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Post by BVADMIN on Aug 26, 2019 16:12:38 GMT
Trainer Mr Mark WallisThe Monday ColumnSeeking positives and a real future for our sport.....BY MARK WALLISLAST week I hit a major milestone as I celebrated my 55th birthday – I can’t quite believe how quickly the time flies by.
Of course the inevitable thoughts are depressing ones such as how long have I got left in this world and when is it time to retire?
Then I started to ponder, what the hell am I going to do if I do retire and, more importantly, how much money am I going to need to see me through the rest of my life?
Realistically the answers are all right in front of me. I may be 55 but I live life to the full, with 16-hour days at the kennel and on call 24/7 on any days off.
Our kennel and race plans remain as vibrant and busy as when I first took over the reins back in 2005.
The drive to try and achieve as much success as we did back then is still there, while we continue buying pups and breeding new litters not just for next year but the year after, while I also continue to seek owners with the same passion for success as myself.
Most important is having my family right beside me to keep me in check and be a huge part of what I try to achieve.
My wife Sarah (thankfully a few years younger than me!) works harder than ever and my son Daniel, nearly 21 now, is showing the same passion for greyhound racing that I had at his age.
I’m proud to say my daughter Emily (15) is hugely gifted at school and loving everything that’s good about our sport.
As for the mother-in-law, the legend Linda Jones (former champion trainer), well she still kicks my butt from time to time if it’s not going right!
Also, big credit goes to my staff who put 110 per cent effort in for the cause. Looking at all that, I simply can’t retire yet, there’s way too much to look forward to in the future and I believe and sincerely hope for a lot more success to come for Imperial kennels.
The biggest question that needs answering is, are we as a kennel actually going to outlive the sport?
Reading some predictions that suggest we only have five to ten years left before greyhound racing is banned or that there will be no tracks left for our dogs to run due to closures is almost as depressing as thinking I’m only five years away from being 60!
The anti brigade, who are a pain in our rears (but very occasionally justifiably) are gathering speed and support.
It’s a boring fact but we have been saying it for years – the sport just doesn’t get the financial support it needs to address issues that could ultimately see the end of a greyhound racing industry and we just don’t seem to be able to turn this round.
Maybe all we can do is look at the immediate bright spots and hope this catapults us in to a new era of success and longevity.
For instance, Romford’s new stadium, now only two weeks away from a grand opening, is giving everyone a real buzz, while the strong news that Towcester could be reborn and Swindon’s new track being finally finished suggest we are not done yet.
Improvements in welfare issues are made every day and we all know if we are to have a future this is an area where we simply have to be whiter than white.
On the track we seem to have ultra competitive Category One competitions every week and finals of the highest class such as tonight’s Puppy Classic at Nottingham, where we are hoping for a big run from our Antigua Rum.
It is clear to see that a little bit more imagination is needed here to sell the many great spectacles our sport offers up on a regular basis.
We all know the integrity of our sport is second to none hence why it’s beamed to a massive audience around the world and one day I hope we might receive a fair financially payment for what we do.
Maybe if there was slightly less racing and we could somehow improve upon the negative day-to-day boring graded cards that we churn out every three minutes for the off-course betting industry then, just possibly, I could yet celebrate that 60th birthday while rejoicing in how good our sport is and will continue to be in the future.
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Post by BVADMIN on Sept 1, 2019 22:58:35 GMT
Jason Barrasford is live for RPGTV from Romford on Friday
Live RPGTV schedule for the week ahead
all 6pm start
Monday 2nd: Nottingham & Yarmouth In the studio: Tanya Stevenson & Rose Draper, Jason Barrasford reports from Yarmouth on the RPGTV East Anglian Derby heats
Tuesday 3rd: Poole & Sheffield In the studio: Ian Meek, Kaan Hughes & kennelhand Kieran Adams
Wednesday 4th: Peterborough & Sunderland In the studio: Jason Barrasford, Dave Clark & Peterborough expert Jack Jenkins
Thursday 5th: Newcastle & Yarmouth In the studio: Rachel Casey, Jonathan Hobbs & Newcastle expert Lewis Clark
Friday 6th: Nottingham & Romford In the studio: Jason Barrasford & Richard Harkness, Julie Collier reports from Romford on the Champion Stakes final
Saturday 7th: Crayford & Sheffield In the studio: Darrell Williams, Dave Clark & former trainer Tony Johnston
Sunday 8th: Central Park & Poole In the studio: Errol Blyth & Kaan Hughes, Rachel Casey at Central Park....
