2002 Irish Greyhound Derby
The 2002 Paddy Power Irish Greyhound Derby was held at Shelbourne Park in Dublin from 15 August to 14 September. The winner was Bypass Byway, trained by Ollie Bray, owned by Michael Kearney and bred by Pat D'Arcy. He won €150,000 and the race was sponsored by Paddy Power.
In the early rounds, Bypass Byway showed top form, posting the fastest time in Round 1 (29.74) and beating Priceless Rebel. The popular Late Late Show was injured and withdrawn from the competition. Bypass Byway won another heat in 29.87, with Priceless Rebel eliminated. Droopys Rhys ran under 30 seconds and reached the quarter-finals with 29.77. Other heat winners included Tamna Rose, Borna Pilot and Droopys Agassi, the latter beating Bypass Byway in one heat after a stumble.
The semifinals saw Bypass Byway beat Droopys Rhys by half a length in 29.68, with Heavenly Hero third. The other semifinal was won by Droopys Agassi, ahead of Tamna Rose and Tyrur Bello.
In the final on 14 September, over 550 yards, Bypass Byway and Droopys Rhys led the race with Droopys Agassi prominent. Bypass Byway surged clear to win in 29.42, a new track record at Shelbourne Park (0.15 seconds faster). Droopys Rhys finished second, Heavenly Hero third, and Droopys Agassi faded to last.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 01:19 (CET).