Vol 13 / No 4 26 February 2021 Fortnightly by Subscription Major Race Schedule Confirmed for 2021 GBGB Virtual Awards 2020 - Winners and Round Up PUNK ROCK MUTLEY strides home in the 2021 Ladbrokes Golden Jacket Final for Photo: Steve Nash owner Matt Christelow and trainer Stuart Maplesden. FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS - WWW.GBGB.ORG.UK Follow GBGB on Twitter @greyhoundboard @gbgbstaff and Instagram and Facebook CATEGORY ONE FINALS GBGB ANNOUNCES FULL 2021 CATEGORY ONE SCHEDULE Date Distance/type Track Event Following on from the confirmed dates of the Greyhound Derby, the Oaks and St. Sat 27 Feb 480m Puppies Monmore Green Ladbrokes Puppy Derby 2021 Leger, GBGB’s Open Race Planning Committee is pleased to announce the dates for all Sat 27 Feb 480m Flat Monmore Green Ladbrokes Winter Derby confirmed Category 1 races in 2021. Fri 19 Mar 400m Flat Romford Coral Golden Sprint Mon 22 Mar 500m British Nottingham BGBF Nottingham Breeders Stakes A total of 46 Category 1 races have been confirmed this year, which is an increase from Wed 31 Mar 480m Puppies Newcastle Arena Racing Company Northern Puppy Derby 35 in 2020 but notably also from the 42 Category 1 events run in 2019, prior to the Covid- Sun 04 Apr 480m Hurdle Sittingbourne 2021 Cearnsport Springbok 19 pandemic. The 2021 diary also includes a number of revitalised competitions that have Tue 13 Apr 270m Flat Towcester TRC Health + Hygiene Northamptonshire Sprint not been run in recent years - including the Northern Flat and Grand Prix - as well as new Tue 20 Apr 500m Flat Towcester RPGTV Juvenile events, and races which have been upgraded to Category 1 status. Thu 22 Apr 480m Flat Perry Barr Arena Racing Company Laurels Tue 18 May 500m Maidens Towcester KAB Maiden Derby The schedule provides opportunities for each type of greyhound across all race categories Wed 19 May 480m Flat Newcastle Arena Racing Company Northern Flat and will give racing fans an exciting diary of racing to look forward to. By releasing the Sat 22 May 900m Flat Monmore Green Ladbrokes TV Trophy whole year’s calendar in advance it is hoped that owners and trainers will be able to plan Sat 19 Jun 714m Flat Crayford Ladbrokes Kent St Leger long-term campaigns for their greyhounds. Sat 10 Jul 500m Flat Towcester English Derby The Open Race Planning Committee is hugely grateful to all the tracks that have submitted Sat 24 Jul 500m Puppies Towcester 5% Tote Juvenile Classic events and demonstrated their commitment to our sport’s premier races. Sat 31 Jul 695m Flat Brighton & Hove Coral Regency Sat 31 Jul 515m Flat Brighton & Hove Coral Sussex Cup The schedule also includes confirmed Category 2 events. A handful of Cat 1 and Cat 2 Sat 21 Aug 630m Flat Monmore Green Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic races are still to be confirmed and will be announced in the coming weeks and all races will Sat 21 Aug 480m Flat Monmore Green Ladbrokes Gold Cup be advertised in full in the GBGB Calendar in due course. Sat 28 Aug 942m Flat Towcester 5% Tote Towcester Marathon Mon 30 Aug 500m Puppies Nottingham Arena Racing Company Puppy Classic The calendar of all Category 1 events can be seen opposite. Mon 30 Aug 500m Flat Nottingham Arena Racing Company Select Stakes Amanda Duplock, GBGB Racing Committee Secretary, said: Sat 11 Sep Tri-Distance Sheffield 3 Steps to Victory Thu 16 Sep 462m Flat Yarmouth 75th East Anglian Greyhound Derby “Having a greyhound compete in these races is what everyone in our sport aspires to. We Sat 18 Sep 500m Bitches Towcester 5% Tote Empress Stakes are therefore delighted to be able to provide owners and trainers with a full schedule for the Sun 19 Sep 480m Produce Swindon 74th British Bred 2-Y-O Produce Stakes remainder of the year which will enable them to properly plan ahead. Fri 24 Sep 400m Puppies Romford Romford Puppy Cup Thu 30 Sep 710m Flat Perry Barr Arena Racing Company St Leger “We have an exciting year of racing ahead of us but it has, unsurprisingly, been a Thu 30 Sep 480m Flat Perry Barr Arena Racing Company Birmingham Cup particularly challenging year to organise. The Open Race Planning Committee is hugely Sat 16 Oct 500m British Pups Towcester BGBF Puppy Cup grateful to ARC, Entain Group, Towcester, to the British Greyhound Breeders Forum and to Fri 22 Oct 575m Flat Romford Coral Champion Stakes all the tracks that have worked on the schedule with us over recent weeks. Sat 23 Oct 942m Flat Towcester 1st Containers Marathon Trophy Sun 24 Oct 476m Bitches Swindon English Oaks “We are pleased to have put together a cohesive schedule with as many opportunities Sat 30 Oct 500m Flat Sheffield Steel City Cup as possible across all categories while avoiding overlaps and clashes wherever