Greyhounds News / Editor / 22 June 2009 / Leave a comment

Save Our Stow group call on supporters for crucial July 4 rally, Bubbly Eagle red hot favourite for TV Trophy and could the Dundalk International be the race of 2009?

Organisers of a protest rally outside Walthamstow Stadium on Saturday, July 4, have urged the sport to get behind their plans to put pressure on the local council and the site's owners to help them lease the track.

"It's crunch time now," said one insider. "Come August it will be one year since the last meeting there. But there is a lease deal on the table to get the track back up and running.

"We realise it's difficult at this time to secure a sale of the land with the recession, even though we know L & Q [Walthamstow's owners] would love to get out of it. They've no intention of seeking planning permission for months, maybe years. They know they won't get it."

The weeks leading up to the last meeting at the north-east London venue witnessed huge media interest, and the feeling exists amongst Save Our Stow campaigners that a lease option could see Walthamstow return, and made a success.

"Once we get in there, you will see the Stow become a huge success again," continued our Stow insider. "Greyhound racing needs an industry leader track-wise. We've a team of investors, all involved in greyhound racing, ready to make our dream come true."

A rally outside Walthamstow on July 4 will seek to force Waltham Forest Council to pressure L&Q into negotiating a lease deal, with an option to buy. "This protest will be the biggest yet, with everyone in greyhound racing contacted and their support requested," he added.

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One of the most famous races in the GBGB Calendar takes place at Newcastle on Wednesday with the final of the TV Trophy.

In the years before Sky's regular coverage of the sport, the Television Trophy was the sport's only source of live TV coverage via the heats and final, shown on the old midweek Sportsnight programme on BBC1.

Bubbly Eagle, trained by Durham-based Ted Soppitt, is a red-hot favourite for the £6,000 event after bltzing his rivals in the heats.

Owned by the Champagne Club, a huge team of supporters is expected at the Byker venue to cheer on their runner, plus talismanic Bubby Totti in a supporting four-bend race.

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The Dundalk International is shaping up to be the race of the year.

The valuable one-off at the border track in Ireland looks set to be the Derby winner Kinda Ready's next major target before the Irish Derby, while he is likely to be joined by Thursday's impressive Olympic winner Ballymac Ruso and fellow Wimbledon Derby finalist Wise Thought.

"It's got to be the strongest team we've ever sent over," said one UK-based handler. "I know they've got College Causeway and Shelbourne Aston and the rest, but I think the Irish are under pressure. We're gunning for them!"

* * *

A row has erupted between Wimbledon and Henlow over the scheduling of the Puppy Derby and Westmead Puppy Cup next month.

The events are set to clash and, with Henlow being chaired by leading owner Bob Morton, who sponsors the event, one likely scenario is that no Westmead-prefixed hound owned by Morton and trained by Nick Savva will be heading to Wimbledon.

"It's an unfortunate clash, but one which no-one has the power to avert. The GBGB have been notified but that's the crazy, complex nature of the race calendar. It needs to be sorted," said one trainer.

Meanwhile, former Catford and Sittingbourne man Keith Hallinan is the new general manager at Wimbledon.

* * *

Deanridge Ammo, runner-up in last year's Puppy Cup at Romford, has joined Hall Green trainer Paul Sallis.

His last run for the Paul Young camp was at Hall Green's Gymcrack meeting on Sky last week.
A possible target for the dog is the Sunderland Festival of Racing in July.

In other moves, Crown Rover, a finalist in last year's Manchester Puppy Cup behind Deanridge Fury and Fear Zafonic, has joined north-east trainer Jimmy Wright.