has recorded an average finish time of 29.31 seconds. This is quicker than Bombay Pat and any of the other outright favourites, while it’s interesting to note that he has placed in the top three in each of his four career outings over 550 yards.
At a price of 21.00 with BoyleSports, he offers huge value in the outright winner market, particularly if you back him to prevail each-way.
| Betting Market | Selection | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Irish Greyhound Derby Winner | Bockos Diamond | 2.38 |
| Irish Greyhound Derby Winner | Bombay Pat | 10.00 |
| Irish Greyhound Derby Winner (Each-Way Pick) | Carrick Aldo | 21.00 |
📊 Irish Greyhound Derby Predictions
Before you make your own Irish Greyhound prediction 2024, we’d recommend that you check out the latest insights from our betting experts. You can find these laid out below!
Insert childrenlist for predictions.
🏆Best Irish Greyhound Derby Betting Sites
As with any iteration of sports betting, it’s important to identify the sportsbooks with the best odds and markets when wagering on the Irish Greyhound Derby. So, here’s our take on leading Irish Greyhound Derby betting sites and their unique selling points!
BoyleSports: Best Irish Greyhound Derby Betting Site
BoyleSports is our pick as the best Irish Greyhound Derby betting site, whether you want to wager on the quarterfinal heats or the outright winner.
The site also offers exceptional coverage of greyhound racing in Ireland and the UK, including the 2024 Derby. You’ll find highly competitive ante post odds here, while a 25% boost to your ‘Bet Builder’ winnings can also help maximise returns!
During the course of our BoyleSports review, we also uncovered a welcome bonus that comprises up to €30 in free bets. Just wager a minimum of €10 at odds of 2.00 or greater and BoyleSports will credit your account with three-times as much free play!
DirectionBet: Best New Irish Greyhound Betting Site
If you’re in the market for a new Irish Greyhound betting site, DirectionBet Sport comes highly recommended.
Here, new customers are incentivised with a 100% deposit match up to €100, so long as they make an initial deposit of €10. You can read our Direction Bet Sport review to analyse the key terms and conditions, although the total value of your bonus must be wagered 16x before you can complete a withdrawal.
Directionbet offers an extensive selection of in-play betting markets too, while full and partials cashouts are available if the markets turn against you!
LeoVegas: Best Irish Greyhound Mobile Betting Site
If you are going to engage in live betting during the 2024 Irish Greyhound Derby, you may do so using your smartphone. In this instance, LeoVegas should be your first port of call, as this sportsbooks offers the best mobile betting experience.
This is thanks to the native LeoVegas mobile app, which is incredibly user-friendly and boasts simple, one-touch navigation. This enables you to quickly access live Irish Greyhound Derby betting markets including outrights and each-way picks.
During our LeoVegas review, we also discovered that that you can livestream selected greyhound races through the site. The LeoVegas welcome offer comprises a 100% ‘Profit Booster’ bonus, allowing you to earn up €400 extra from your initial wager.
William Hill: Best Greyhound Odds Guarantee
If you want to wager at the best Irish Greyhound Derby odds, be sure to check out the William Hill website. Here, you’ll find enhanced and often guaranteed odds across key betting markets, including the 2024 Irish Greyhound Derby winner.
Also, the operator’s ‘Winnings Boosts’ promotion enables you to maximise your ‘Bet Builder’ returns online. Our William Hill review also revealed a ‘Trap Challenge Money Back’ offer, which refunds your stake in instances where your pick doesn’t win a race!
The William Hill welcome bonus also unlocks a €40 free bet token, when you initial deposit and wager at least €10 at minimum odds of 2.00.
🎁 Irish Greyhound Derby Free Bets & Offers
Before you bet on the Irish Greyhound Derby in 2024, we’d urge you to compare the best welcome offers through our bookmarker review content. This will enable you to engage in free betting while maximising your available bankroll!
Irish Greyhound Free Bets
18+ | New players only | Min. deposit €20 | Max number of winnings using bonus funds is €10,000 | Bonus validity 14 days from receipt | Free spins given within 5 days from bonus activation, Wagering req. : 6x bonus + deposit | Wagering, banking, T&C apply | Play Responsibly
18+ | New players only | Min. deposit €10 | Max number of winnings using bonus funds is €10,000 | Bonus validity 14 days from receipt | Wagering req. : 16x bonus | Wagering, banking, terms & conditions apply | Play Responsibly
18+ | New players only | Min. deposit €10 | Wagering, banking, T&C apply. | Play Responsibly | www.gambleaware.org
18+ | 1st depositors only. Place a €20 qualifying sports bet which must settle within 7 days of registration & receive €20 in Free sports Bets. | Payment method limitations & wagering req. exist | Cashed out/voided bets do not qualify | Play Responsibly | Terms and Conditions apply. | www.gambleaware.org
Terms and conditions apply. All terms can be found on each bookmaker's respective website.
