2018 Towcester agree deals for all the major bookmaking chains to take live footage of the Star Sports Greyhound Derby with the exception on Betfred. In the same week, SKY announce that they will no longer broadcast greyhound racing. Newcastle and Monmore immediately announce that their major events, the All England Cup/Northern Puppy Derby, and the Ladbrokes Gold Cup will go ahead unchanged.
2018 Pennys Lucius becomes the first 2017 whelp to win a race when successful at Newbridge. Renamed Pennys Baby, she later joined Charlie Lister/Chris Akers, and recently reached the Gain Puppy Derby semi finals at Henlow. In fact, the daughter of Deanridge Viking can continue to contest puppy races until the end of January 2019.
2018 Among the future stars thrown up by the Star’s Irish Performance of the Week column is a 28.61 run in an unraced stake at Thurles by Magical Logan, soon to be renamed Skywalker Logan.
2018 Clares Kyletaun records the fastest Hove 695m run in six years when taking the Coral Regency for June Harvey. Sadly, the son of Ballyana Foxtrot will only race once more in Britain before breaking a stopper bone in a race at Kilkenny.
2018 In a move that irritates other tracks, Towcester reveal their own injury data for the first four months of the year. Produced by vet Polly Smith, it shows 69 injuries from 6,448 greyhound performances. They include 15 foot injuries, 14 hock and hind muscle injuries and 13 front leg injuries. No greyhounds were put to sleep at the track, though three were euthanased by the trainer’s own vets on welfare grounds.
2018 The big betting news is a Government announcement that FOBT machines will have a cap of a £2 win when the law is changed in 2019.
2018 Mark Wallis takes 10 greyhounds to Romford for a Friday night card and returns with five winners (396-1) and four seconds.
2018 The remarkable Ballinakil Clare continues her incredible return to racing. A month short of her fourth birthday and having produced a litter of pups, Graham Holland’s bitch clocks the fastest semi final of the Irish Oaks, 28.14 for the Shelbourne 525 yards, only eight spots slower than her best ever performance. Badly drawn (T5) in the final, she finishes third behind 28.47 winner Jaytee Jordan and then returns to retirement.
2018 Movements. Trainer Dave Lee switches from Harlow to Crayford. Doncaster Racing Manager Stephen Gray resigns. Belle Vue’s Edward Smith and owner trainer Derek Ogden both have their licenses withdrawn by GBGB. Hove advertise for a new trainer following the recent death following a long illness of trainer Paul Garland.
2018 Brinkleys Poet adds the Crayford 380m track record to his Kinsley 462m clock with a 22.85 run.
2018 GBGB Managing Director Mark Bird publishes an open letter that he has sent to Paul Darling, chairman of the bookmaker’s trade body the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB) and Clive Hawkswood of the Remote Gambling Association. He warns that the continued failure of sections of the betting industry to pay into the British Greyhound Racing Fund will risk his Board being unable to deliver its Greyhound Commitment.
