GBGB is pleased to announce a number of new initiatives which will see graded owners and trainers benefit from additional prize money and funding to the tune of circa £400K between February – November 2018.
Following stakeholder consultation on new and effective ways of distributing prize money to graded connections, the GBGB Racing Committee, comprising of promoters, trainers and owners, have agreed three different schemes to succeed the successful and popular Owners’ Bonus Series competitions, launched in 2011.
In a similar format to previous Owners’ Bonus Series events, the Mega Owners’ Bonus Series will comprise two round heats and final competitions for 12 or 18 graded greyhounds. The winner will receive a bumper £1000 and a presentation jacket, the second placed greyhound £250, and other finalists £100 with a further £100 going to the winning trainer. The Mini Owners’ Bonus Series will comprise competitions in the same format with the winner of each final receiving £500 and a presentation jacket, second place £100 and others £75. Again, a further £100 will go to the winning trainer.
Each GBGB track will stage three Mini Bonus Series and three Mega Bonus Series events during 2018.
All tracks will also be provided funds to run a number of Owner and Trainer Track Nights, with an additional £150 prize money added to tracks’ regular prize money levels across each of ten races on the card and trophies for all winners. Four Owner and Trainer nights will be staged throughout the year and will be further enhanced through food or buffets, or a compere to host an evening for owners and trainers.
Events begin this week with heats of Mega or Mini Bonus Series competitions at Nottingham (Fri 16th Feb), Peterborough (Weds 14th Feb), Shawfield (Fri 16th Feb) and Sheffield (Sat 17th Feb), and with the first Owner and Trainer track night currently scheduled for 24th February at Pelaw Grange.
Peter Harnden, one of the Practitioner members on the Racing Committee said “The Owners’ Bonus Series has worked really well for owners over the last six years, but it is always good to come up with new ideas. The Owners’ Bonus Owner & Trainer nights with added Prize Money across ten races will enable the benefit to be spread widely to lots of owners. Our recent trials of these type of events at Nottingham have proved hugely popular. The Mega and Mini Bonus events give a competitive element and the chance for graded runners to run for £1,000 is fantastic”.
All events will be subject to regular review. Upcoming track nights and competition dates will be publicised via the GBGB website and Twitter feed whenever possible.