⭐ Irish Greyhound Derby Betting Markets
When you do wager on the Irish Greyhound Derby in 2024, it’s important that you target the best and most popular betting markets. This will unlock the most competitive odds and favourable implied probability values. Here’s a summary of the most popular Derby betting lines!
Outright Winner
This is the most straightforward Irish Greyhound Derby betting market, as it simply requires you to pick the eventual winner. For example, you can currently back the ante post favourite Bockos Diamond to prevail at odds of 2.38, and the wager will pay out so long as he reaches and wins the showpiece final on November 23rd.
Typically, the outright market unlocks highly competitive odds, due to the sheer number of competitors and potential outcomes.
Each-way Bets
With an each-way bet, you’ll be able to cover two potential race outcomes within a single wager. More specifically, an each-way pick will simultaneously back a runner to win a particular race and finish in the places, with your stake divided equally between these two outcomes.
For example, you could stake €5 each-way on Bombay Pat to win the 2024 Irish Greyhound Derby (at odds of 10.00). This will comprise a €2.50 win bet at these odds, with the remainder backing the two-year-old to finish in the top two.
Place Bets
A ‘place’ bet involves backing a runner that you think will finish a particular race in the top two. So long as your pick either wins the race or finishes as the runner-up, sportsbooks will pay this wager out. So, you may select Bombay Pat to finish in the top two during the Derby final, rather than betting on him to win outright.
Of course, the odds for this type of wager are often considerably lower than the win market alternatives. However, your chances of winning and banking a return are also noticeably higher.
Tricast Bets
In the wonderful world of Irish Greyhound betting, ‘tricast’ wagers are incredibly popular. This type of bet multiple requires you to pick the top three finishers in the Irish Greyhound Derby final, while you must correctly predict which runner will place first, second and third.
However, the odds of each selection will be multiplied to create a single, extended price. So, you could back Bockos Diamond, Bombay Pat and Carrick Aldo to finish in the top three at a significantly enhanced price.
Reverse Forecast Bets
‘Forecast’ betting is also popular in greyhound racing, as it requires you to pick the two runners that will place first and second in the correct order. With a so-called “reverse’ forecast wager, you’ll be able to select the top two finishers in a race in any particular order.
The odds here will be far lower than a tricast or traditional forecast wager. However, if you successfully pick Bockos Diamond and Bombay Pat to finish in the Irish Derby final top two, you’ll still be able to bank a decent return on your stake.
📆 Irish Greyhound Derby Dates
We’re now halfway through the 2024 Irish Greyhound Derby, with the starting field of 156 having been whittled down to just 24. Just seven heats remain before an ultimate winner will be crowned, so here’s an overview of the key Irish Greyhound Derby dates this year!
| Round | Date(s) | Number of Runners |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | Friday 18th & Saturday 19th October | 156 |
| Round 2 | Friday 25th & Saturday 26th October | 94 |
| Round 3 | Saturday 2nd November | 48 |
| Quarterfinals | Saturday 9th November | 24 |
| Semi-finals | Saturday 16th November | 12 |
| Final | Saturday 23nd November | 6 |
📺 2023 Irish Greyhound Derby Final
The 2023 Irish Greyhound Derby was thrillingly unpredictable, with ante post favourites Swords Rex, Gaytime Nemo and Ballinabola Ed all eliminated in the opening two rounds.
In the final, starting favourite ‘The Other Kobe’ started impressively out of the traps and led from start to finish, as he crossed the line in 29.11 and 0.03 seconds ahead of Bockos Crystal. Bens Teddy placed third and 0.10 second behind the winner. You can check out the race highlights below:
📰 History of the Irish Greyhound Derby
Now held annually at Shelbourne Park, the Irish Greyhound Derby is the sport’s premier competition on the Emerald Isle. Alongside the English Greyhound Derby, it’s also one of the two biggest events on the UK and Irish calendars.
