It has been a while since we’ve run a Readers Letters page – which seems a pity and is something I would like to remedy.

If you submitted a suitable letter before August 28, I fear that it has been lost as part of the website transition. Our entire email archive prior to that date has been lost. Should you decide to contribute please mail to [email protected] or message via Twitter (X) to @greyhoundstar.

Thanks for your continued support during this traumatic few including a special thanks to Dennis Hodkings with this note which accompanied his letter below.

“Hello Floyd, Great to see the ‘Star back up, I was worried for a day or two! I was thinking about my 40 years plus of ownership involvement in greyhound racing and I thought I’d put my experiences down on paper. It’s in response to GBGB activity during the past week which should be applauded but I question how useful it will prove to be long-term.”

Ed

Syndication experience

I have owned greyhounds since 1979 and I have supported the industry through a series of different syndicates and ownership arrangements. My best dogs over the years have been Scala Dromin (Stu Buckland / Prestige winner 2014 /owned with three friends), Dance Taylor (Jason Heath, Hove / owned a third with other kennel contacts) and Stellas Belle (Jason Bloomfeld, Henlow / part of a larger syndicate).

I wonder just how the GBGB are spreading the word about ownership during Greyhound Week, for example. I noticed on-track activity down at my local Hove track but that is dealing with supporters. What’s happening outside our environment?

I don’t do Twitter / Snap Chat or anything similar that my granddaughter may have mentioned to me. I do Facebook and WhatsApp. On neither platform did I see much greyhound activity, promotion or advertising, and I’m a life-long supporter!

My syndicates started back in 1979 when three of us betting shop managers (Mecca) in north London got together to buy Corner Wise off of Matt O’Donell. My eternal thanks to the, now seemingly forgotten, Denis Diffley for arranging it.

Terry Keith looked after Corner and he won a few races at Harringay for us. Anyway, the bug was planted.

Some 40 greyhounds later and a few decades on and here we are. I’ve been involved in hospice management, the London Stroke Team and Carers Support (Dementia Services). All working posts which helped pay for my hobby, namely the greyhounds!

Here’s a chance to look at the different types of syndicates you can get involved in. I speak now only of personal involvement. (There are many other ownership options).

There are multiple-member CLUBS, where you can have an interest in to one or more greyhounds. I’ve been a member of the Simon Deakin Racing Club for some years now. You don’t own the dogs in this club. A buy in of £100 or so as a one-off payment. No further monies are due and updates and chat via WhatsApp prove enjoyable. You have an interest in three-five dogs running at Perry Barr / Nottingham doing it this way.

Then there are larger clubs, like the Champagne Club. Here you buy a share in a particular dog, usually 1/100, and make a one-off payment to cover buying, transport and the cost of training for a couple of years. The cost here is typically somewhere between £100-200. This gives you an interest in Paul Young’s kennel running at Romford. Hopefully, the better dogs will perform on the Open race scene later in life.

It all depends on what sort of ownership you want and, of course, the size of on-going bills you can safely afford.

I’m part of the Apollo syndicate based with Jason Bloomfield at Henlow / Yarmouth and they re-new their dogs as needed. Members buy into a share of a particular dog split between the number who want to be involved. It may be six or eighteen depending on people’s choice at the time of purchase. It’s a good way to keep on-going monthly bills down. Each member pays their monthly share divided by the number who are in the syndicate. If monthly bills are around £300, then £30 for each of ten owners may well suit you better than having to find £300 each month doing it on your own. Stellas Belle is one of ours, currently off for her seasonal break.

Over the past year or two, my best dog promised to be Noelles Perfetto. She was a staying bitch who won the Golden Jacket Puppies for us at Crayford. With a bright future planned in the hands of Patrick Janssens we had some fun with her. Owned under the Value Racing UK syndicate name, the owners paid a lump sum buy-in for the dog and care for six months ahead. Contact was a one-way WhatsApp group which kept owners informed about races and plans. With less than ten people involved it cost a lot more than the above clubs but we had a chance to meet other owners at the track etc. James, at Value Racing also runs successful horse racing syndicates.

It really comes down to getting involved at a track, or with a trainer. We all need that introduction to get started. For example, I met Terry Keith for the first time at a greyhound sale at White City, London. What a track, but that’s another story! Once you know a few other owners then you may well get together to buy a greyhound. I’ve interests in The Coffee Shop Syndicate (Macchiato / Americano at Henlow and Yarmouth) thanks to a kind offer initiated by the organiser of the group. Thanks George.

I’m also part of the ‘All The Luck In Life’ syndicate run very well by a busy lady, Lynda Bonner. Buying into a youngster and seeing her through her career. A very manageable buy-in and then a share of on-going monthly bills.

Involvement with Pat Curtin’s Lilypad kennel is fun too. Based near Gaydon, Pat and wife Liz run their dogs out of Monmore. I’ve bought into a couple there with a buy-in of between 200 – 1000. Pat keeps us updated brilliantly with WhatsApp messages / videos and details of plans. Allowdale Syd is one of ours, soon to be back after a serious toe injury.

So, whether it’s buying a greyhound with a couple of mates, joining a larger syndicate or going it alone, it is your choice. All I can advise a would-be owner to do is to prepare your budget first.

Before we leave the subject of ownership there is also another option with an eye on planning for the future. I’ve bought into a few real youngsters who aren’t old enough to train yet. A couple are six months old, two are eight months and a new born. It is the hope of finding a good one that keeps us all going. Keep an eye on sales sites, like Greyhound Data. It’ll give you an idea and a feeling of what is out there, what is available at any given time and the budget you might need. There are also regular sales at various tracks around the country and these can be viewed on-line. Further down the line, after making a few contacts, you may be in a position to buy direct from a breeder. It all comes down to personal choice.

Communication is key, now it’s over to the GBGB and others to spread the word using avenues that non-greyhound people can actually see. Promoting at the tracks during ‘Greyhound Week’ has been visible and to a warm source, as people have already entered a track. Now I ask them to go and contact those who don’t know about greyhounds, that’s the hard bit.

My best wishes to all involved in the sport.

Dennis Hodgkins

Aka Dennis in Sussex