Nottingham Stadium extends FREE admission offer to Premier Greyhound Eclipse finals night
A record August bank holiday crowd has prompted Nottingham Stadium to extend its free admission offer to finals night of the Premier Greyhound Racing Eclipse next month.
The Colwick Park venue welcomed more than 900 racegoers trackside to launch its National Greyhound Week celebrations in August with those who attended a fixture in the weeks building up to the event also entitled to a free drink on arrival.
Visitors enjoyed a sparkling 12-race card – including the finals of the Jenningsbet Puppy Classic and Jenningsbet Select Stakes – learnt more about how greyhounds make great pets and met champions of the track from yesteryear including Mickys Barrett and Blue Trooper.
Now, the stadium will operate the same offer when hosting the 69th running of the Premier Greyhound Racing Eclipse on Monday, November 25, where the winner will scoop the £20,000 first prize.
David Evans, General Manager at Nottingham Stadium, described the August offer as a huge success and encouraged those in attendance to book the November date in their calendars.
“The Eclipse is one of UK greyhound racing’s showpiece events,” said David. “The competition has a proud history dating back to before World War II and we’re proud to mark our 37th year hosting the competition next month.
“Feedback received from racegoers old and new following our August bank holiday fixture meant extending our free admission offer to the Eclipse was a no-brainer.
“It’s our way of saying thank you to those who return trackside each year, and an opportunity to encourage new faces yet to experience the thrill of live racing.
“In addition, anyone who attends one of our November fixtures building up to Eclipse finals night can collect a voucher which will entitle them to one free drink on arrival. It’s a limitless offer, and one we encourage people to take advantage of.”
Previous winners of the Eclipse include 1997 English and Scottish Greyhound Derby champion Some Picture, the legendary Ballynennan Moon and more recently Dorotas Wildcat – winner of the 2018 English Greyhound Derby.
Mark Wallis’ Newinn Syd became the competition’s 68th winner last year for the MWD Partnership and finished fourth on his Nottingham reappearance in August in the £12,500 Jenningsbet Select Stakes.
Dave added: “The Eclipse always attracts a quality field.
“Many greyhounds have made their mark in the sport by winning this competition and we’re sure this year will be no exception.”
Free admission tickets for the final of the 2024 Premier Greyhound Racing Eclipse will be available to claim online soon.
In the meantime, racing continues at Nottingham Stadium each week on Monday and Friday evenings with race one beginning at 6.37pm and 6.14pm respectively. Tickets, trackside packages and restaurant availability can be booked by clicking here.
Time Greyhound Nutrition Greyhound of the Month for September
AVONGATE VENUS is the Time Greyhound Nutrition Greyhound of the Month for September after her brilliant victory in the Bet365 Empress Stakes at Towcester.
Trained by Phil Milner for owner Sean O’Connor, the January 22 daughter of Droopys Sydney runs in the second round of the Oaks at Perry Barr tonight.
Last month saw joint winners of the popular monthly award with Richard Rees’s Churchfield Syd and David Mullins’ March On Freddie dividing the vote after their respective big-race wins.
Track Vets Gather For Annual Training Day
On Wednesday, racecourse veterinary surgeons from across the country joined together at Nottingham Greyhound Stadium for the Greyhound Board of Great Britain’s (GBGB) eleventh annual Vet Training Day.
The event, which offered a series of educational sessions with veterinary experts, was an opportunity for vets within the sport to exchange ideas and discuss the latest research and best practice in greyhound care.
Following a welcome from GBGB’s Veterinary Director Dr Simon Gower, the morning began with a session on assessing greyhound behaviour delivered by Dr Sarah Heath FRCVS, a leading veterinary specialist in behavioural medicine. Earlier this year, Dr Heath collaborated with GBGB on a series of in-depth webinars about understanding greyhound behaviour.
GBGB Independent Director Professor Madeleine Campbell then provided an update on the delivery of GBGB’s long term welfare strategy, which was followed by a session on handling any emergency situations involving animals delivered by Dr Emma Punt from the British Animal Rescue and Trauma Care Association.
In the afternoon, Associate Professor of Veterinary Anatomy Dr Richard Payne returned to speak on a range of topics relating to greyhound care, both in the kennel environment and at the racecourse.
Throughout the day, updates were also provided on regulation and the industry more broadly by GBGB’s CEO Mark Bird, Executive Veterinarian Tiffany Blackett and Senior Stipendiary Steward Duncan Gibson, whilst Welfare Manager Paula Beniston spoke to attendees about ongoing homing efforts and responsibilities.
GBGB Executive Veterinarian Tiffany Blackett said:
“It was excellent to see so many vets and industry representatives attending our racecourse Vet Training Day on Wednesday. This annual event provides a perfect forum for those within the industry to share their experiences and continue to develop their skills through sessions from external veterinary experts. We all came away from the day with some really valuable information applicable across all aspects of our work with greyhounds.
“Thank you to the team at Nottingham Stadium for their hospitality, and to all the brilliant speakers for sharing their expertise.”
Simon Gower, GBGB Veterinary Director, said:
“This year’s Vet Training Day was a really good event which was well attended. The presentations were diverse and included regulatory updates, scientific papers and topics related to the Welfare Strategy. As always there was a lot of lively debate and positive input from the delegates
“Special thanks to the speakers who entertained and educated us throughout the day.”
Open Letter Group Representatives – Press Release Update
The group of representatives, headed by George Sell and Phil Milner, will be releasing their next press statement after the late October GBGB board meeting. It is expected that the group will be in a stronger position after that meeting to evaluate the progress that has been made on the issues discussed to date.
