2017 REVIEW – FEBRUARY

Following a kennel inspection, the GBGB immediately suspend the license of Sunderland trainer Malcolm Taylor. He will eventually be warned off.

Three City of London Police visit GBGB offices and request a number of documents following allegations of corrupt behaviour. Ten months later, no one has been interviewed or questioned.

Nottingham’s Pete Harnden is unveiled as the trainers representative on the GBGB. He was the only applicant for the position and said “I have some major concerns at various events that are unfolding and nobody else was prepared to represent me.” He was particularly incensed when hearing of the GBGB decision to create a ‘trainerless’ panel to determine the new home on the Derby.

The internet is busy with a forum claim that GBGB Chairman Tom Kelly has resigned and several of his directors have been arrested for fraud!!

Sheffield announce that they have topped up their latest streaming grant to a figure of £250,000. The money will be spent on increased prize money and an initiative to “to pay for the patching up, kennelling and re-homing of any greyhound suffering a career ending break or fracture at the stadium.”

In Ireland, a swoop by workmen to seal Harolds Cross, remove track equipment and dig up the track is followed by confirmation that IGB have closed the venue and sold it. Dublin racegoers are enraged and hundreds of greyhound followers launch a picket of Shelbourne Park.

Towcester offer to stage the semi finals of Shelbourne’s Tote Gold Cup though Paul Hennessy refuses to commit his two runners and the plan is scrapped.

Racing lost one of the best British bred greyhounds of his generation as Eden The Kid damages a hock ligament in a Wimbledon trial and is retired.

With four and a half months to go to their first Derby, GM Kevin Ackerman announced that all four exec boxes and all 230 covers in the restaurant have been sold for final night.

On the track, the biggest event of the month is the Ladbrokes Golden Jacket which attracts 59 entries for the 36 places. It is dominated by two Irish stars, Jaytee Patriot and Boylesports Star with the latter, handled by Dolores Ruth, justifying 2-1 joint favouritism in the final where he reverses Prestige form with Rubys Razzle..

The meeting also features a Bussey Memorial win for Mark Wallis’ Ribble Aon – a sixth consecutive success in the event for the kennel.