Betfair Official Blog

Time to show the money at the Stow

All the big stories from the world of UK greyhounds this week.

Saturday's second Great Greyhound Gathering at Nottingham was attended by almost 3,000 people, many taking along their ex-racers as the Retired Greyhound Trust's showcase event again proved an overwhelming success.

Raising money and awareness for the national association, the East Midlands branch of the RGT similarly benefited from an open-race sponsored meeting at Colwick Park in the evening where Farloe Merlin and Boherbradda Mac were among the winners.

Farloe Raeson is being taken on for the mantle of favourite by the younger Deanridge Fury as the Laurels reaches the semi-final stage at Belle Vue on Thursday.

While the Irish Laurels continues at Cork - the quarter-finals are on Saturday - the English Laurels is proving its equal in terms of classy performers and fast times.
Deanridge Fury, recent winner of the Manchester Puppy Cup over course and distance, clocked the fastest time in the heats and was just a half-a-length off the track record in posting 27.24sec.

Farloe Reason also won his heat, clocking 27.48sec, as he bids to continue a fine run of trainer Charlie Lister after litter-brother Ninja Jamie won the Betfair East Anglian Derby at Yarmouth.

A mystery financial backer is now believed to be key to hopes of reviving greyhound racing at Walthamstow.

The Save Our Stow campaign was boosted last week with cross-party support among councillors at the local Waltham Forest Council for its redevelopment plan for the track.

Another meeting with the new owners of the track London & Quadrant has been arranged as the mooting of a lease deal leading to outright purchase of the land is discussed.

But hopes of re-starting racing in October, as was the SOS team's original plan, now depends on L&Q being assured the money is in place to force a sale of the Chingford Road venue.
One source said: "Everyone is behind the return of greyhound racing at the Stow. The plans and designs are hugely exciting, the sport could just be revolutionised and the area massively regenerated.

"Now is the time to show the money."

SHEFFIELD can look forward to a windfall as the latest round of British Greyhound Racing Fund grants were announced this week.

Over £800,00 is to be given to the Owlerton venue as it begins a multi-million pound restaurant redevelopment.

A new campaign to boost attendances at greyhound tracks up and down the country has received an early boost.

The '1p meal deal' initiative is being tried at a number of NGRC tracks and is being supported by an advertising campaign on ITV.

The advert, which was filmed at Sunderland, has seen crowds boosted in midweek.

Blonde Dino lost out on his debut for new owner-trainer Ricky Holloway at Monmore on Saturday.

The high-profile purchase, who moved to Holloway's Essex kennel from John Mullins after being sold by previous owner Mark Currell just days before winning the Steel City Cup at Sheffield, found trouble after a slow start. The race was won by Scotties Warrior, trained by Chris Allsopp.

Wimbledon's owners' association report "plenty of progress" following a meeting with management over the future of the stadium.

The owners' group have opted to become more proactive in the running of the GRA venue, which is the jewel in London's crown following the closure of Walthamstow,

The creation of a new owners' bar and possible restructuring of the graded prize-money system are two points to have been raised at the meeting last week.

Racing this week is spiced by the heats of the British Breeders Forum Produce Stakes at Hall Green on Tuesday (the second round is Friday) and the semi-finals of the Laurels at Belle Vue on Thursday. Most valuable one-off is the Peter John Chinn Memorial at Monmore on Saturday.