A £25,000 BONUS awaits the winner of the newly introduced BresMed Sprint Triple Crown, a brand new incentive launched this week by leading owner and sponsor Nic Brereton.
Brereton, the longtime backer of the BresMed Northern Sprint at Sheffield, is using the sport’s only Category One sprint competition as the middle leg of a series of sprint races and competitions where the winner not only takes all – but can double their money.
Any greyhound which wins the BresMed Sprint Trophy at Nottingham in May, the BresMed Northern Sprint at Sheffield in June and the sprint race on BoyleSports Irish Derby Final night at Shelbourne in September will be in line for the £25K bonus.
The BresMed Sprint Trophy will be expanded in 2020 to become a two-round sprint event supporting the Star Sports, Arc and LPS Derby at Nottingham and will be the springboard for the leading sprinters in the UK and Ireland to have a crack at the BresMed Sprint Triple Crown.
The BresMed Northern Sprint at Sheffield, staged earlier in the year since its inception in 2015, will be staged later this year, with the bonus on offer to any greyhound who wins both events and then travels to Dublin for the two-bend showpiece on Irish Derby Final night.
Explaining the background to the initiative, Nic Brereton said: “I’ve always loved sprinters and was lucky to have owned a Sprinter of the Year in Geelo Vegas in 2014. He actually made the Derby semi-finals the following year, but was a champion sprinter too – winning on Irish Derby Final night, which remains one of my best nights as an owner.
“The BresMed Northern Sprint has grown in stature and is the only Category One sprint competition in the GBGB Calendar – and I know trainers and owners have set out their stall for the competition, which has been great to see. We’ve had some great winners.
“We’ve had Irish interest too – champion Irish sprinter Ardnasool Jet came over in April – and we’re hoping Irish trainers and owners will travel to Nottingham around Derby time, perhaps bringing over their leading sprinters with their Derby dogs.
“The BresMed Sprint Trophy at Nottingham will be the first leg of the triple crown, then we head to Sheffield and ultimately to Dublin. I’d be more than happy to write out a cheque for £25,000 in Ireland to any owner whose greyhound has won all three!”
Looking at the winners of the corresponding events in 2019 underlines the class required to scoop the BresMed Sprint Triple Crown – and with it a £25,000 bonus.
Kirsty Grayson’s Coolavanny Dylan won the BresMed Northern Sprint at Sheffield, David Mullins’ Troy Bella landed the BresMed Sprint Trophy at Nottingham and Peter Harnden’s ill-fated Salacres Punch famously landed the sprint on Irish Derby Final night.
“We had Geelo Brezza in the recent National Sprint Final at Nottingham, but myself and Carl (Perry, trainer) were both impressed with how Troy Bella won on the night. He won ‘our’ race on Derby final night – so he was a rival we knew well!
“He ran great and, of course, Salacres Punch was a fantastic sprinter for Peter (Harnden) and, like all greyhound fans, we were saddened to hear what happened – especially as myself and Carl watched him win so brilliantly at Shelbourne Park.
“Kirsty Grayson’s win in the BresMed Northern Sprint with Coolavanny Dylan was also very special. Kirsty was eight months pregnant at the time, but still paraded her pride and joy, and their kennel and Carl’s have been close friends for many years.”
