Irish Greyhound Derby Final 2026: Trap Draw, Runners, Odds and Race Time
Six weeks, 144 original entries and now six greyhounds remain. The Irish Greyhound Derby Final 2026 reaches Shelbourne Park on Saturday 12 September, with Bouncing Monarch trying to complete an unbeaten run through the competition. Before the traps open, our greyhound betting guide explains the win, forecast and other markets likely to attract attention on final night.
Irish Greyhound Derby final at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday 12 September 2026 |
| Venue | Shelbourne Park, Dublin |
| Distance | 550 yards / 503 metres |
| Approx. race time | 21:27 Irish time |
| Winner’s prize | €125,000 |
| TV | Virgin Media Two |
Irish Greyhound Derby Final trap draw and runners
| Trap | Greyhound | Trainer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sleight Of Hand | Laurence Jones |
| 2 | Bouncing Monarch | Michael J O’Donovan |
| 3 | Wi Can James | Patrick Guilfoyle |
| 4 | Hackney Dancer | Michael J O’Donovan |
| 5 | Bockos Gold | Graham Holland |
| 6 | Im Here (W) | Peter Cronin |
The draw makes the first bend fascinating. Bouncing Monarch has the red-hot form but not acres of room, with Sleight Of Hand inside him and Wi Can James outside. Im Here, meanwhile, has the widest berth and enough early speed to make trap six tactically interesting.
Bouncing Monarch has turned the Derby into a pursuit
Shelbourne on Derby night is less a racetrack than a pressure cooker with six doors. Form matters, but for roughly half a minute every previous round becomes background noise. One mistimed break can wipe away five weeks of excellence. That is what makes Bouncing Monarch’s campaign so compelling: he has spent the competition making chaos look strangely orderly.
Michael O’Donovan’s runner is five-from-five in the Derby and clocked 29.35 when beating Sleight Of Hand by two lengths in the second semi-final. His quarter-final was even quicker at 29.08. The question is whether he can produce one more clean break when every rival knows he is the one to beat.
Sleight Of Hand offers the obvious inside threat. Trainer Laurence Jones was hardly discouraged after the semi-final:
He didn’t fly out but he never does. He’s a fresh pup, so there’s an awful lot to come from him, hopefully.”
Bockos Gold arrives with momentum too. Graham Holland’s finalist took the opening semi in 29.37, getting up late after Hackney Dancer had shown sharp early pace.
Irish Greyhound Derby Final odds
The latest market keeps Bouncing Monarch well clear at the top. These are indicative decimal prices and should be checked again before betting.
A short favourite changes the market. Readers unwilling to take Bouncing Monarch at a cramped price may find the more interesting question is which rival can capitalise if trap two does not get the perfect launch.
Where the final could be won
The opening bend is the obvious pressure point. Bouncing Monarch has repeatedly shown the early pace to seize control, while Hackney Dancer and Im Here can alter the shape if they begin sharply.
Bockos Gold brings something different. His semi-final showed he can stay involved when a race becomes untidy. With €125,000 waiting for the winner, surviving traffic may matter almost as much as raw speed.
