Vol 13 / No 13 2 July 2021 Fortnightly by Subscription calendar Greyhound Commitment Annual Update Latest Open Race Details WAIKIKI RIO in full flight during graded action ahead of heats of the Star Sports and TRC Events & Leisure English Greyhound Derby 2021 as the biggest race in the Photo: Steve Nash calendar continues apace at Towcester Stadium. FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS - WWW.GBGB.ORG.UK Follow GBGB on Twitter @greyhoundboard @gbgbstaff and Instagram and Facebook CATEGORY ONE FINALS Date Distance/type Track Event Sat 10 Jul 500m Flat Towcester Star Sports & TRC Events & Leisure English Greyhound Derby 2021 Tue 20 Jul 500m Puppies Towcester Stadium Bookmakers Juvenile Classic Sat 31 Jul 695m Flat Brighton & Hove Coral Regency Sat 31 Jul 515m Flat Brighton & Hove Coral Sussex Cup Sat 21 Aug 630m Flat Monmore Green Ladbrokes Summer Stayers Classic Sat 21 Aug 480m Flat Monmore Green Ladbrokes Gold Cup Sat 28 Aug 942m Flat Towcester Stadium Bookmakers Marathon Trophy Mon 30 Aug 500m Puppies Nottingham Arena Racing Company Puppy Classic Mon 30 Aug 500m Flat Nottingham Arena Racing Company Select Stakes Tue 7 Sep Tri-Distance Sheffield Gain Greyhound Nutrition 3 Steps to Victory Thu 16 Sep 462m Flat Yarmouth 75th East Anglian Greyhound Derby Sun 19 Sep 480m Produce Swindon 74th British Bred 2-Y-O Produce Stakes Fri 24 Sep 400m Puppies Romford Romford Puppy Cup Sat 25 Sep 500m Bitches Towcester 5% Tote Empress Stakes Thu 30 Sep 710m Flat Perry Barr Arena Racing Company St Leger Thu 30 Sep 480m Flat Perry Barr Arena Racing Company Birmingham Cup Sat 16 Oct 500m British Pups Towcester BGBF Puppy Cup Fri 22 Oct 575m Flat Romford Coral Champion Stakes Sat 23 Oct 942m Flat Towcester 1st Containers Marathon Trophy Sun 24 Oct 476m Bitches Swindon English Oaks Sat 30 Oct 500m Flat Sheffield Steel City Cup Sat 13 Nov 712m Flat Towcester 5% Tote Hunt Cup Tue 16 Nov 450m Flat Sunderland Arena Racing Company Classic Sat 27 Nov 540m Flat Crayford 2021 Ladbrokes Gold Collar Sat 27 Nov 874m Flat Crayford Ladbrokes Cesarewitch Mon 29 Nov 500m Flat Nottingham Arena Racing Company Eclipse Sat 18 Dec 500m Puppies Towcester Puppy Derby Sat 18 Dec 515m Flat Brighton & Hove Coral Olympic Sat 18 Dec 500m British Sheffield BGBF British Bred Derby Wed 29 Dec 480m Flat Newcastle Arena Racing Company All England Cup Published by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain Limited at Genesis House, 17 Godliman Street, London EC4V 5BD Telephone 020 7822 0900 Fax 020 7822 0901 www.gbgb.org.uk Disclaimer for advertising in the GBGB Calendar: Inclusion of an advertisement in this GBGB Calendar does not constitute or imply an endorsement by the GBGB of the advertised goods or services, nor does it constitute or imply any representation that use of the goods or services is in compliance with the Rules of Racing in force from time to time or that the goods or services will be suitable or appropriate for the use described. All persons are reminded that it is their responsibility at all times to comply with the Rules of Racing and reference to any advertisement in the GBGB Calendar will not be a defence to any disciplinary proceedings brought in relation to use of the advertised goods or services. The GBGB hereby excludes to the maximum extent permitted by law any liability arising out of the advertisement or use of any goods or services advertised in this GBGB Calendar. Printed by Orphans Press Ltd., Arrow Close, Enterprise Park, Leominster, Herefordshire, HR6 0LD. Tel: (01568) 612460 Registered at the Post Office as a newspaper No reproduction in part or whole without the express permission of the publisher. The Greyhound Board of Great Britain do not guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in this calendar and undertake no responsibility for errors or omissions or their consequences. GREYHOUND RACING CONTINUES STRONG PROGRESS ON ANIMAL WELFARE DESPITE HARDSHIP OF LOCKDOWN Despite a year of widespread Lockdown measures, the Greyhound Board of Great Britain this week reported on the continued success of its Greyhound Commitment – helping to deliver the highest standards of welfare. As regulator of British licensed greyhound racing, GBGB launched the Commitment in 2018 as the sport’s blueprint for welfare. It sets out how the industry prioritises the health and wellbeing of its greyhounds above all else, alongside driving forwards its world-leading integrity standards and making a significant cultural and economic contribution to communities up and down the country. Of course, GBGB’s latest report is set against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic. As all grassroots sports and activities found, a prolonged period without spectators, participants, income and operation put the future of the sport in doubt. This meant not only a threat to thousands of livelihoods across Great