Nottingham Greyhound Stadium

Nottingham Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track and stadium on the outskirts of Nottingham, England.

Nottingham Greyhound Stadium
LocationColwick Park,
Nottingham,
Nottinghamshire,
NG2 4BE
Coordinates52.950°N 1.111°W / 52.950; -1.111
OwnerArena Racing Company
OperatorArena Racing Company
Capacity1,500
Field size437 metres (1,434 ft)
SurfaceSand
ScoreboardNone
Construction
Opened24 January 1980
Renovated19 August 2008
Expanded19 August 2008

Races at the course are held on Monday, Friday and Saturday evenings as well as an additional matinée meeting every Tuesday.[1] The circumference of the track is 437 metres (1,434 ft).[1]

Competitions

The stadium holds several competitions annually.

Other major competitions include:

  • The Select Stakes, (500 metres), invitation event
  • The Select Stayers Stakes – July, (730 metres)
  • The Puppy Classic – August, (500 metres), puppy event
  • The Produce Stakes – October, (500 metres), British-bred event
  • The Eclipse – November, (500 metres)
  • The National Sprint – December, {(305 metres)
  • The Guineas (500 metres) (former event)

Origins and opening

In 1970 the White City Stadium in Nottingham closed down leaving the city without greyhound racing. However members of the Severn and Trent greyhound clubs had maintained a presence in the council's thoughts and several years later plans for a new track within the Nottingham Racecourse site began to surface. The site of the racecourse was west of the village of Colwick and the racecourse had been open since 1892.[2]

On 24 January 1980 the Colwick Park greyhound track opened, it was situated on the north side of the racecourse where a car parking area had stood and previous to that it had been an old bed of the River Trent. The circumference of the track was 442 metres and was described as a very good galloping track with long straights and the sand used was Worksop Grey. The Managing Director Jon Carter announced that there were over 2,000 attending the first meeting which consisted of eight races, six over 500m and two over 295m. The first winner was a greyhound called Tartan Al trained by W Horton who won in 32.98sec at odds of 7–1.[2]

History

20th Century

An initial investment of £250,000 included the Panorama Room with a state of the art restaurant and totalisator. The first Racing Manager was Jim Woods,[3] the Director of Racing was Terry Meynell and the first trainers were Bill Horton, Christine Lawlor, A Coppin, T Smith and one Charlie Lister. Another trainer that appeared on opening night was Geoff DeMulder and he joined the track in 1984. Racing took place on Monday, Thursday and Saturday evenings and the nature of the large track soon attracted some of the sports best greyhounds including Scurlogue Champ who broke the track record in October 1985 and then Ballyregan Bob who won two races at Nottingham that formed part of his world record breaking run during November 1985 & April 1986 with the first run creating a new track record. It was also in 1986 that Coventry closed resulting in the Eclipse competition finding a new home at Nottingham. In April 1989 the 'Outside Sumner' hare was replaced by the 'Bramich' and race distances were re-measured as 310, 500, 700 & 747m.[4]

In 1988 Terry Corden took control of Nottingham from Wiseville Ltd, Corden had recently sold Derby Greyhound Stadium and had been successful during the property boom. Racing Manager Jim Woods left to join Monmore Green Stadium and was replaced by Mick Smith before Peter Robinson took over. One of the first tasks of the new owners was to invest in new facilities and in 1989 the track underwent a considerable upgrade.[5]

A new competition introduced to the track in 1990 was the National Sprint, the important race had struggled to find a home since the closure of Harringay Stadium and would be held towards the end of the year and was known as the Peter Derrick Christmas Cracker for a few years. Trainer Dawn Wheatley trained Ayr Flyer, who finished runner-up in the 1994 English Greyhound Derby.

Wembley closed to greyhound racing in 1996 and Nottingham was awarded the prestigious Select Stakes as a consequence in 1997. Trainer Charlie Lister won the 1997 English Greyhound Derby and Scottish Greyhound Derby with Some Picture.[6]

It was voted 'Central Region Racecourse of the Year' by the British Greyhound Racing Board for 1998–1999.[7]

21st Century

The track was voted 'Central Region Racecourse of the Year' by the British Greyhound Racing Board for a second time in 2001–2002.[7] A new kennel range costing £250,000 was introduced in 2003.[8] Stadium owner Terry Corden brought his daughter Rachel and son Nathan into the business and they are now both heavily involved in the running of the track. Another event (the Produce Stakes taken from Hall Green Stadium) came to the track in 2009.[9]

In 2018 the stadium signed a deal with Arena Racing Company (ARC) to race every Monday and Friday evening and a matinée meeting every Tuesday.[10] During 2019 the track was chosen as the new venue for the sport's most famous event, the English Greyhound Derby which switched from Towcester.[11]

In 2020 the stadium was sold by Nottingham Greyhound Stadium Ltd to ARC. The Director of Nottingham Greyhound Stadium Rachel Corden was retained by ARC and appointed ARC Greyhound Operations Director.[12] In 2021 the Derby returned to Towcester following two years at Nottingham.[13]

Track records

Current

Metres Greyhound Time Date Notes
255Skate On[14]14.8418 August 2014
305Target Harris[15]17.342 June 2014
480Swift Hoffman[15]28.0715 July 2014
500Skywalker Logan[16]29.0525 May 2019Derby first round
680Fabulous Shanty[15]41.064 March 2013
730Romantic Rambo[15]44.1115 July 2014
905Festival Time[17]56.4618 November 2014
925Fearsome Liberty[15]57.8618 November 2013
500 HEl Tenor[15]30.7121 June 1999

