Woltemade to aim for Newcastle history after the Classic

Fenwick set for a third Greyhound of the Year award?

The Premier Greyhound Racing All England Cup will be the final target of 2026 for Woltemade who heads to traps on Friday evening at Sunderland for a semi-final of the Classic which is also sponsored by PGR. 

Winning the former would make Woltemade the only greyhound to win all three major events at the Byker track in the same year in its 98-year history. It would be a special way to end a year that has him as the front runner to be crowed Greyhound of the Year. 

“It’s been a phenomenal year,” said Fenwick. “We always knew he was talented from when he arrived. But to win four Category One titles in an eight-month period and still have a live chance of winning more this year is remarkable."

After winning that title with both Ice On Fire and Wicky Ned, there is a strong chance that Woltemade can be the third for the team, though Fenwick has already been over to Ireland to try and find the next in the long line of star greyhounds that he has been in charge of. 

“Ballymac Kopek really excites me,” he said. “If all goes to plan, I suspect he’ll follow a similar career path to Woltemade by running in the Northern Puppy Derby and then the Puppy Cup at Monmore.

“We invest a lot of time studying stud dogs and bitches and if we think there’s a young greyhound with potential which suits our circumstances we’ll make an offer. It is a gamble, and you do find yourself rolling the dice on occasions, but that’s the game we’re in and the buzz you get from finding the right one is unmatched.”