2016 BAGS CHAMPIONSHIP / TEAM 'BELLE VUE' THREAD.....

[BVADMIN]

LOOKING AHEAD TO THE 2016 BAGS CHAMPIONSHIP.

'IF' Team 'BELLE VUE' are ever going to win a BAGS Championship final we need regular sprint graded races and even more important regular graded races over the 670m trip on our weekly race cards at the ZOO.

In my opinion this is the area where we can't take on the likes of Towcester and Newcastle.

Plus of course more planning is needed by our Team Manager and trainers round about June in order to go to war in this yearly competition..

Team 'BELLE VUE' did great reaching the final again in 2015 but we must improve and in truth take the bull by the horns this time around.

'IF' the BV Grader does put on a more variety of races on our weekly race cards then I'm sure plenty of owners would love to own proper sprinters and stayers.

PLUS in an ideal world I think it would be benefit if we could attract a current high profile open race trainer to become attached to the ZOO just like what Towcester and Newcastle have on board with Mark Wallis and Jimmy Wright.

OVER TO YOU BELLE VUE RACING OFFICE TEAM & CONTRACT TRAINERS...

[BVADMIN]

BAGS has thrown the Track Championship doors wide open this year offering all UK tracks outside of the betting shop service a chance to qualify for the showcase Grand Finals Day in December. This means defending champions Towcester is now able to defend its crown.



A one-off pre-qualifying competition is set to be staged at Sheffield on the first Tuesday night in May, and will be shown live on Bags, with the two highest scoring teams put through to the competition proper, jointly sponsored by Bags and SIS.



Two slots have been set aside in the group stages, which will be drawn up following the Sheffield showdown.



Scott Harvey, Bags race programme controller, said yesterday: “We wanted to give every track in the land the chance to take part. After all it is the sport’s biggest team event, and we don’t want to leave anyone out. Those tracks licensed by the Greyhound Board, but who do not form part of the Bags service, now have the opportunity to take part this year. Two teams from the May 3 pre-qualifier at Sheffield will join the others in the competition’s group stages when it gets underway in October.”



A Tuesday night is seen as best given Sheffield’s existing regular opens, and the streaming interest which has built up there. Harvey added: "We want it done and dusted before the Derby starts [due to begin the following night on Wednesday May 4]. Then we can draw up the groups, and roll the thing out so everyone knows where they stand with the competition this year well in advance, rules etc."



The Sheffield qualifier will comprise of four races: a 280m sprint, then 480m, 500m plus a stayers over 660m. The make-up will depend on how many tracks actualy take part, but they will all be six-runner races with tracks doubling up with runners in some races, to be decided by drawing lots. If there were say four tracks involved, each would have two runners in two races. Points will then be taken from the highest scorer.



Last year’s champions Towcester have already accepted, along with Pelaw Grange, Henlow and Harlow. Mildenhall declined the offer, while Shawfield will make a decision on their participation after Saturday's RPGTV Scottish Derby final.



Harvey has also discussed the position of Wimbledon with its management, but explained the uncertainty there would need to be quickly cleared up.



For greyhounds to be eligible, they must have competed in five graded races at their home track and cannot have won more than one open race in 2016, but can have won more than one in 2015. Prize money for each race will be £300 to the winner, £100 second, £75 others. There will also be ten per cent extra prize money for trainers.



Harvey continued: “We appreciate that for Shawfield to take part it would mean big journeys for their trainers, and that’s understandable. However it’s a great track and hopefully they can, otherwise we will see who comes out best from Harlow, Henlow, Pelaw Grange, and Towcester. Harlow, Henlow and Towcester are all RPGTV regulars, so there will also be plenty of interest from viewers around their favourite greyhounds.



“These tracks who week in, week out, do their best to provide quality racing for their regulars now have their chance. And with any luck the Sheffield pre-qualifier will further add to the team spirit and excitement which the Track Championship generates every year.”



There will eventually be four groups of five tracks as before, and although 2016 details remain to be confirmed, last year’s group winners received £3,000, runners-up £2,000, £1,000 third. Four group winners qualified for the Track Championship finals staged at Perry Barr, along with two highest scoring runners-up. The overall winning track (Towcester) received £15,000, split between the winning trainers and subsequent prize-money. Runners-up Newcastle got £10,000, with £7,500 for the third (Hall Green). The other tracks in the final were Romford, Monmore and Belle Vue.