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Post by BVADMIN on Sept 2, 2019 16:40:41 GMT
It?s going well on the track at least in north-east.....BY JONATHAN KAYGREYHOUND racing in the north-east is certainly in the ascendancy on the track. The Angela Harrison/Jimmy Wright combine is having its usual impressive season, but also doing the business last Monday were Jimmy Fenwick and Harry Williams, who won three finals between them.
Fenwick secured his first top-level victory when the brilliant Ice On Fire made all in Nottingham’s Puppy Classic final, while Williams rolled back the years with a Doncaster/Pelaw double courtesy of Allowdale Bruno and Pond Natalya.
Pond Natalya will no doubt be on view closer to home when the BGBF British Bred Northern Plate starts at Newcastle on Thursday week, the first staging of the £7,500 Category One competition a fitting reward and testament to the strength of British breeding in the area.
But there are clouds on the horizon to say the least, with both Newcastle and Sunderland still going through something of a period of transition following purchase by Arena Racing Company from William Hill a couple of years ago.
Sunderland’s Classic only happened in 2019 due to local owner Kevin Lloyd stepping in and was a scaled-down albeit very welcome version, while the Grand Prix, described by multiple champion trainer Mark Wallis as one of the top two staying events in the calendar, was not staged at all.
And we still await news of the All England Cup and Northern Puppy Derby, not to mention the Laurels, all of which Newcastle traditionally put on in the final three months of the campaign.
There seem to be optimistic noises about the All England Cup, although it is getting a bit tight for the apparently favoured dates of the first three Thursdays in October, and disappointing it has been allowed to come to this.
Newcastle and Sunderland might seem remote to many in the south of England but actually have a massive geographical advantage compared to many other stadia due to the huge size of catchment area they enjoy.
Evidence of that comes from the number of Scottish-based trainers who ply their trade at one or another with Shawfield, currently racing just once a week and without a media rights deal, not actually a closer financially-viable alternative.
As such, the two Arc tracks could be expected to be real flagships for the company’s foray into greyhound racing, but while Sunderland did feel upwardly mobile during the Classic and particularly on final night, the same is not yet true of Newcastle.
Speaking of Shawfield, the imminent loss of racing manager Daniel Rankin will hit Shawfield hard as he has been part of the fixtures and fittings in Glasgow for so long.
His move to Hove, which was finalised last week and will see him relocate a fortnight hence, is going to be a culture shock both for him but also those staff and trainers he will inherit at the Sussex track.
The remit for a racing manager at Shawfield was a strong character was required and you don’t survive as long as Rankin did in Glasgow without having that trait and probably also some of the unique ‘diplomacy’ skills of the city.
They may serve him well as he wrestles with a vociferous but perhaps minority who seem steadfastly against this year’s introduction of the 490m trip, chatter about which is in danger of overshadowing all the good work done with the refurbishment of the main stand and restaurant there.
Sister-venue Romford has undergone an even bigger transformation following the unavoidable requirement to switch from the former, basically condemned, main stand to the other side.
A soft launch this weekend was reported to have gone well and it is all systems go for a full opening this Friday for the start of what promises to be the month of months at London Road, with the Coral Champion Stakes, TV Trophy and Puppy Cup all on the agenda.
Even then there are dissenting voices with a number of local owners grumbling about not getting enough graded runs for their greyhounds – surely an almost unique occurrence in the current climate - while the new SIS camera position clearly does not thrill all.
Complaints are actually a good thing, though, because greyhound racing’s biggest enemy is apathy. As long as those complaints are, in the main, constructive of course.
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Post by BVADMIN on Sept 9, 2019 8:12:28 GMT
Dave Clark reports live from Romford on TV Trophy night on Friday ..
