AND THE WINNER IS . . .13 February 2025

We are rapidly approaching ‘awards season’ when the industry gets together to honour its great achievers.

There is probably nobody less entitled to pass comment on them than yours truly. I dropped out of the Greyhound Writers Association around a decade or so ago and have turned down requests to participate on a number of occasions since.

However, this isn’t about individuals, it is about the process and whether it needs tweaking.

One of my concerns relates to the imbalance that has developed over time. 

Not all distances are equal!

For example, there were two Category One hurdle events last year, the Grand National and the Champion Hurdle. There was no Springbok. Only one greyhound, Dazl Hermes, reached both finals, and didn’t win either. 

Both were staged at Crayford, the last track to stage regular hurdle races.

The decline in marathon racing means we have one Category One competition in excess of 800 metres, the TV Trophy. It attracted 18 runners.

Yet this year, of the 55 Category One competitions, I would suggest that 35 might be classified as ‘standard’ distance.

There is actually no agreed distance classification and this is assuming that 400m events count as sprints. Nor would it include ‘short six bends’ such as the Gold Collar, which had been set to be staged at Crayford over 540 metres.

Yet all categories are entitled to three nominations!

Presumably, the height of a career might be running third in the TV Trophy or Grand National and be entitled to a nomination?

Yet you could have a top middle distance runner who wins two Cat One races and doesn’t get a mention.

I have also heard it suggested that we can all predict the 1-2-3 in each category by simply adding up the number of open race points scored by each runner.

Is that the definition of a champion?

How would the likes of Ballyregan Bob or Scurlogue Champ fare? Or typical ‘Lister’ type runner that might only be entered in four competitions during the year.

‘We are tied on 98 points guys, if we can nick a minor open at Valley or Pelaw on Sunday we could be Greyhound of the Year’

As for the ‘newcomer of the year’, could that become a puppy event? Though there would still be issues relating to overlapping years.

‘He won three puppy competitions, though they were in November, December and January’

Of course, it is easy to criticise without offering any real solutions. In fact, I would say that there are NO perfect solutions.

The obvious question is then – can we improve on what we have?

I would be keen to throw open ‘the American solution’.

The Yanks have always chosen an ‘All-American’ team.

They have much greater flexibility in their selections in choosing the most worthy eight greyhounds in training for a particular year.

The eight obviously relates to the number of runners in their races, though I do think it works better than a six.

There may, or not be, a hurdler in that eight, depending on how impressive overall the leading hurdler had shown him/her self to be.

I would imagine that there would be at least four or five middle distance hounds.

Once the eight have been selected, the final decision is to select the ‘captain’ – effectively, the Greyhound of the Year.

Defining the optimum

 Since my last Editors Chair rant about the need for industry cooperation, I understand that a couple of meetings have taken place between PGR and SIS.

The suggestion is that they weren’t particularly affable, though with more lawyers per square metre than you would find at the Old Bailey (or Pentonville!), that would hardly come as a shock.

But it is some form of early progress and it got me thinking.

Given the decline in the number of registrations, litters bred and tracks, what would the ‘optimal’ greyhound service look like?

Rather than simply guess, I decided to ask someone from within ‘that game’, for an honest and accurate appraisal

“The ideal figure is around 800 races per week. Possibly slightly more in the winter when the bookmakers want more product, and slightly less in the summer when there is a lot of other betting alternatives taking place. 

“Also, bear in mind, there are traditionally fewer greyhounds available in the summer due to seasons and an increase in injuries.”

And we currently have?

“Around 1,100 between the two services.”

Last week’s UK based meetings only: Monday (12), Tuesday (10) Wednesday (12), Thursday (11), Friday (12), Saturday (15), Sunday (9). 81 meetings.

On the flip side, 800 races equates to 66 twelve race cards.

This is an oversimplification since some tracks stage 14 race cards, whereas some stage 10 or 11, while Star Pelaw had 16 races split between two meetings.

So how do you squeeze 1,100 races into 800?

I would suggest that there would be three main ways.

The first would be to insist that every race should be for six runners. 

Yes, it can be done, as near as damn it. We did it for years! I understand that from January, ARC began imposing penalties on their tracks for empty traps. 

The simple solution is the widespread return of reserves and insist on early notifications from trainers of non-runners. Though the only way to press the point, would be for SIS to follow ARC’s example and penalise tracks for vacant traps.

There is movement in that direction already as was demonstrated when Towcester cancelled a Sunday open that had been reduced to three runners, fully aware that SIS wouldn’t have been prepared to pay up to stage it.

Tracks would have to be compensated for not staging meetings. 

If the betting industry could be persuaded that they could make more money if they were given a better overall service with fewer uncompetitive races – we know that they hate four and five dog races –  there would be savings to be made in the economies of not staging the extra meetings. 

That’s for tracks and trainers.

If trainers were told, ‘you will be receive the same total income for three meetings per week, as you were for four’, who is likely to complain?

Less wear and tear on vehicles, more time off for staff etc etc.

Or – what if the tracks were told (using random figures), ‘instead of paying you £10K for each of your five meetings per week, we will pay you £12K per fixture for four? 

“But you would then have enough surplus runners to stage extra ‘non service’ meetings on Friday/Saturday evenings. 

You will more than make up the shortfall with paying customers. We realise that you can’t currently race at the weekends because you don’t have enough dogs.”

Properly marketed and with a 15% tote deduction they would surely be profitable? And they might lead to the introduction of new owners.

Track closures

Just to clarify, I am not advocating track closures but they are an inevitability.

But we don’t have that many to lose. 

As I wrote recently, I believe there are at least four in danger, including three that would almost certainly be developed as housing. 

The fourth is – allegedly – attracting interest to remain as a greyhound track. 

We are therefore very close to the point where PGR and SIS wouldn’t simply be tolerating each other; to provide a viable greyhound service they would be mutually dependent.

So long Billy Boy 

I was very sorry to hear of the death of Bill Glass last week.

I first met Bill when he started as an unpaid press liaison for Eddie Lesley at Rye House back in the early 90s.

A young Bill Glass promoting his local track Rye House.

Bill had been introduced to racing by his dad William senior. There were picture of a ten year old Bill at dog tracks with his dad who was also a Rye regular.

At the time, Bill was a career musician and fabulous guitarist who I saw perform live. 

He and wife Molly were guests at my wedding and readers of a certain vintage will recall that he and I co-wrote some ‘Christmas pantos’ published in the Star every December and taking the micky out of various characters in the sport.

Bill’s career kicked on from Rye House to Hackney where he was appointed GM and then on to Stadia UK where he was Head of Stadia.

An extremely able and astute operator, he became more actively involved in industry politics as he was invited onto the BGRB and GBGB as a track promoter representing his boss Clark Osborne. That led to him becoming increasingly active on the promoter’s association.

Sadly, I felt, Bill grew disillusioned with the game. 

Bill Glass – a glorious Gooner 

In his role with Stadia UK, he took the brunt of the criticisms aimed at the company, particularly following the closures of Reading and Milton Keynes.

We would chat regularly, mainly about our mutual love of Arsenal and there would be some great banter. But we started to avoid discussions about dog racing.

Bill had seen the closure of so many of the tracks that he had been associated with. He had also seen some of his promoter colleagues take the money and run.

On at least one occasion, he confessed that for him, greyhound racing had become less fun and more a way of making a living.

Such a shame.

My last discussion with Bill was probably two years ago and at times like this I wish we’d have kept in closer touch.

He was great company and a real good guy who contributed far more to greyhound racing than he ever took out. 

I’ll miss him.