The GBGB yesterday received a request from Henlow to increase the RPGTV Henlow Derby from a three round competition for 36 dogs to a four round competition for 48 dogs, with the final to be run on Thursday 29th October rather than on Sunday 25th October. The request was made less than 24 hours before the competition was due to close.
The GBGB Open Race Planning Committee has decided unanimously to decline Henlow’s request for the change. In reaching its decision the Committee have noted that the competition has only ever been advertised for 36 dogs and over the dates and duration of three weeks. The committee considered that the extremely late notice of this change would not allow it to be publicised for any amount of time and that trainers who entered would have done so in the belief that the race was taking place with the originally advertised format.
The Calendar is utilised by owners, trainers and racecourses to plan campaigns for their greyhounds and to arrange their competition and racing schedules. The Calendar should be as accurate as possible to enable it to be used as a reference. This allows connections to enter their greyhounds for races where the conditions are known, including the number of rounds and the length of time their greyhounds are to be required.
If tracks are able to alter major details such as these for major competitions at such short notice, it becomes extremely difficult for the greyhound industry to know which competitions are occurring under what circumstances.
A request for increased rounds and duration may be placed for the 2016 renewal of the competition when Henlow submit its Category One/Two details for next year.