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Post by BVADMIN on Sept 16, 2019 8:17:38 GMT
Jonathan Hobbs will be reporting live from the final of the RPGTV East Anglian Derby on Thursday.Live RPGTV schedule for the week ahead.[/size] All 6pm startMonday 16th: Nottingham & Yarmouth In the studio: Jason Barrasford, Richard Harkness & Pat Cooney
Tuesday 17th: Poole & Sheffield In the studio: Phil Donaldson, Jonathan Kay & journalist Chris Oliver
Wednesday 18th: Peterborough & Sunderland In the studio: Ian Meek, Tony Bullen & punter Gary Mehegan
Thursday 19th: Newcastle & Yarmouth In the studio: Darrell Williams & Dave Clark, Jonathan Hobbs at Yarmouth for the RPGTV East Anglian Derby final
Friday 20th: Nottingham & Romford In the studio: Errol Blyth, Ali Brown & Rob Abrey from the Hove racing office
Saturday 21st: Crayford, Sheffield & Shelbourne Park In the studio: Tanya Stevenson, Jonathan Hobbs & Carly Philpott. Includes coverage of the Irish Derby final.
Sunday 22nd: Central Park & Poole In the studio: Rachel Casey, Rose Draper & kennelhand Joe Conneely
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Post by BVADMIN on Sept 23, 2019 7:55:06 GMT
Jason Barrasford reports live from Newcastle's Northern Plate final meeting on Thursday.Live RPGTV schedule for the week ahead....All 6pm startMonday 23rd: Nottingham & Yarmouth In the studio: Rachel Casey, Dave Clark & Craig Samuels, assistant to Yarmouth trainer Erica Samuels
Tuesday 24th: Poole & Sheffield In the studio: Jason Barrasford, Rose Draper & Brett Williams
Wednesday 25th: Peterborough & Sunderland In the studio: Errol Blyth, Jonathan Hobbs & owner John White
Thursday 26th: Newcastle & Yarmouth In the studio: Tanya Stevenson, Tony Bullen & owner John McCallum, Jason Barrasford at Newcastle for the BGBF Northern Plate final
Friday 27th: Nottingham & Romford In the studio: Julie Collier & Kaan Hughes, Darrell Williams at Romford for the Puppy Cup final
Saturday 28th: Crayford & Sheffield In the studio: Errol Blyth, Tony Bullen & Jamie Norris from the GBGB
Sunday 29th: Central Park & Poole In the studio: Ian Meek, Ali Brown & owner Billy Boyle.....
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Post by BVADMIN on Sept 30, 2019 8:37:20 GMT
Jonathan Hobbs will be reporting live from Central Park on Sunday...
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Post by SALFORD GIRL on Oct 7, 2019 10:28:27 GMT
Nottingham trainer Anna Thompson guests on Monday nightLive RPGTV schedule for the week ahead.... All 6pm startMonday 7th: Nottingham & Yarmouth In the studio: Errol Blyth, Dave Clark & Nottingham trainer Anna Thompson
Tuesday 8th: Poole & Sheffield In the studio: Darrell Williams, Ali Brown & Sheffield trainer Carl Perry
Wednesday 9th: Peterborough & Sunderland In the studio: Tanya Stevenson, Jonathan Hobbs & Peterborough trainer Paul Steward
Thursday 10th: Newcastle & Yarmouth In the studio: Ian Meek, Richard Harkness & former bookmaker Steve Allen
Friday 11th: Nottingham & Romford In the studio: Rachel Casey, Tony Bullen & Romford trainer David Mullins
Saturday 12th: Crayford & Sheffield In the studio: Julie Collier, Kaan Hughes & owner Frank Jackman
Sunday 13th: Central Park & Poole In the studio: Jason Barrasford, Kaan Hughes & kennelhand Andy Tyson
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Post by BVADMIN on Oct 15, 2019 7:44:01 GMT
Former trainer Lorraine Sams is the studio guest on FridayLive RPGTV schedule for the week ahead......All 6pm startMonday 14th: Nottingham & Yarmouth In the studio: Errol Blyth, Tony Bullen & Nottingham trainer Laurence Tuffin
Tuesday 15th: Poole & Sheffield In the studio: Phil Donaldson, Richard Harkness & Brett Williams
Wednesday 16th: Peterborough & Sunderland In the studio: Jason Barrasford, Jonathan Hobbs & commentator Pat Kelly
Thursday 17th: Newcastle & Yarmouth In the studio: Julie Collier, Dave Clark & Yarmouth expert Dean Bowman
Friday 18th: Nottingham & Romford In the studio: Jason Barrasford, Jonathan Kay & former trainer Lorraine Sams
Saturday 19th: Crayford & Sheffield In the studio: Darrell Williams, Ali Brown & Sheffield expert Rob Crawford
Sunday 20th: Central Park & Poole In the studio: Tanya Stevenson, Jonathan Hobbs & Pat Cooney
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Post by BVADMIN on Oct 15, 2019 21:26:22 GMT
Sport is lagging when it comes to racecards....BY DARRELL WILLIAMSSOMEONE on a Facebook group I follow has recently been posting pages from historic greyhound racecards, which got me thinking that the style of the card has changed very little through the years.
