REAL QUALITY ON THE GOLD TRAIL

Ian Fortune

Saturday’s card for Shelbourne Park went live yesterday and it includes the opening round of the Tote Gold Cup.

36 top class greyhounds will line out in the early season showpiece and picking a likely winner with any real confidence is an impossibility. As you would expect, given the time of year, many of those included in the entry are having their first outings of 2026 and some haven’t been seen in some time. Liam Dowling is clearly a man with Gold in his sights as he has entered two of his star names, Solo And Go and Ballymac Stud.

The pair seem destined to top the ante-post betting markets but will need to be at their sharpest in the coming weeks over the 525yd speed test at Shelbourne. Others of note include Unanimous Leo, Sawdust Barry, Swords Style, Lennies Desire and Callaway Five, while there are a whole host of greyhounds capable of going close to 28 seconds amongst the remainder. 

The full draw and form for the opening round can be found in upcoming cards or at the link: https://www.grireland.ie/racing/upcoming-race-cards/upcoming-race-card-summary/?track=SPK&id=116757&date=07-Feb-2026