Former

Extended content
Metres Greyhound Time Date Notes
255Mother Shauna[18]14.8809.06.2014
295Tims Crow[19]17.4524.11.2003
295Laser Beam17.4326.08.2005
300Nervous Paddy17.8124.12.2001
300Hawk I Hunt17.6802.06.2003
305Laser Beam17.7714.11.2005
305Carrib Prince17.7312.12.2005National Sprint heats
305Ningbo Jack17.7312.12.2005National Sprint heats
305Ballydaniel Bozz17.7309.01.2006
305Ballydaniel Bozz17.5720.02.2006
305Ningbo Jack17.5529.05.2006
305Against the Lead17.5518.07.2006
305Against the Lead17.5121.08.2006
305Rotar Wing17.4713.12.2010National Sprint semi-final
305Jumeirah Dubai17.4503.12.2012
310Yellow Jersey18.581989
310Cocktail Darkie18.1804.09.1989
312Fagans Friend18.4124.01.1987
460Myth Maker28.0120.08.1990
460Carmels Prince27.7501.10.1990
460Stop To Conquer27.7520.06.1991
460Almost New27.6631.10.1992
480Tullerboy Lass28.8312.06.2001
480Larkhill Lo28.8226.11.2002
480Baliff Spring28.7127.07.2004
480Pennys Shakira28.6023.07.2007
480Lively Arthur28.5921.08.2007
480Farloe Reason28.3921.12.2007
480Bit View Micko28.3222.10.2012
480Diesel Blue28.3121.01.2013
480Bower Stone28.2530.07.2013
485Sun Ging29.5026.12.1986
485Fearless Ace29.261987
500Holyhill Way30.3510.03.1987
500Drumgoon Swallow30.531989
500Fires of War30.0030.07.1990
500World Wind29.9829.10.1990
500Westmead Merlin29.6517.10.1994
500Droopys Rhys29.7723.04.2001
500Top Savings29.6730.08.2001
500Top Savings29.4314.04.2003
500Droopys Shearer29.3404.08.2003
500Fear Me29.4514.11.2005Eclipse heats
500Shelbourne Rene29.2818.09.2006
500Ballymac Eske29.2822.10.2012
500Ballymac Eske29.2129.10.2012
500Sawpit Sensation [20]29.1628.11.2012Eclipse final
530Decoy Gold32.0316.10.1980
680Ballyregan Bob41.8709.11.1985Part of the 32 world record
680Wailea Flash41.671987
680Wentworth Which41.3609.07.2007
680Aero Rebel41.2619.11.2012
700Hot News44.241989
700Doves Delight43.5018.09.1989
700Mobile Magic43.0628.01.1993
700Lavally Pete43.4329.04.1999
700Sexy Delight42.7311.09.2000
700Top Plan42.6609.06.2003
700Tinrah Lad42.8711.04.2005
722Farloe Bonus42.8924.05.1999
722El Poker45.3828.08.2000
722Farloe Bonus43.7027.11.2000
730Droopys Kenny45.3604.11.2005
730Gunner Black45.0009.01.2006
730Fabulous Sophie44.9930.01.2006
730Blonde Pearl44.1920.02.2006
747Manx Marajax47.031989
747Road Princess46.8727.08.1990
747Penny I Am46.5016.09.1991
747Miss Piggy46.1226.09.1994
754Scurlogue Champ47.3017.10.1985
754Change Guard47.021987
885Ericas Equity56.3219.01.2004
885Lisnakill Cathal55.6827.07.2004
900Easy Field57.7627.08.1990
900Clonbrin Basket57.5211.07.1991
900Clonbrin Basket56.9108.08.1991
900Red Arrow Lady56.7624.10.1991
902Let Us Know57.2511.03.2002
905Ziggy Girl57.5612.01.2004
905Flying Winner56.9920.11.2008
905Art Banksy56.9015.07.2014
905Mays Petal56.5828.10.2014
925Seathwaite Robby58.1320.11.2006
927Limekiln Pearl59.6025.08.1987
937Deenside Fire59.7430.08.1993
485 HDistant Echo30.1524.08.1987
500 HSpeedy Tiger30.9917.10.1985

References

  1. "Track Info: Nottingham Greyhound Stadium". thedogs.co.uk (Greyhound Board of Great Britain website). Greyhound Board of Great Britain. 2009. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  2. Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing, pages 58-61. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 07207-1106-1.
  3. "REMEMBER WHEN: SEPTEMBER". Greyhound Star.
  4. Genders, Roy (1990). NGRC book of Greyhound Racing, pages 49-50. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 0-7207-1804-X.
  5. Barnes, Julia (1991). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File, page 72. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-61-9.
  6. "1997 Derby". Greyhound Derby.com.
  7. British Racing Greyhound Annual 2003. Raceform. 2004. ISBN 1-904317-07-3.
  8. "Remember When - February 2003". Greyhound Star. 2018.
  9. Hobbs, Jonathan (2007). Greyhound Annual 2008, page 194. Raceform. ISBN 978-1-905153-53-4.
  10. "Arc Schedule Released". Greyhound Star.
  11. "Nottingham to stage 2019 English Derby". Greyhound Star. 13 December 2018.
  12. "PRESS RELEASE – ARC CONFIRMS ACQUISITION OF NOTTINGHAM GREYHOUND STADIUM". Greyhound Star.
  13. "Greyhound racing news: Latest updates including 'new' Derby home". Sporting Life. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  14. "2014 track record result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
  15. "Nottingham track records". Greyhound Data. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  16. "25 May heats". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
  17. "2014 Track record result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
  18. "2014 track record result". Greyhound Board of Great Britain. Archived from the original on 3 January 2019. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  19. "Track records". Greyhound Data.
  20. "Betfred Eclipse final". Greyhound Board of Great Britain.
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