Sat 13 Nov 712m Flat Towcester 5% Tote Hunt Cup possible. While significant overlaps have been avoided, any remaining clashes have been Tue 16 Nov 450m Flat Sunderland Arena Racing Company Classic carefully considered and decided to be the best option available. Sat 27 Nov 540m Flat Crayford 2021 Ladbrokes Gold Collar “As in 2020, there has been a slight shift to the second half of the year to understandably Sat 27 Nov 874m Flat Crayford Ladbrokes Cesarewitch allow for stadia to reopen their doors but, following the Prime Minister’s announcement this Mon 29 Nov 500m Flat Nottingham Arena Racing Company Eclipse week, we can all be hopeful that owners and fans will be able to watch their greyhounds Sat 18 Dec 500m Puppies Towcester Puppy Derby from the track before too long.” Sat 18 Dec 515m Flat Brighton & Hove Coral Olympic Sat 18 Dec 500m British Sheffield British Bred Derby Wed 29 Dec 480m Flat Newcastle Arena Racing Company All England Cup CALENDAR 1 GBGB GREYHOUND OF THE YEAR 2020 AWARD WINNERS BEST DAM OF BRITISH BRED 2020 It was a GBGB Awards ceremony with a difference this year, SKATE ON is the GBGB Best Dam of British Bred 2020 – for the as the canine stars of 2020 were celebrated at a special virtual fourth year running. event held and broadcast online on the evening of Sunday 14th February. The one-time Oaks runner-up and star sprinter on the track for Liz The ceremony, hosted by Darrell Williams and Jonathan and Rab McNair has proved one of the outstanding dams of the Hobbs, gave viewers a chance to look back at the racing modern era and a real boost for her owners the K.S.S. Syndicate, highlights of 2020 and the phenomenal performances of led by Brendan Keogh. our sport’s top athletes. This year, the most hotly contested award of the night, the GBGB Greyhound of the Year 2020, Skate On’s offspring amassed 362 points in 2020 with littermates was won by Aayamza Royale, trained by Mark Wallis for the Queen Jessiej (150) and King Drake (75), from a May 2018 batch Ayamzaboys Syndicate. by Leamaneigh Turbo, her top two points-scorers. 2020 GBGB Greyhound of the Year Aayamza Royale The evening was also an opportunity to recognise the hard work and dedication of the trainers, owners and kennelhands Queen Jessiej landed 14 of her 21 starts in 2020, among them winning the Produce Stakes as well as finishing second in the 2020 GBGB Best Dam of British Bred for who care for our canine athletes and ensure they have everything they need to perform at their very best. the fourth year running – Skate On Oaks. King Drake won the BGBF British Bred Midlands Sprint Congratulations to connections of all the nominees and award winners. Trophy and was runner-up in the Kent Silver Salver. For those who missed the live ceremony, or want to replay any key moments, a catch-up recording of the broadcast, with complete versions of every video clip (including the few affected by technical issues on the night) Ten of Skate On’s offspring scored points in 2020, with the likes of older runners such as King is available at www.gbgb.org.uk. Lennon (35) and King Sheeran (27), from her February 2017 litter by the McNairs’ former track star Eden The Kid, also playing their part. The 2020 category Award winners are: BAGS Kennelhand of the Year – Megan Flood The GBGB Best Dam of British Bred award is one which has been dominated by the McNairs and the KSS Syndicate, having also won it in 2016 with Shaws Dilemma. GWA Services to Greyhound Racing – Ben Keith Another of their broods, Queen Asia (199 pts), finished second to Skate On in the 2020 Best Dam GBGB Best Dam of British Bred – Skate On Owners: K.S.S. Syndicate rankings with Kevin Ferguson’s Acomb Ruby (116 pts) a very commendable third. GBGB British Bred Greyhound of the Year – Queen Jessiej Liz Mort, chair of the British Greyhound Breeders Forum, said: Owners: K.S.S Syndicate Trainer: Liz McNair “Our congratulations and thanks to Brendan, Simon (Senyk) and the McNairs – firstly for their dream ARC Graded Greyhound of the Year – Cold Mountain of breeding pups in the UK as good as they had been buying in Ireland – and then for their belief and Owners: William Adamson, Martin Lloyd & Lee Onions Trainer: Paul Sallis, Monmore perseverance in carrying that dream into reality. Special congratulations to Liz and Rab who produce GBGB Newcomer of the Year – Tenpin and train these litters so very well. Owners: Kane Messenger, Michael Olley & Robert Olley Trainer: David Mullins “What can we say about Skate On? What a bitch! We knew she was special on the track – but Ladbrokes Trainer of the Year – Patrick Janssens didn’t realise how special she was going to be! Four of the five finalists in that 2012 Oaks went on to Coral Owner of the Year – K.S.S.