Greyhounds News / Editor / 27 January 2009 / Leave a Comment

The voting was tight, the ceremony sold out and the carpet red but, in the end, there could be only one winner...

Tony Collett's pride and joy edged out Boherna Best in what is believed to be one of the tightest votes in years at Sunday's Greyhound Board of Great Britain awards.

Owned by Len Ponder, Ralph Lawrence and Tommy Mills, Lenson Joker won the Cesarewitch, Champion Stakes and Grand Prix in a dominant period during the summer in which he racked up 12 consecutive wins.

Flying Winner and Boherna Best both picked up two awards apiece.

The 2008 roll of honour:

Sprinter - Boherbradda Mac

Standard - Boherna Best

Stayer - Lenson Joker

Marathon - Flying Winner

Hurdler - Kildare Lark

Bitch - Flying Winner

Newcomer - Boherna Best

British-Bred - Westmead Osprey

Dam of Best British-Bred litter - Droopys Jean

Services to Greyhound Racing - Jon Carter

Services to RGT - Bill Maynard

Owners of the Year - Len Ponder, Tommy Mills and Ralph Lawrence.

* * *

Sources claim the resumption of racing at Walthamstow remains a possibility.

An American company has retained its initial interest in the site and various meetings are being lined up over the coming weeks between interested parties.

It is understood that a council planning ruling on the land is imminent. This will determine whether leisure usage of the site will be a requirement ahead of any prospective planning application.

* * *

The Springbok kicks off at Wimbledon on Saturday with the fastest 36 runners, from trials and/or races, qualifying for the six heats over 460m.

The event was won last year by Hotdog Jack and among the leading contenders this year are Little Boy, Nebuchadnezzar and PlatinumLancelot.

* * *

Irish trainer Pat Buckley signalled in intentions to target the Juvenile Championship and the Derby by sending a team of dogs to Wimbledon for trials on Saturday.
They included star tracker College Causeway, who impressed with a useful 27.50sec and can now backed for the Classic at [26.0].

Droopys Noel, a possible wildcard nomination for the Juvenile (Wimbledon, March 3), went round in 28.02sec.

* * *

The Greyhound Board of Great Britain awards included mention of the death of boxing commentator Reg Gutteridge.

Gutteridge began his journalistic career at the Greyhound Express newspaper and did greyhound commentaries during his time working on World Of Sport, which aired on Saturdays and showed live racing from Wembley and Harringay when the major horse race meetings of the day were called off.

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