Kilkenny are back like a shot to the winner's circle

GREYHOUND RACING/Derby report: Not since Make History took the most prestigious prize in greyhound racing, 16 years ago this month, has a dog been more appropriately named than the one that claimed the 2004 Paddy Power Greyhound Derby on Saturday night.

If the Kilkenny under-21 hurling team made up in part for last weekend's senior defeat by winning the All-Ireland title on Saturday afternoon at Nowlan Park, then the Kilkenny-owned greyhound, Like a Shot, sealed a perfect backlash by the county with a stunning victory at Ringsend later that evening.

Despite still entering the third bend in fourth place, the Michael Kelly-owned dog produced a lightning finish to take the €150,000 first prize at Shelbourne Park, completing the 550 yards in a time of 29.87 seconds, and sending the considerable, and vocal, Kilkenny support into euphoria.

Victorious Tipperary trainer Owen McKenna - whose father Ger has already supplied three Derby champions - also had a second representative in the richest greyhound race in the world. And it was Geldrops Touch - running from out wide - that was expected to put up the biggest challenge to the clear favourite, the Fraser Black-trained Droopys Maldini, who had headed the betting lists for weeks and left trap two on Saturday night at 2 to 1 to clock the fastest time.

However, while Maldini and the white-jacketed Disguised spent much of the first half of the race battling for the lead, it was a trademark late burst of speed from Like A Shot that would eventually claim a payslip worth over €5,000 per second. Not bad for a night's work.

The result was also warmly greeted by the bookmakers. While the race was considered by many punters to be the most open Derby final in many years, the widely-held view was the front running would be contested by Droopys Maldini (2/1), Geldrops Touch (5/2) and Disguised (7/2).

And when it was announced "the dogs are in the traps and the hare is running" only the litter brother to trap two, Droopys Marco in the coffin (12/1), was considered a more unlikely winner than Like A Shot (10/1) of greyhound racing's showpiece event.

However, the trap five tradition was to be maintained for another year - the box has produced five of the last six Derby winners: Spring Time (1999), Cool Performance (2001), Bypass Byway (2002), Climate Control (2003) and, now, Like A Shot (2004).

The orange jacket finished a length ahead of Maldini, with Disguised finishing close behind the favourite for third position.

Half an hour earlier, Mineola Farloe was first home in the Paddy Power Derby Consolation final in a time of 29.80. Trainer Séamus Graham and owner Séamus McCloskey, from Co Derry, can also console themselves with the fact that the Derby semi-final last week - in which the greyhound was unlucky not to qualify for the final, finishing fourth - produced the top three Derby final finishers.

DERBY FINAL: (550 yards) 1 - Like A Shot (5) (Larkhill Jo-Black Stone Lace) 10/1; 2 - Droopys Maldini (2) 2/1; 3 - Disguised (3) 7/2; 4 - Droopys Marco (4) 12/1; 5 - Geldrops Touch (6) 5/2; 6 - World Class (1) 6/1. Time: 29.87. Distance 1l, ¾l. Tote: 11, 2, 2, 35.60. Trio: 107.

DERBY CONSOLATION FINAL: (550 yards) 1 - Mineola Farloe (2) (Top Honcho-Farloe Dingle) 6/4; 2 - Deerfield Site (1) Evens; 3 - Tamna Rolo (3) 20/1. Time: 29.80. Distance: 3l, 1l. Tote: 2.50, 1.80, 1.30, 4.65. Trio: 65.50.