This year's final is the Friday afternoon before Christmas and will again be shown live on Sky Sports.



Points are scored 10,7,5,3 2 and 1 according to order of finish in all races, including the new qualifying round.



Trap draws for the Sheffield pre-qualifier will be made at the Greyhound Board offices in the week beforehand.

[BVADMIN]

Scott Harvey: Bags race programme controller


Four tracks feature in Championship qualifier



By Jonathan Hobbs of the Racing Post



TOWCESTER effectively begins its defence of the Bags/SIS Track Championship trophy as part of a four-track qualifier for non-Bags tracks at Sheffield on May 3. The champions take on Henlow, Harlow and Pelaw Grange.

Wimbledon and Shawfield declined the opportunity to take part in the four-race event, from which the two highest-scoring teams will make it through to the event proper, starting in October.

Scott Harvey, Bags race programme controller, said yesterday: “We wanted to give every track every possible chance of making the Bags/SIS Track Championship line-up for 2016.

“However, there has been no definite confirmation that Wimbledon will be granted an extension to race beyond June 18, and the travelling involved for Shawfield’s trainers was probably a factor in them not taking part.”

The Sheffield showdown will comprise races over 280m, 480m, 500m and 660m, with each track supplying a runner apiece and ‘doubling up’ in two of the races, the draw for which was made yesterday at the GBGB.

[BVADMIN]

Chris Page: Towcester's racing manager, three wins for his team




Towcester and Henlow safely through qualifier




By Jim Cremin of the Racing POST



TOWCESTER, the defending Bags/SIS track champions, are through the qualifying round held at Sheffield on Tuesday night, taking three of the four races. Henlow, who won the opener, safely go through too in second and will also take part in the competition proper later this autumn.

The Towcester winners were Paul Philpott's Boyles Bolt in the sprint, Mark Wallis's Mac's On Storm over 500m and then Patrick Janssens' Harrys Gamble romped the 660m.

Quivers Bliss led at the first for Henlow's Tracy Stowe in the 480m

Philpott, delighted with his sprint winner Boyles Bolt. said: "It's great for Team Towcester to have the chance now to defend our crown.

"The lads here tonight have really enjoyed it and thanks to Sheffield for their hospitality.

"Roll on October!" he said.

Scores: Towcester 45, Henlow 36, Pelaw 21, Harlow 10

[BVADMIN]

Really pleased to hear the Belle Vue grader is going to introduce some graded sprint races onto our weekly race cards in the build up for this years Bags Championship..

WELL DONE THE BV RO TEAM...

[SALFORD GIRL]

Still no sign of any 260m / 670m graded races on our weekly race cards at Belle Vue.

It won't be that long now before the start of this years Bags Championship's

[BVADMIN]

Dominic Ford new chairman of Bags also MD Roar! Betting




Dominc Ford: Bags chairman is proud to back
the exciting team event



Open stars offered a Championship chance


BY JIM CREMIN OF THE RACING POST



THE sixth staging of the annual Bags/SIS Track Championship will start at Crayford on Thursday, September 8 and gets an injection of star appeal.

Revealing the inclusion of a new Elite Standard, which is open to multiple open-race winners who have also had the required five graded races at the track, Scott Harvey of Bags said: “We can now expect to see some of the big guns of the open scene in the mix.”

A series of qualifying races within four groups will be staged on a similar basis to last year, with the home track supplying two runners with one apiece for visitors.

The Elite Standard will be an extra race, meaning there is now seven instead of six races in qualifiers (winners get £300), with an extra £21,000 in prize-money being spent, including new team prizes as well for the fourth, fifth and six in the Grand Final.

Group winners get £3,000, runners-up £2,000, with the third track £1,000. Four regional winners plus the two highest scoring runners-up go through, when each Grand Final race is worth £1,000.

Finals day is Friday, December 23 and will be run at a neutral venue and televised live on Sky Sports in a three-and-a-half-hour show on a day when there is no UK horseracing.

The overall winning team will scoop £15,000 to be split between winning trainers and Bags prize-money at the track. The runner-up collects £10,000, and the team finishing third £7,500. This year the fourth now gets £4,000, fifth £2,000 and sixth £1,000.

“Team spirit undeniably powers this competition,” added Harvey. “It is second to none. Ask anyone who was at Perry Barr for finals day or watching live on Sky. Towcester’s joy and elation in lifting the title was one of the highlights of the year. Now everyone wants to take them on, with home advantage or otherwise, and the wraps are ready to come off.”

