Greyhound News: Betfair East Anglian Derby is one of the highlights of the year

General / Editor / 22 September 2008 / Leave a Comment

Anticipation builds before Tueday's big race, Walthamstow campaigners target lease and farewell to a former Greyhound of the Year...

The stage is set for the 62nd East Anglian Derby final at Yarmouth, one of the highlights of the NGRC Calendar.

Backed for the first time by Betfair, £20,000 is on offer to the greyhound who flashes home first - and Charlie Lister, a winner of the event several times, sends out the favourite Ninja Jamie. Sussex Cup winner Droopys Carvalho heads the opposition.

All the action from the east coast venue begins at 7.30 on Sky Sports.
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Spiridon Louis, one of the most popular performers of recent years and the BGRB Greyhound of the Year for 2007, has been retired after a recurrence of a tendon injury.

The plan had been to defend his St Leger at Wimbledon, which starts next month, but while sparkling in a recent trial at Plough Lane, he turned out lame the next day.

Winner of the Regency, TV Trophy, Select Stayers and, of course, the St Leger, Spiridon Louis was trained by Lorraine Sams and owned by Gail May, whose sofa he's now set for!
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A lease deal has been targetted by campaigners and their financial backers intent on re-opening Walthamstow Stadium.

A meeting last week between a high-powered team from the Save Our Stow campaign and representatives of the track's new owner, housing association London & Quadrant, was deemed a success.

The SOS team have the backing of several councillors at the local Waltham Forest Council, plus the support of a number of MPs, following lobbying at the various party conferences around the country.
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Saturday sees the second Great Greyhound Gathering at Nottingham racecourse.
Over 2,000 people are expected at the annual fund-raiser and family fun day out, with all proceeds going to the Retired Greyhound Trust.

Various dog classes and competitions throughout the day will be supported by trade stands and other activities.

See www.retiredgreyhounds.co.uk for further details.

Betfair are once again backing the Retired Greyhound of the Year prize, worth £5,000 to the winner.
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Seamies Gambler made it 10 wins on the spin at Romford on Friday, Paul Young's dog getting up in the last stride to collar Big Brett Coal over 750 metres.

Young is finding races hard to come by for the marathon star, who appears to be frightening off the opposition, even though 750m is too short for him.

A race in Ireland in December is being targeted, and no mention has been made about any long-term target on maintaining the sequence of wins - 32 is the British record.
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Lenson Joker, who aims to stretch his own unbeaten record to 11 wins at Yarmouth's Betfair Derby meeting on Tuesday, went underneath the six-bend clock at the east coast venue in a trial last week.

Tony Collett's dog, winner of the recent Champion Stakes at Romford, missed a possible race at Shelbourne Park on Irish Derby final night in favour of "ticking over" races as he aims for the St Leger at Wimbledon.
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Dean Childs put his Essex kennel on the map with a brilliant success in the Manchester Puppy Cup at Belle Vue on Thursday.

In what has been widely regarded as the best puppy race this year, his Deanridge Fury, owned by Ray Dean and Paul Surridge, flashed out of the boxes and made all.

Mark Wallis has quickly made his mark at new base Harlow, since his enforced switch from Walthamstow.

The 2006 Champion Trainer has an impressive strike rate in opens at the track, where former Stow racing manager Chris Page is now general manager.