The weeks have ticked by since the GBGB announced an acceptance in principle for the return of permit racing. The response from the five tracks who are being considered as guinea pigs for a trial period is largely positive.
Shawfield racing manager Daniel Rankin said: “My understanding is that it is going before the rules committee tomorrow (Thursday) and the first dogs could be trialling by the beginning of December. We have seven trainers already committed to it, by names and addresses, with various dogs, but there are many more who have said they are interested but want to see what is involved before they go ahead. At this stage I am very pleased with the response.”
Pelaw Grange racing manager Dave Gray said: “We have at least a dozen names and address of people just waiting to be told what the rules entail and when they can start trialling. That represents between 20-30 more runners for us which will make a significant difference to our kennel strength. Given the nature of people also coming to the track, it will also be a great help to turnover. I anticipate even more interest when people see it in action and realise that they could participate themselves.”
Henlow’s Paul Mellor said: “We put a note in the racecard and have had pretty decent interest so far. We haven’t taken names and address but there are a number of people who are just waiting to hear what is entailed before they commit.”
Mildenhall promoter Dave Coventry said: “I have spoken to GBGB about the need to get more trainers into the game but wasn’t aware of the permit idea. It can only be good for the game. Now that I am aware, we will put notification in the racecard and on our Facebook page.”
Harlow promoter Dave Barclay said: “We haven’t done anything yet about permit racing but I have been approached by a couple of people who are interested. I can see big benefits for trainers who maybe dropped out of the game because they had big kennels which they couldn’t maintain but have retained their interest in the dogs and would love train from home. I am certainly a fan of permit racing and can’t work out why it has take so long to get to this stage.”
