Post by BVADMIN on Oct 27, 2022 7:40:55 GMT
Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks Final:
Q&A with Martin Seal, Perry Barr Racing Manager
Q&A with Martin Seal, Perry Barr Racing Manager
The £20,000 Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks continues on Thursday evening with the climax of the competition which is live on Sky Sports Racing.
You can watch the final live at 9.11pm with six bitches bidding to etch their name into sporting folklore.
Patrick Janssens looks to hold a strong hand in the contest with three of the sextet. They include Empress Stakes heroine Fabulous Azurra who is unbeaten in the competition and looks a worthy favourite. Another unbeaten bitch for Janssens in the competition so far is Slick Sakina and she looks sure to give her kennelmate a stiff test. Global Prima, who also impressed in her semi-final, completes the Janssens triumvirate.
The three others runners in the final are the Kevin Hutton-trained Westwell Emer, Belinda Green’s Bonjour Bullet and Barrie Draper’s Distant Emma.
A man who is sure to be busy this week is Martin Seal who is the Racing Manager at Perry Barr. We spoke to Martin about how he got involved in greyhound racing, his role as Racing Manager and much more in his Q&A below.
1. Tell us a little about your background and your career to date.
I was born and grew up in Abbey Wood, South London, leaving school to work in the insurance industry followed by a spell with a building society in the City. I moved to Northampton and then Milton Keynes in the late nineties, before relocating to Birmingham with my then job as a dealer for a stockbroker. I currently live in Great Barr, not far from Perry Barr Stadium, and have been married to Anita for seven years. I have three stepchildren, one granddaughter and seven cats!
2. How did you come to work in the greyhound industry?
I had become a greyhound owner at Catford Stadium whilst living in London, and this trend followed me as I moved around the country, owning and racing dogs at Milton Keynes Stadium. Whilst working at the stockbrokers, I decided to get an additional part time job, and wrote to the Racing Manager at Hall Green Stadium in South Birmingham, who gave me a job as a Paddock Steward. A spell in the Hall Green racing office followed soon after, and I was later headhunted to join Perry Barr as Deputy Racing Manager. The rest is history.
3. You’re now the racing manager at Perry Barr. What does your role entail?
The main role of the Racing Manager is to compile race meetings, usually comprising twelve six dog races, each race for greyhounds of similar ability, which are then broadcast to the country's betting shops on the TRP (The Racing Partnership) roster and also online around the world. We endeavour to produce competitive racing whilst rotating the greyhounds on the racing strength to ensure each greyhound enjoys regular racing to maintain their fitness and enthusiasm.
4. Explain why a career in the greyhound industry is so rewarding.
Greyhounds are such wonderful animals, and there are few better sights than a greyhound in full flight. Greyhounds are natural athletes who are born to run, and although some are faster than others, each greyhound has its own level where it can compete alongside others. Greyhounds also have a wonderful nature, and make fabulous pets.
5. Thursday sees one of the highlights of the calendar with the final of the Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks. Tell us about the history of the race and its association with Perry Barr?
The Oaks is the premier event in the calendar for bitch greyhounds, showcasing the best of their generation to the wider world. The Greyhound Derby and Oaks represent the pinnacle of the sport, and it is every owner’s dream to have a runner in these prestigious events. First run at White City Stadium, West London in 1927, the Oaks gained classic status in 1939, and the competition has always attracted the cream of the crop, the very best bitches in the land putting their reputations on the line in search of classic glory. Following its White City tenure, which included a spell when the event was suspended during the Second World War, the Oaks was staged at Harringay Stadium from 1959 until 1987, and then at Wimbledon Stadium until 2012. In recent years, the Oaks has been staged at Belle Vue in Manchester, and also Swindon, before finding its current home at Perry Barr in 2021.