Towcester are back thanks to winning a pre-qualifier at Sheffield with this year’s new kids on the block, Henlow, in second to secure its group stage place. They join the other 18 tracks on the Bags service.

Harvey added: “We wanted to offer every track the chance to take part, and Henlow and Towcester have seized their opportunity via the pre-qualifier.”

Ten per cent of all prize-money from the qualifying rounds and finals will again be paid to trainers. The qualifying events comprise a sprint, one standard race for dogs, bitches and one unrestricted, plus the new Elite Standard for open-class dogs, a youngsters race, and one stayers race.

Total value of the competition, including prize-money, trophies, travel allowances etc, will be in the region of £250,000.
Bags chairman Dominic Ford said: “We’re delighted to be sponsoring the only team event in greyhound racing and hope this attracts as much interest from trainers and owners as we have had in the previous years.”

Gordon Bissett, greyhound operations manager of SIS, added: “It’s refreshing we can still come up with a few improvements year on year.
“The tracks themselves have prompted most of the changes, and it’s encouraging that so many racing managers, trainers and owners want to have an input into how the qualifying meetings are staged, and what kind of shape the Track Championship should have on finals day.”

Kevin Ackerman, Towcester’s chief executive, said: “We’re looking forward to defending our Track Championship win. That afternoon at Perry Barr last December was magical, the team spirit and camaraderie amazing.”

There have been five different winners in the history of the event: 2015 Towcester (at neutral Perry Barr); 2014 Peterborough (at neutral Nottingham); 2013 Sheffield (at Sheffield); 2012 Newcastle (at neutral Perry Barr) and 2011 Monmore (at Monmore).




The regions and dates of matches


The North

Sunderland, Tuesday, September 13th (afternoon)
Belle Vue, Wednesday, October 5th (aft)
Newcastle, Saturday, October 22nd (aft)
Kinsley, Sunday, November 13th (aft)
Sheffield,Tuesday, November 29th (eve)

The South

Crayford, Thursday September 8th (aft)
Romford, Thursday September 29th (aft)
Hove, Friday October 14th (aft)
Poole, Saturday November 5th (aft)
Sittingbourne, Sunday November 26th (eve)

The East

Nottingham, Monday September 19th (eve)
Peterborough, Saturday October 8th (eve)
Doncaster, Friday October 21st (eve)
Yarmouth, Monday November 7th (eve)
Henlow, Sunday, November 27th (eve)

The West

Towcester, Friday September 9th (eve)
Swindon, Friday September 23rd (AM)
Perry Barr, Sunday October 9th (aft)
Monmore, Monday October 31st (aft)
Hall Green, Monday November 21st (AM)




Four regional winners and two highest scoring runners-up to a neutrally-sited Grand Final on Friday December 23
(all ten races live on Sky).






PRESS RELEASE:
www.bagsracing.com/bags-press-releases.html

[george36]

It would seem that last years success in getting to the final has not inspired the racing office. As on this thread as early as January the point was made about sprints and staying races being introduced , but with 6 weeks to the first fixture nothing has happened. With the introduction of Sheffield into the group and a new elite race it will no doubt prove even harder to qualify, have the racing office thrown the towel in already ?
The racing office should be looking to be as competetive as possible.No doubt the trainers and racing offices at  Newcastle and Sheffield are already planning, would seem not the case at Belle Vue .

[Vegas]

Silly really, belle vue couldn't say for certain who the best 2&6 bend dogs are (could guesstimate). Should of had a few sprint grade races and 670m. I think the best way would of been to have some races in every category. Bitches/puppies/sprints/stayers to see who are best in each categories are.

