Towcester to host Greyhound Bonanza meeting

Towcester is breaking new ground with a huge Night of Stars-type big prize-money meeting on Saturday, December 21 – with the £10,000 bet365 Puppy Oaks Final the showpiece event on a 14-race programme.

The Towcester Greyhound Bonanza has seen the Northamptonshire track successfully seek special dispensation from the sponsors and the GBGB to bring forward the Puppy Oaks final, originally scheduled for the Sunday afternoon fixture, by 24 hours.

The meeting, which will be live on SIS, will be second only to English Derby final night in terms of total prize-money offered on the night. Entry on the night will be free which should hopefully make it a good crowd.

In addition to the bet365 Puppy Oaks Final, a Category One event, a series of all-sponsored £3,000-to-the-winner open races will be held. The finals of kennel sweepstakes competitions will also be staged.

Towcester boss Kevin Boothby said: “This has been in my thoughts for a while, but things have come together in recent weeks and it’s great to announce it now.

“Shelbourne have led the way with the original Night of Stars and then the Winter Festival but we’ve not had really anything similar in the UK.

“It’s very much a festive celebration – or a ‘Greyhound Bonanza’ as we’ve billed it – just before Christmas and we hope to get some interest from Ireland.

“The Irish Derby will have finished and the Winter Festival is two weeks prior, so some of the big names there might head across to us – and vice versa maybe.

“There’s a lot going on behind the scenes in terms of wider coverage and I’d like to thank all the sponsors – and we’ve managed to get quite a few! – for their support in getting this off the ground.”