6. What do the next few days look like for you ahead of the Oaks Final and what is your role on the evening?
The last few days have seen the final preparations made for the big night, with entries for the supporting races taken, collated and published. There will be a special souvenir programme on the night, with contributions from faces within the industry, and connections of the winners of all open races on the night will receive a superb trophy, with the Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks and Arena Racing Company Scurry Gold Cup winners also receiving a presentation jacket. My role on the evening will be to ensure all the greyhounds are identified, weighed in and kennelled correctly in advance of the meeting, and then I will oversee the running of the pre-meeting trial session as well as the race meeting itself, alongside my Deputy Racing Manager, ensuring all GBGB rules and regulations are adhered to.
7. What does it mean to everyone at the track to stage such prestigious competitions like the Oaks?
As I mentioned earlier, it is an absolute privilege to stage the Oaks something which every other track in the country would love to do, and there has been a real buzz about the place over the past few weeks as the greyhounds make their preparations and the heats and semi-finals take place.
8. Are there any special preparations you make for the stars of the show - the greyhounds themselves - ahead of such a big race night?
Every race meeting is important to every greyhound, so we will continue to make sure everything is in place for the big night, hoping to put on a great show for the greyhounds themselves, the owners, trainers and viewing public. Greyhounds running in the later races on the card will have the opportunity to be kennelled at a later time in the evening, thus ensuring they arrive fresh and well for their respective races.
9. For those who might not have been racing at Perry Barr before, explain why a day/night out at the dogs is such great entertainment.
A night out at Perry Barr Stadium is a fabulous evening and great value for money, and is the ideal way to get together with friends and family for a fun night. There are numerous food and drink packages to suit every budget, all backed up with twelve exciting races, and the opportunity to win a few quid, if you're lucky!
10. Birmingham is a city with a rich sporting heritage. Just how important is greyhound racing to the people of the city?
Birmingham may be known as the 'second city', but it has always had a long association with the sport of greyhound racing, and continues that theme to the present day. With Perry Barr now staging the Premier Greyhound Racing St Leger and Oaks, as well as the Category 1 M Lambe Construction Birmingham Cup, Arena Racing Company Laurels, and the Category 2 Arena Racing Company Scurry Gold Cup, the track boasts an enviable portfolio, and is ideally situated to attract the best greyhounds from all over the country.
11. Have you had many famous faces come to Perry Barr over the years? Any particular favourite stories of special guests you’ve welcomed recently?
Being located close to Villa Park, Perry Barr has welcomed the Aston Villa Former Players for their annual events on many occasions, and these were very popular with the local patrons. Recent times have seen former world cruiserweight boxing champion and Sky Sports analyst Johnny Nelson pay us a visit, Johnny proving most popular with customers and staff alike, taking the time to pose for many photos. We've also had the pleasure of a visit from PDC darts world champion Gerwyn Price when the PDC was in town for its Premier League fixture. Gerwyn is a well known greyhound enthusiast, and has owned greyhounds at several of the country's tracks.
12. How do you see the Oaks Final playing out and what’s your tip for the race?
It’s a cracking final, no doubt about it, with all six bitches having performed with huge credit to claim their place. Kennelmates Fabulous Azurra and Slick Sakina are both well drawn and unbeaten in the event so far, and hold strong claims accordingly, but neither will be able to afford any mistakes, upon which the rest of the field will not hesitate to capitalise. I expect these two to lead into the first turn, with the rest of the field close up in behind. On balance, my tip to win is Slick Sakina.
13. Are there any dogs to watch out for on the card with strong local connections?
We are lucky to have been supported by owners and trainers from all over the country this evening, for which I'm very grateful, and included amongst that is a strong local representation, who will be doing their utmost to ensure that as many trophies as possible are held aloft by Midlands connections.
14. How do you and the team celebrate a successful staging of the Oaks Final?
There will probably be plenty of sighs of relief at the end of the evening for what has been a very busy month, and I'm sure a glass, or two, will be enjoyed when everything has been wrapped up. It's been a proper team effort, as these events have to be, and my thanks are extended to all my colleagues who have worked hard to ensure the success of these two great competitions.
