Clona Duke will fly West Cork flag in English Derby final

CLONA Duke is the second favourite for the prestigious English Derby greyhound final this Saturday at Towcester Greyhound Stadium.

Owned by Kevin O’Brien from Clonakilty, the Clona prefix he uses is a nod to his West Cork town – and the hugely-impressive Clona Duke will fly the West Cork flag in the showcase final this weekend, live on Sky Sports.

Clona Duke won his semi-final last weekend in a track record 28.69 to come in ahead of Gaytime Nemo and Cochise, who took the next two spots. This was another excellent outing for the Graham Holland-trained two-year-old.

Kevin O’Brien and his family will make the trip to the UK this weekend for the big race, to represent Clonakilty and Ireland.

‘Just to reach the final is a dream come true,’ Kevin says, ‘and now it's down to the final six, it will be a case of who performs the best on the night.’

He added: ‘The English Derby is the competition which every breeder, owner, trainer dreams about winning. I want to thank everyone for their support, phone calls, messages, and visits; we are overwhelmed by the local support.’

Swords Rex (also trained by Holland) is favourite with the bookies, followed by Clona Duke (the youngest dog in the final), and then it’s Romeo Command, Gaytime Nemo, Cochise and Ninja Kerry.

Clona Duke has already won the Future Star award at the National Greyhound Awards earlier this year, was victorious in the Time Greyhound Nutrition Select Stakes, has also won the Irish Juvenile Derby and the Night of the Stars, and is also the favourite for the upcoming Irish derby.