[paul45]

Track Championship Rules 2016

Distances for the group events are:-
1 x Sprint
1 x Standard (Mixed)
1 x Elite Standard (open to the best dogs at the track, even if they have won more than one open this year)
1 x Standard (Dogs)
1 x Standard (Bitches)
1 x Standard (Youngsters)
1 x Stayer
NB The same distance is to be used for “Standard” races at a track.
Where insufficient distances exist, i.e. lack of a Sprint distance, then an additional Standard distance may be staged, by prior approval of BAGS only
Distances for the Final events are:-
1 x Sprint
1 x Standard (Mixed)
1 x Elite Standard
2 x Standard (Dogs)
2 x Standard (Bitches)
1 x Standard (Youngsters)
2 x Stayer
FOR the qualifying rounds each track shall supply one greyhound for each race, with exception of the home team who shall supply two. Dual representation by a trainer in any event is not permitted. It should be determined before commencement of the competition which track a trainer is to represent.
TO be eligible for the competition each greyhound (except youngsters), at closing time for entries for each qualifying event, and entered for the advance card, must have completed a minimum of five graded races at its attached track. Greyhounds (except Elite Standard dogs/bitches) that have won no more than one open race in the UK in 2016 are eligible for inclusion. Any greyhound who at the start of the competition has won one open, but goes on to win another open during the Track Championship, will be ineligible.
GREYHOUNDS competing in the Elite Standard must have completed a minimum of five graded races at its attached track, and to be eligible can have won two or more open races in 2016.
YOUNGSTERS eligibility is that pups must have completed a minimum of two graded races at its attached track.
IN THE FINALS each track shall supply one greyhound for each race. Each finalist must have at least one line of form from a group event. In the event that a dog is withdrawn on the run up to finals day, and no replacement with a line of form can be found, a greyhound which was originally nominated as a reserve for a qualifying event can be used only by prior and explicit permission of BAGS.
HOST tracks must give at least 7 days’ notice, to include distances, race times and kennelling times, to the other competing tracks, GBGB and BAGS of the races that will be scheduled.
TRACKS can be represented by different greyhounds in each event, but each greyhound must meet the qualifying conditions. Each greyhound must achieve the qualifying conditions for each event. It must be determined before commencement of the competition which greyhounds will represent which trainer. Once the competition starts, no greyhound can be transferred to another trainer representing the same team.
EACH greyhound shall be seeded at the time of entry into any race. The seeding of any greyhound may be revised if it is subsequently entered at another track. BAGS reserve the right to ask for a redraw of any qualifying race if there is an issue over seeding.
ALL tracks must accept requirement from a visiting track for middle seed(s).
RESERVES should be available until the “Final” card for a meeting is published, following this the replacement of a withdrawn greyhound(s) will be permitted at the time of kennelling, but teams must notify the track and BAGS in advance of all such reserves.
EACH TRACK must nominate their Team Captain and inform BAGS at least two weeks before the start of the competition, including contact details.
ALL tracks must advise BAGS and the host track of the greyhounds and reserves that will represent them in each category by noon two days preceding the actual fixture at the very latest.
TRAP draws will be made at the GBGB offices. It is the responsibility of the host track to advise all visitors of the deadline for participants, to meet PA Sport and SIS deadlines.
RACING MANAGERS must undertake to make every effort to facilitate trial requests. If there are any issues, as regards of availability of suitable trialling facilities, team captains must inform BAGS. Any track unable to facilitate trial requests may be penalised.
THE outcome of each qualifying event shall be determined by the number of points scored, on the following basis:-
1st 10 points, 2nd 7 pts, 3rd 5 pts, 4th 3 pts, 5th 2 pts, 6th 1 pt.
GREYHOUNDS entering the traps but not completing the course score one point.
NON-RUNNERS score zero points.

ANY greyhound producing a positive outcome to any GBGB integrity sampling during the competition will be deemed ineligible for further involvement in the Track Championship, and all points gained from the date of the positive outcome, including the date in question, will deducted from the team total points.
A GREYHOUND DISQUALIFIED for aggressive interference is automatically placed last and scores zero points; with the other runners promoted in the finishing order for points scoring purposes.
IN a race resulting in a dead heat, the points will be split between the runners affected.
IN the event that two teams are equal on points at the end of the group heats, the team with the greater number of Group winners will be declared the group winner. The winner in each group will go through to Finals Day on Friday, December 23rd. The two highest scoring runners up from the groups will also go through. In the event of a tie on points, the runners up with the greatest Group wins will go through.
RACE times for all heats and finals will be advised by BAGS.
IN the event of a race(s) during the heats or final being made void and not rerun, the points scored in the races run will stand, with the void race(s) discounted. If a meeting staging a group leg is cancelled, an attempt will be made for it to be restaged at the first available opportunity, but if this is not possible the scores from the other legs will stand for calculation of the group teams qualifying for the Final. Should the Track Championship Finals Day be cancelled, it will be rescheduled for a suitable date as soon as is practical.