LIFELONG Crystal Palace FC fans and Croydon pub owners Graham Box and partner Bev Lochead are following up the excitement of the Eagles’ FA Cup win with a chance to take the title at the English Greyhound Derby at Towcester Racecourse.
The duo behind Croydon’s Pawsons Arms are also proud owners of the 2024 Irish Derby champion Bockos Diamond, as part of The Remember Them Syndicate. The greyhound remains a favourite to take the English Derby crown this Saturday June 14.
Bockos Diamond has won four of his five races so far in this year’s English Derby competition, including an exciting semi-final victory. Despite being Crystal Palace season ticket holders, Graham and Bev chose to go to Towcester instead of the FA Cup final to watch Bockos Diamond run and win in the Derby’s second round.
Trained by Graham Holland, Bockos Diamond will be taking on defending English Derby champion De Lahdedah in Saturday’s final, who was sired by Graham and Bev’s 2019 Irish Derby winner, Lenson Bocko. Also in the final are two of Holland’s other stars, Cheap Sandwiches and Bombay Pat, Peter Cronin’s Sole Mio and Patrick Janssens’ Droopys Plunge.
Reflecting on the successful year – both for Palace and for Bockos Diamond – Graham Box said: “Bockos Diamond has been absolutely outstanding since we first bought him, at one point winning 16 races in a row. It’s always exciting to watch him run, but it has been brilliant watching him race so well at Towcester for the English Derby – in fact, although we managed to get tickets to watch Palace play at Wembley, we decided to travel up to Towcester to watch him in action, leaving our kids with the football tickets!
“We have so much confidence in Bocko and know he will absolutely run his heart out on Saturday. It’s been a fantastic year of victories so far and a win at the English Derby final would truly top it all off.”
