Oxford and Towcester have announced plans to circumvent the new GBGB rules on Category One events in the latest edition of the Calendar which was published today.
Given the huge number of Category One events planned for 2023, the Board recently announced that it is capping competitions to 36 runners, excluding certain events, the “the Classics, the long-standing East Anglian Derby and the Produce Stakes.”
However, Towcester’s Blue Riband and Oxford’s BGBF Puppy Cup will effectively still have a fourth round by turning them into 24 runner events, open to greyhounds that have finished in the first three of designated trialstakes. The Blue Riband qualification rules are as follow:
The first 3 greyhounds in each Official Trial Stake on Sunday 8th January will be invited to run in the Stadium Bookmakers Blue Riband. In the event of only 6 Official Trial Stakes the first 4 greyhounds in each Official Trial Stake will be invited to run in the Stadium Bookmakers Blue Riband. All non-invited greyhounds from the Official Trial Stakes will stand as reserves for the Stadium Bookmakers Blue Riband. In the event of any of the 24 invited greyhounds being withdrawn prior to the Heats of the Stadium Bookmakers Blue Riband, reserves will be invited to participate in order of merit based on calculated times recorded in the Official Trial Stakes.
So why go to all this trouble?
Nathan Corden, speaking on behalf of Henlow Racing, the promoters at both tracks said: “We were never consulted on the reduction of runners. I did sit in on ‘Teams’ discussion with Mark Bird and Scott Harvey where it was mentioned that at the very end that they were considering the reduction as one of the options. I immediately stated my personal objections, but the next thing we knew, the 36 runner restriction been passed.
“I was a little surprised at the criteria that was introduced when it came out. Much as I have great admiration for Simon Franklin at Yarmouth, how did the East Anglish Derby get an exemption? The ‘long standing’ East Anglian Derby was a flapping event until 1975. Yet an event like the Puppy Derby or the Pall Mall didn’t make the cut.
“The idea of putting on the ‘invitation trialstakes’ was suggested but we wanted to make sure that it was what the owners and trainers wanted. I canvassed a whole selection and in all honesty, there was only one trainer, who wasn’t bothered with the first two going through from a semi final. As an owner myself, I would be devastated to miss out on a Category One final after finishing third in the semi final.
“In the spirit of trying to keep the structure of 48 runner events, we plan to have open draws for the trialstakes, with, for example, the first eight railers going into the eight trap ones. The runners will be ‘invited’ into the 24-runner first round and in the case of non-runners, the fastest beaten trialstake runners, based on calculated times, will be invited to the first round. About the only downside will be the lack of guarding for the trialstakes though it could still be introduced for the first round”
“Clearly this is new ground and the decision will be under review going forward. But to restrict some of these events to 36 runners is just absurd in my view. We had over 100 entries for the Maiden Derby and have continued to fill most 48 runners events with ease.