Britain but to the welfare of the sport’s canine athletes, who rely on a thriving sport. It is more remarkable than ever, therefore, that the report shows strong progress towards meeting each of the Greyhound Commitment’s eight pledges. This includes the launch of watershed initiatives for the sport – such as the Greyhound Retirement Scheme, the publication of a Code of Practice for residential kennels and the overhaul of licensing and residential kennel inspections. Together with many others, these measures are having a tangible impact on welfare standards as demonstrated by the injury and retirement data for 2020. This progress represents the efforts of the whole greyhound community to rally together to overcome the worst effects of the pandemic. With emergency financial support from GBGB and the British Greyhound Racing Fund (BGRF), government, owners, trainers, kennels and stadia worked to keep dogs fed, exercised and ready to return to racing as soon as possible. With a comprehensive Covid-19 Operational Policy from GBGB in place, greyhound racing was not only the last sport to operate before the first Lockdown but also the first to reopen successfully last summer. Continued overleaf CALENDAR 1 What does the data show? Despite fears of Lockdown having a detrimental impact on track injuries due to so many weeks away from the track, the year’s data in fact shows a decrease in the number of greyhounds sustaining injuries at GBGB-licensed tracks. Whilst there were fewer runs as a result of Covid, the track injury rate is still lower at 1.12% compared to 1.21% in 2019. The track fatality rate remains consistent with last year at 0.06%; reducing this continues to be a priority for the entire sport going forward. The 2020 figures also show significant improvements in the number of greyhounds being homed on retirement. 95% of greyhounds leaving the sport were successfully rehomed in 2020 – up from 90% in 2019. Importantly, the figures show that the number of greyhounds put to sleep because of the high cost of veterinary treatment has fallen significantly; from 123 in 2019 to 24 in 2020. For the second year running, no greyhounds were put to sleep because no home could be found for them. In 2019, GBGB set itself and the sport the target to halve the number of greyhounds put to sleep because of the high cost of treatment or because no home could be found for them. In 2018, 180 greyhounds were put to sleep for these reasons and, as such, the 2020 data shows that the sport has already met this target. GBGB’s ultimate goal is to eliminate these unnecessary euthanasias entirely. Other key figures have also seen reductions – such as those greyhounds put to sleep because they were designated unsuitable for homing; and overall deaths across the registered greyhound population. The latter includes those who sadly die for reasons that equally affect working and non-working dogs of all breeds, including long-term health conditions and sudden death. Commenting on the progress achieved, Mark Bird, Managing Director of GBGB, said: “When we began to put in place our programme of improvements for 2020, we could have no idea that the Covid-19 pandemic would be the major battle we would face that year – nor that we would still be experiencing the after effects now. It was a hugely challenging year for the UK and for the world, and it really has been through the hard work and fortitude of everyone within greyhound racing that we have pulled through it as an industry and driven further progress through our Greyhound Commitment. “With the March 2020 Lockdown in particular, we saw the detrimental impact that the loss of greyhound racing – albeit temporarily – had on livelihoods across our sport. And the consequences of that on our greyhounds could have been tragic. “But with the emergency financial support we were able to introduce and the efforts of owners, trainers, vets, stadia and our own Stipendiary Stewards, we were able to prevent the very difficult scenarios which we may have otherwise faced. The 2 VOL 13 NO 13 2 JULY 2021 success of these measures is borne out in the 2020 figures and I would like to thank everyone across our sport who acted to maintain the highest standards of care and attention for our greyhounds throughout.” Commenting on the 2020 data, Jeremy Cooper, GBGB Chairman, said: “Whilst the impact of Covid will continue to be felt for some time, everyone can be proud that British greyhound racing continues to be a thriving sport with world-class welfare standards. “The data published demonstrates the success of the Greyhound Commitment and many of the initiatives contained within it. To have achieved such a sharp fall in the number of greyhounds put to sleep on economic grounds is highly commendable and reflects the determination of everyone within the sport to ensure every greyhound enjoys a long and healthy retirement.