The race was first held at Harold’s Cross in 1928, when Tipperary Hills prevailed in a time of 30.56 and as the starting favourite. The Irish Greyhound Derby was then controversially switched to Shelbourne Park in 1932, and for a while it was hosted in alternate years between the two tracks.
Bockos Diamond’s trainer Graham Holland has won three Irish Greyhound Derbies so far during his career. This places him alongside Ger McKenna, Matt O'Donnell and Seamus Graham, while both Gay McKenna and Tom Lynch have fielded four winning runners.
The most successful ever Irish Greyhound Derby runner is Lynch’s ‘Spanish Battleship’, who won three consecutive races between 1953 and 1955.
📰 Recent Irish Greyhound Derby Winners
When analysing past Irish Greyhound Derby results, we can see that the previous 10 race renewals have each produced a different winner. This trend will continue in 2024, with The Other Kobe having not qualified for the quarterfinals. Here’s a summary of the last 10 iterations and their winners!
| Year | Winner | Trainer |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | The Other Kobe | Jennifer O'Donnell |
| 2022 | Born Warrior | Jennifer O'Donnell |
| 2021 | Susie Sapphire | Owen McKenna |
| 2020 | Newinn Taylor | Graham Holland |
| 2019 | Lenson Bocko | Graham Holland |
| 2018 | Ballyanne Sim | James Robinson |
| 2017 | Good News | Patrick Guilfoyle |
| 2016 | Rural Hawaii | Graham Holland |
| 2015 | Ballymac Matt | Liam Dowling |
| 2014 | Laughil Blake | Michael O'Donovan |
🗝️ Irish Greyhound Derby Key Stats
When you engage in Irish Greyhound Derby betting in 2024, analysis of historical events and performances is crucial. But what are the most insightful Irish Greyhound Derby statistics? Here are a few to keep in mind!
- The Fastest Greyhound: Not only did Bockos Diamond break the Shelbourne track record with his run of 28.94 seconds in his third round heat, but this also made him the fastest ever Irish Greyhound Derby runner. In fact, this time made him the fastest greyhound to ever cover 550yds on Irish soil!
- The Most Wins: Spanish Battleship’s three successive titles in 1953, 1954 and 1955 make him the most successful Irish Greyhound Derby runner of all-time. To this date, he remains the only dog to win multiple iterations of the competition.
- What do the Odds Say?: Unsurprisingly, Spanish Battleship also won with the shortest ever odds of 1.36 in 1954. Conversely, 1996 winner Tina Marina prevailed despite a starting price of 15.00, with the rank outsider edging home after an explosive start out of the traps. No runner has ever won with longer starting odds.
Frequently Asked Questions about Greyhound Sports Betting
At this stage, all that’s left is to answer some of your frequently asked questions about the 2024 Irish Greyhound Derby. We’ll address these in detail below!
What is the Irish Greyhound Derby track length?
This iconic race is held over a distance of 550 yards (503 metres) at Shelbourne Park. It has been held over this distance since 1986, while it’s classified as a middle-distance event (rather than a sprint or a stayers’ race).
What betting strategies should I know about before doing any greyhound wagering?
Disciplined bankroll management and the process of setting a nominal bet unit should form part of any successful greyhound betting strategy. Otherwise, ‘Dutching’ is highly recommended when picking the event’s outright winner, as this enables you to distribute your stake (and risk) across several different outcomes.
What are the best betting sites for the Irish Greyhound Derby?
A number of licensed and reputable sportsbooks are offering odds on the Irish Greyhound Derby. However, we’d recommend BoyleSports and William Hill as being among the best sites for Irish Greyhound betting, especially as they offer competitive odds across all quarterfinal heats.
Where can I watch the races live?
You can watch all the remaining 2024 Irish greyhound Derby action on Virgin Media Three (channel 106). Racing Post Greyhounds TV (RPGTV) also boast broadcasting rights, and will be airing live action through Sky Channel 427 and FRESAT 250. Some sportsbooks may also offer selective live streaming of the event!
Lewis Humphries
A business and iGaming copywriter from the UK, who has a passion for sports betting and remote casino betting. He's reviewed some of the world's leading casino platforms while creating blog posts and landing page content for various sports betting brands. His content has also been featured on a number of different sites, including Life Hack, Investopedia, Yahoo Finance and Business Insider. He also pens regular sports features for sites including 90 Minutes, Think Football Ideas and Sportsblog.