Betting update - Ladbrokes Puppy Derby 2026
Betting update – Ladbrokes Puppy Derby 2026 - Monmore
Three semi-finals of the Ladbrokes Puppy Derby take centre stage on Saturday, March 21, and it promises to be a cracker with a star-studded line-up featuring Underground Gold, Aayamza Shazza and Droopys Script all in action over the four-bend 480-metre trip at the Midlands venue.
The first round heats took place on Saturday, March 14 with ante-post favourite Underground Gold laying down a huge marker for outright honours when recording a quick-away-made-all success in 27.79 following a smart 4.26 sectional. Sponsors make the Paul Young-trained Romford raider the 10/11 outright favourite for the Category One competition.
Fancy getting along to watch these future superstars in action? Tickets can be purchased from the Monmore Greyhound Stadium website.
Sponsors Ladbrokes outright betting for the 2026 Puppy Derby from Monmore:
Underground Gold 10/11, Aayamza Shazza 5, Droopys Script 6, Droopys Vicar 8. Ballymac Service 8, Droopys Sturdy 16, and 28s bar. Ladbrokes are offering 1/4 odds and 3 places for those looking at each way angles in the competition.
Good luck to all owners, connections and trainers involved in the 2026 Ladbrokes Puppy Derby semi-final heats at Monmore.
Greyhound Trainer of the Year Standings 2025
Trainer of the Year Standings - 2025
The latest standings for Trainer of the Year have been published on the GBGB website, with Mark Wallis taking the honours for 2025.
First, let’s look at wins. Mark Wallis is out in front with 214 wins from 583 runners. Kevin Hutton is next with 208 wins out of 672. Star Sports/TRC English Greyhound Derby-winning trainer Patrick Janssens is in third with 189 winners from 461 runners, followed by Romford trainer Maxine Locke with 170 from 818 runners. Nathan Hunt (135 from 555) and Paul Young (127 from 846) are fifth and sixth.The Greyhound Board of Great Britain points system's current standings:
- Mark Wallis: 2090
- Patrick Janssens: 1511
- Kevin Hutton: 946
- Maxine Locke: 824
- Nathan Hunt: 631
The total prize money won column sees Patrick Janssens leading the way with £386,410, thanks to Droopys Plunge landing the £175,000 English Greyhound Derby at Towcester. Mark Wallis is next with £367,167, and Maxine Locke third with £172,325.
Let’s look at win percentages for those with over 200 runners this calendar year:
- Patrick Janssens: 41.0%
- Mark Wallis: 36.7%
- Kevin Hutton: 31.0%
- Dave Lee: 24.8%
- Nathan Hunt: 24.3%
- Seamus Cahill: 22.5%
- Richard Rees: 21.1%
- Maxine Locke: 20.8%
- Belinda Green: 19.6%
An interesting stat released on the GBGB Trainer of the Year standings list is the profit and loss column to a £1 level stake. Kevin Hutton shows a profit of £15.57 to £1 level stakes, with Richard Rees next at £8.57. Of those currently showing a negative towards the top of the standings, Maxine Locke is -£44.11, Paul Young -£15.55, and Mark Wallis -£14.57.
Upcoming Category One Action
The Arena Racing Company Cesarewitch heats, scheduled to start on Saturday, December 30 was abandoned, and will now take place this coming weekend, with the final later this month. £12,500 is on offer, with Garfiney Blaze from the Wallis kennel looking to go back-to-back in the Category One curtain-raiser.
The Coral Essex Vase will take place at Romford, with £10,000 up for grabs on finals night on Friday, January 23.
In February, the Arena Racing Company Northern Puppy Derby will take place at Newcastle with £12,500 on offer. Then later in the month, all eyes will be on Monmore for the Ladbrokes Winter Derby, which was won in 2025 by the Mark Wallis-trained superstar Proper Heiress. The PGR Golden Jacket, also at the take place Wolverhampton venue in February.