Last weekend belonged to Sheffield as they welcomed guests for their Saturday night racing fixture followed by hosting the GBGB awards on the Sunday.
Racing Manager Andrew Mascharenhas said: “Everybody seemed to enjoy the Sunday night, at least that is what I’ve been told, I don’t remember that much about it. Seriously though, I think GBGB were impressed and our management seemed very happy with the arrangement. I gather that there were more tickets sold than for the last night in London, and I’m pretty sure the beer would have been cheaper.
“The boxes and restaurant were sold out Friday and Saturday night, though that is pretty much like that every week here. For example, on this coming Friday night, all three/four exec boxes are gone which is 65 people (15/15/35). On Saturday, they have all gone again and they’ve managed to fit another few in (20/24/17/16). On Friday 75 of the 77 tables in the restaurant are already sold. On Saturday, they are all sold out – as usual.”
The kennel strength is currently bobbing along at around the 420 mark which has enabled them to increase their Saturday cards to 16 races, with 12 on a Friday.
Andrew said: “It is quite healthy apart from the wide runners. We’ve had a bit of sickness recently and it is the wide runners where we have been left with empty boxes. But we’ve even been able to bring back level break stayers races for the first time since October. Last week, we had an S2 and an S3. We were almost there for an S1 as well, though we a couple of them to the opens.”
In fact, it is only the open race fixtures that are falling a little short of expectations.
Andrew said: “I was a bit disappointed by the number of entries for the Saturday night to be honest. The invitation races were worth £500 each and only just filled. Though looking around, I don’t think we are the only ones facing that problem.”
The Sheffield re-homing scheme has ended its association with the Greyhound Trust and is now know as Sheffield Retired Greyhounds.
Andrew said: “There will be minimal changes as far as most people are concerned, the same kennels and same staff. There will be a few different policies, the most notable being that greyhounds will have to be spayed before they are accepted.”
The track used the awards weekend as a fundraiser for the project which realised £2,500.
The planned introduction of a new camera to give patrons a view of racing from the third bend, and along the backstraight is still to be fitted, much to the grader’s frustration.
He said: “I am still pushing for it but we have a new tote system currently being fitted, Britbet, the same as at Newcastle and Nottingham, and that is different cabling to what we had planned for the camera. Don’t worry we will get there.”
One to watch from the racing strength?
Andrew said: “Abigails Happy (Grangeview Ten-Clever Princess, Apr 21). She won an A2 first time out after swerving from the traps. But from the fourth bend on, she was hugely impressive. I gather Barrie (Draper) bought her as a future stayer, and she looks a shrewd buy.”
