The management of Doncaster Greyhounds have taken exception to the GBGB rule ammendment – as described in the official statement below – and have withdrawn participation from all Board funded future Owners Bonus events. They will however continue to stage the competitions which will be funded by the stadium themselves.
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Statement As Follows by Doncaster Racing Executive and/or on behalf of Mr E. Watson Director of Stadia
We refer to the Owners Bonus Series and in particular the revised rules and amendments made in the official GBGB document letter change dated 19th June 2023.
Quote……..‘Where greyhounds are owned by Racecourse Executives, Track Owner, or Senior Management at a track, and/or their spouses, partners, children, parents, or siblings at a track, take part in the enhanced prize money OBS races at that same track, they will forfeit the additional prize money, and you should not claim for these’ Unquote
Further to this above amendment, noted and acknowledged by all Stadium Executives; as in all previous instances, payments have categorically been undertaken upon claim, received in full, but most notably, to greyhound owner and spouse of myself as Director, Mrs S. Watson. The highlighted and most recent examples of this, being two greyhounds in her ownership, namely Saleen Ellie/Silverspring Ace, both from the Summer Owners Bonus Series Event, payments received for both as of 11th October 2023.
Following our most recent claim under the latest Winter Owners Bonus Series events of December 10th/11th, payments due, for greyhounds running in the name of Mrs S. Watson, were refused on the base of the amendment above, this amendment whereby stating the same or very similar as previously, i.e. ‘Promotors/Owners of Track’, but now to incorporate a more varied choice of ‘relatives’ forfeit.
I continually purchase a very high number of greyhounds to promote and sustain our track racing strength for increased racing schedules, hereby distributing greyhounds amongst my trainer clientele to ensure equal reward where possible. Most importantly and as should be noted, purchased or new greyhounds are placed in my spouse’s name, so to be able to have my full control and conscientious monitoring of these greyhounds, at point arrival to the Stadium, to career end and future retirement with the view and my wish of suitable home finding.
All greyhounds, as considered above, race for any individual trainer on my track, all prize monies gained go direct to the trainer, to cover the costs of care, feed, supervision, and training expenses, so for instance of the initial paragraphs above, we feel those responsible for the training of recent OBS participants, are incurring a needless and unnecessary penalty for the sakes of the latest amendment and contrary to anything made before.
On principal, of what has occurred in all past events of this nature, notably, remuneration of ‘all’ previous claims made, I and my Racecourse Executive, have decided, upon this initial refusal, to pull out of the recent December event, and for future series of Owners Bonus Series Events at Doncaster and forthcoming sister track Askern for 2024.
We will, however, stage our own annual thricely events, alongside similar timings of these GBGB Owners Bonus Series in 2024 and beyond, hereby making our own payments to all greyhounds racing in these types of events, on a same payment scale, and effect all reasonable benefits of any greyhound participating, ensuring there to be no impact or the potential of unnecessary loss.
I have also undertaken, to effect all payments due for our recent December OBS events staged; I conclude, that currently, as Director of Stadia at Doncaster, and soon to be the same at our brand new facility in Askern opening in 2024, we, as an Independently owned Greyhound Stadia, feel we are being made a target, and in current times, such rules and further amendments of the rule, most unfair and unnecessary, contrary to anything in keeping with such rules from its known inception.
Yours in Sport
Doncaster Greyhound Stadium
