Fradgley flying high in 2025

Fradgley flying high in 2025

Dave Fradgley is having a career-best year but don’t put it down to beginner’s luck.

The West Yorkshire-based handler has been training greyhounds for nearly 60 years and is still enjoying it as much as ever.

Rental Crisis’ sprint victory at Sheffield on Sunday was Fradgley’s 21st open winner of the year from 76 runners and the kennel is operating at a strike-rate of 27.63 per cent, which is up there with the best in the country in 2025.

Fradgley played it down when asked about his success but it is clear that he is doing plenty right and using all that experience he has gained.

The trainer said: “We’ve been going pretty well. We’ve had a bit of luck in placement but I think that’s what it’s about – if you can find in the right race and luck goes with you, then you can win a few.

“We have a bit more quality in the kennel this year and haven’t had as many injuries. We’re very particular about the system we have and it seems to be working quite well.

“We have a very good physio in Darryl Hopper, who comes in every two or three weeks - never beyond that. I think if you do that, then you can keep on top of any problems and that’s another reason why we’ve had a good run. Prevention is better than the cure.”

Now attached to Kinsley, Fradgley has been in the game longer than most and he attributes his education in the sport to the once-thriving independent scene in Yorkshire.

“I’m a youthful 75-year-old! I’ve been racing greyhounds since I was 16, so nearly 60 years,” he continued. 

“I did most of it on the independent tracks, I learnt my trade on that scene at tracks there are long gone now. My first runners were at Pontefract which was a long, long time ago. I raced at Whitwood, which was local to me, Askern, Highgate, Rotherham, Dillington – I could go on. Many, many tracks.

“You learnt your trade on that scene and it was good because you could get involved as a youngster, which is hard to do under the current GBGB system. You could get young people into the game and it gave them an opportunity to come into the sport.

“And that’s the sort of thing that will get youngsters involved again. You won’t get them involved when they’re teenagers and they’re into football and other sports.”

He has been a professional trainer for well over 30 years, although things didn’t get off to the best of starts when he first acquired his licence.

“I took my professional licence out in 1992 and didn’t get off to a very good start,” explained Fradgley.

“I had a bitch who was just about unbeatable on the independent scene and I turned down £10,000 for her, which was a lot on money in those days. I raced at Doncaster, qualified her in and she was my very first runner, but she went lame at the first bend.

“I am based in a place called Knottingly, West Yorkshire now, I’ve been here for a few years but I am originally from Normanton. I used to be able walk to Whitwood and I would go there in the 1950s – we could peep through the gaps in the fence and watch the dogs on a Saturday afternoon. That’s a long time ago!

“I have a licence for 16 dogs. I’m in the process of building some more kennels and I am hoping to get up to about 24. You need to have space for your retired dogs, so I would like to get up to about 16 runners.

“My grandson does most of the work now, I’m just the overseer if you want put it that way. Even my great grandson is involved and he has been walking dogs since he was three years old. I have pictures of him walking two dogs and they’re as big as him!”

When asked what the best dog he has in training at the moment, there was no hesitation from Fradgley.

He replied: “My best dog now would be Stonepark Wes (pictured below with Fradgley's grandson, Callum). He’s a big dog and he’s had his niggles but when he is right, he is a good greyhound. I wouldn’t fear running him against anything in the country when he is spot on. 

“Unfortunately, he seems to have a few races and then picks up a niggle. So, it’s always one step forwards and two steps backwards, but he is a fast dog.

“I have another good dog called Tiermana Blaze, who has a won a nice few races. He has been a lucky dog for us.

“And we have another puppy called Semtex Boy. He has won a couple of opens and he is a nice dog. He’s a wide runner and Doncaster suits a wide runner.”

Fradgley has plenty of success at Doncaster and Nottingham, and he highlighted those circuits when discussing his favourite venues.

He added: “Without doubt, one of the best tracks in the country is Doncaster. It’s a superb running track. 

“Nottingham is also a good running track. It’s a fair track and it’s a stiff track, so your dogs need to stay there. Those two, with regards to gallops, would be the best about.

“But a good dog should be able to run at any track – whether it’s like a soup bowl or whether it’s a galloping track. The good dogs will run anywhere.”

Despite is vast experience in the sport, Fradgley still has eyes very much on the future and he earmarked some youngsters to watch out for.

He added: “I just acquired a puppy called Bouncing Monarch, who had three races in Ireland (reaching the final of the Denis Linehan Solicitors Unraced Stake at Curraheen Park). He’s had two sprint trials at Kinsley and broke 16 seconds in both of them. He’ll be a useful greyhound.

“I have another puppy that I’ve just got called Emmas Lola and I think she’ll be a nice bitch. I have two 15-month-old youngsters who have just qualified and they will win their fair share of races - they’re called Knockmore Ace and Knockmore Signet.”

There is certainly no sign is of his enjoyment of the sport slowing down and he admits that he still gets a thrill out of sending out a winner.

He said: “Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to win big competitions but I’m happy whenever my dogs win and I shout them home whether I’ve had a penny on them or nothing.”

“The buzz of them running well and coming off ok is the most important criteria for me. It always has and always will be. The dog comes first, everything else comes second. I still get a buzz out of it.”

With his enthusiasm showing no signs of waning and the winners coming thick and fast, don’t expect this Yorkshireman to be hanging up his lead anytime soon.