In 2019 we still have the ‘one size fits all’ racecard, which while it does the job would not be the first-choice format for everyone who uses it.
Nowadays the racecards are produced using the Formnet system, which is owned and operated by Bags, funded by payments from the tracks and is in universal use across the industry.
Among its current development priorities, which include full integration with the IGB for transfer of data and automation of daily inputs required by the GBGB, is the introduction of customised racecards that can be tailor-made to the requirements of its users.
Some track promoters, for example, are keen to introduce a slicker quick racecard for casual and social racegoers so as not to bog them down with unnecessary formlines and data that they do not require.
This could be as simple as a double-sided A4 sheet listing just the basic ‘runners and riders’ potentially saving tracks plenty in printing costs.
On a personal note it baffles me how few tracks provide spotlight-type comments used on cards aimed at the typical Saturday night crowd. Make them punny, as per the old Greyform style, and it might entice the racegoer to strike an extra bet. Similarly, a tipping 1-2-3 on those weekend cards – ideally from two or three different ‘correspondents’ – also serves as an excellent way to generate more interest in the next race.
Some overseas customers are keen to have access to greyhound’s racing weight at kennelling and a new initiative currently on trial at Newcastle will allow racing officials to input that information directly from the paddock, which would then be made instantly available to interested parties.
These developments when complete will also flag up potential eligibility errors when racecards are being produced, for example an open-race winner being entered for a maiden open.
Of course, as far as the racecards are concerned not everyone wants less information. For some of us it’s a case of the more the better. As a long-time US horseracing connoisseur one of its main draws originally was the seemingly endless amount of information I had on the runners’ career stats.
And that’s without even mentioning split times at four points during the race, something on the greyhound front that Towcester developed and could surely have been rolled out at other tracks if the desire was there.
YET all these years later in terms of a greyhound’s history the only data on the card is the number of races and finishing record.
Admittedly using the excellent greyhoundbet.racingpost.com website I can sort a greyhound’s career record by track, distance, grade etc, but if I want to know, say, what a dog’s career strike-rate is in all opens when drawn trap three, or whether it’s faster at Newcastle than Sheffield, I have to calculate it.
That’s a far cry from if I wanted to dissect similar information as a horseracing punter where racingpost.com allows me to filter and sort every conceivable piece of data pertaining to a race or runner that I could ever need.
On the presumption that I am not the only one wanting an all-you-can-eat type of greyhound racecard it surprises me no-one has seen fit to introduce one.
Imagine at a glance being able to determine how effective a dog was in the daytime compared to under lights, or its optimum going requirements.
Throw in the equivalent stats for the trainer (or even owner) and we’re on a winner, or at least you would like to think you’d have a better chance of finding one.
Of course, a fully interactive racecard where one click could direct you to a video of any previous race or trial of your choosing would be even better. I believe it’s something that exists privately, but it’s something I suspect we may have to wait for a little longer.
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