When Star Pelaw announced that they would be adopting the Code of Practice, written by the working party on behalf of stakeholders, I knew I would have to pay the track a visit at the first opportunity. I didn’t have to wait long. An invitation to attend the gala opening night from Kim Sanzone at Star Sports was enough to convince me to make the long trip north with my wife, Tracy.
Prologue
As they leave the house, Ben drags his feet a little. He doesn’t want to go to ‘the dogs’ with his dad. He has no interest in the stupid dogs. But, he is a good boy. He’ll go along for his mum.
He can barely even see over the low wall between the concrete and the grass track at Hove. So, he shuffles backwards, up a couple of steps. He stumbles awkwardly on the crowded, dark and dirty terrace. It’s too noisy.
Ben looks up at his dad and wonders what joy there is in this. Men yell out gruffly in a foreign tongue. Their words are incomprehensible. “6-4 the field!” yells a moustachioed man from under a flat cap. Behind him, fractions are written up on a board next to the names of the greyhounds. Ben knows that these are fractions because he’s studied them at school. Miss says Ben is good at fractions.
Other people are giving the man with the loud voice paper money. Ben knows what paper money is and he likes it. Money buys sweets. And, Ben likes sweets. The shouting stops.
The lights go up and the track is illuminated; a surge of electricity. Something primitive fires deep inside. The crowd falls almost silent and the hare hurtles noisily along its rail like the diesel engine on his train set back at home. A pause. A collective holding of breath. Even the seagulls are speechless.
The traps spring up and six majestic beasts lunge forward in desperate pursuit of the mechanical hare. They flash past him and Ben blinks as the turf flies up. As the dogs round the sandy bend. Ben looks up again wide-eyed at his father. Now, he understands.
The long road north
It’s been a bitterly cold weekend, the coldest this winter by far, and we’ve been driving north for nearly eight hours. The M1 has morphed into the A1(M) and we take the exit at junction 63 for Chester-le-Street and follow the Durham Road a little further north. As we pass The Lambton Worm pub on our left I know, from looking at the map earlier today, that the greyhound stadium is just a stone’s throw away.
However, tonight we take the next right and drive away from the track. It’s 10.30 on Friday night and we’ve arrived in County Durham two days early for Star Pelaw’s gala opening night. I mean, if you’re going to come this far, you might as well make a weekend of it!
Our room is in a grand house with an iron-gated entrance and gravelled driveway. We park up, have a stretch and grab our cases. A giant stone statue of a Mongolian warrior welcomes us menacingly across the threshold and the owner (Peter) emerges from the lounge to greet us into his spectacular house and show us to our room.
Do you want to build a snowman?
Snow covers the ground when we awake on Saturday morning and I can see through the window that it’s still coming down heavily. Meanwhile, cautious drivers make their way painstakingly along glassy ice-white roads. We’ve got a walking tour of Newcastle planned for today. That looks in doubt. However, an hour later after a full English, I’m grateful to see that the snow has stopped and that the snow on the ground is beginning to melt.
We enjoy our walking tour and in the evening we eat at a lively Italian restaurant in Birtley. Throughout the meal I’m itching to know what is happening at Shelbourne Park. It’s the finals night of the Irish Derby and I’m being the dutiful husband and keeping the mobile phone out of sight. When Tracy visits the bathroom though I sneak a peak at the result and watch the race back on my phone. Bockos Diamond has done the job for Graham Holland. What a dog that is by the way.
On Sunday morning we visit the house that Tracy’s grandmother grew up in and we go for a walk in Jesmond Park nearby. Then, we drive through the Tynemouth tunnel and on to South Shields. I remember fondly going to South Shields with my grandmother when I was a kid. Afterwards, on our way back to the hotel, we stop to get a photo of the Angel of The North and our sight-seeing is done.
A night at the dogs
It’s only a short walk from our hotel to the greyhound track and we arrive an hour before the first race. Kim Sanzone, Head of Greyhound Racing Operations at Star Pelaw, is there to greet us as we arrive and she shows us to our table overlooking the finish line. It’s a great view. Kim explains to us that Ben’s train is running a little late but he will be here soon.
As the restaurant begins to fill, I see some familiar faces and we are joined at the table by Clare Hadden and her husband. Clare runs the fb group ‘Your Greyhound’s History’ and is a re-homer for ‘Greyhounds Going Home’ working from Yvonne Bell’s kennel in Sunderland. She is very knowledgeable about racing in the North-East and knows the Pelaw track well.
The small entrance to Star Pelaw leads up and through to the main bar and glass-fronted seating area. To the left of the main bar is the restaurant, where we are sat. At the other end of the building is the owners and trainers bar.
A family night out
When Ben arrives he is quick to praise not only the professionalism of the McKenna’s at Star Pelaw but also the hard working Kim Sanzone. “A huge thanks to Kim Sanzone who has overseen our acquisition of Pelaw and of course the McKenna family.”
Sharing the special evening not only with his daughter Georgina, who had travelled up on the train with him, but also with his father who was among the audience, Ben outlines his vision for the track as a professional and community based venue.
Then, he speaks briefly about how his father got him hooked on greyhound racing – when he was a boy – and how he hopes to have a student night at the track in future. It’s a short speech but a poignant one. As his father stands to acknowledge his son’s words, there is a heartfelt round of applause.
After the second race Ben officially opens the owners and trainers bar. It is dedicated to and named after the former owner of Pelaw, Jeff McKenna, which is a nice touch. It’s an indication already that Star Pelaw has every intention of implementing the code of practice.
A tenner up!
As racing gets underway, we place our bets on the tote at our table. We’re only placing very small forecast bets but we’re soon in the green.
At 435m, Pelaw is one of the shortest tracks on the circuit. It is distinguishable by its long straights and tight bends. The first bend is overlooked by a road-bridge that leads onto the industrial estate and a railway track runs above and parallel to the back straight. Star.bet have branded everything that they can (including the bridge) and there is a nice presentation area and a podium for the recognition of winners.
I base my picks mostly on split times as a decent pitch into the first bend seems as important here as it is on other tight tracks. For dogs with a decent pitch and plenty of pace, there’s time and space to make a move on the long back straight. Over the course of the 14-race meeting, 10 winners come from Traps 5 or 6. This includes the wide running Matty’s Star who wins the Starsports.Bet Stayers Trophy at 28/1.
By the end of the evening, we are a tenner up and we’re both happy with that. The racing has been competitive with some open races to enjoy.
Desserts to die for
The carvery is stunning. Tracy goes for the beef while I opt for the pork. There’s an expansive buffet on offer to ensure no-one goes home hungry and the desserts are to die for. Throughout the evening, the staff are hard-working and friendly. They do a great job of keeping our glasses topped up and making us feel welcome.
During the meeting, I go outside a few times to take some photographs and sample the atmosphere. The regulars are friendly and one asks about my camera equipment. It’s cold up here. I have plenty of layers on to keep me warm. When I get back inside, Clare calls me a southern softy. She’s got a point.
As we head South on Monday we vow to come back again soon. Maybe when it is a little warmer!
