Joe Edwards is looking forward to Saturday at Monmore
Saturday's dual Category One final night at Monmore will be even more special for Communications Manager Joe Edwards as it will be his last for a short while.
Edwards set for enjoyable period
Joe Edwards, Monmore’s communications manager, has extra special reason to enjoy Saturday’s Ladbrokes Golden Jacket and Ladbrokes Winter Derby finals gala at the Wolverhampton venue - it’s his last meeting before paternity leave!
“We’re expecting our second child so it’s a busy time, for sure, but Saturday really should see me off home with a spring in my step! Two major finals - three in total - and some of greyhound racing’s biggest stars on show.
"Of course, in the Golden Jacket, Mongys Wild has been breathtaking and will be many people's favourite to make it back-to-back successes in the event, but Droopys Flare and Vhagar will not make it easy for him.
"Bruce Bay was phenomenal in the Winter Derby semi-finals and has a good draw for the final but, again, all of the finalists are there on merit and we can't wait to see who our first Category One champions of 2026 will be.
"Gary The Arb has shone many a time here at Monmore without quite going all the way, so that'd be a lovely story if he could win this time around. Droopys Aladdin has been a consistent performer here, too, but again they're all elite greyhounds and worthy of their place in the finals.”
This is the third time Monmore has staged the Golden Jacket - taking the famous event over last year from Crayford, but having also staged it in 1986 - the year the Dickie Hawkes-trained Glenowen Queen won - in between its years hosted by Harringay and then Crayford.
Victory for the Mark Wallis-trained Mongys Wild in the Golden Jacket would make him the fourth double winner of the stayers’ showpiece after Bobs Regan (1991-92), Wexford Minx (1994-95) and Bellmore Sally (2022-23), all of whom achieved back-to-back wins at Crayford.
