Tipperary based trainer Graham Holland completed a hat-trick of Derby wins and cemented his position as the all-time greatest trainer winning a record sixth BOYLE Sports Irish Greyhound Derby with Bockos Gold in Shelbourne Park on Saturday night.
A massive crowd packed the stands of the Dublin 4 stadium to cheer on the runners in the €125,000 to the winner Final, and the famous Derby roar went up with trap-rise. It was a close contest in the opening strides before favourite Bouncing Monarch took the lead after the opening bend. Coming up the back straight Bockos Gold saw his opportunity with some crowding amongst the others and took the lead before storming home to win by 4 lengths in 29.05, the fastest time of the competition this year.
Owned by the London-based Jolly Good Company Syndicate, which includes Beverly Lochead, Graham Box and father and son, Thomas and Ciaran McNamara. Members of the syndicate have tasted Derby success before with Graham Holland with Lenson Bocko in 2019 and Bockos Diamond in 2025.
Graham Holland had made history in 2025 becoming the first trainer to win 5 Derby titles when winning with Cheap Sandwiches who also ran from Trap 5 and who’s trap colours Bockos Gold was wearing in this year’s final. Graham’s other wins were with Rural Hawaii in 2016, Lenson Bocko in 2019, Newinn Taylor in 2020, Bockos Diamond in 2024 and Cheap Sandwiches in 2025.
